This week we were massively boosted in number as newbie Reza brought loads of friends along to try out their first GoodGym session!

With expected numbers doubled we had an army of people heading across town to help the 61 Football Club get their clubhouse and grounds ready for the start of the new season.

Runners arriving first got started on the first task, raking up the fresh cut grass, while later arrivals were issues with gloves and paint brushes to paint the stand walls red, then we had a team painting the posts around the pitch bright white, and finally our man Musa was given the job of blue gloss on the new railings.

With so many people going at the tasks they were getting done super quick and we could move them on to new areas to get even more good stuff done.

When our time was up the place was visibly much cleaner and brighter and Cliff and Richard were as grateful as ever, offering much welcome crisps and drinks around before the return leg of the journey back into town.

We had a great team supporting Foodcycle tonight, and it was lovely to have two of our regular GoodGymers making their debut at FoodCycle. Musa joined Gill and Martin in the kitchen and was soon stuck into preparing peppers and other veg for the stir fry. Gill and Martin meanwhile got working in a delicious apple and pear Charlotte for dessert. When the hosting team arrive it was great to welcome Yasin for his first FoodCycle session and Derrick was soon showing him the ropes. He even hot him writing out the menu! It was FoodCycle's 2nd birthday so after the guests had gone all the volunteers were celebrated with cake and kind words from the manager. There were special mentions of GoodGym as Nisa recognised the great support that GoodGym has given to this project to keep it going each week. We were also pleased to meet a new volunteer who had signed up to Foodcycle after receiving a flyer through her door from one of our flyering tasks.

Well done to all Goodgym members who have volunteered at FoodCycle over the past year. Your support has been greatly appreciated.

Tigger took a leisurely stroll from home, Gill a brisk trot from Church as she was concerned that she might be late, but wasn't. Musa marched up the hill from town, and Derrick and Yasin made their way to meet up with the team on route.

A pleasant walk awaited us, because Gill had planned our task around some well appointed residential roads with manicured gardens which we admired. Ludlow Avenue, Cutenhoe Road south side (even numbers) and back up Cutenhoe north side up to number 119.

It's always great to have a number of willing walkers for leaflet distribution as we make progress swiftly, have a visual Goodgym presence in the street, and have time to chat, and in the case of Cutenhoe Road, catch our breath. Gill had run up the Cutenhoe climb earlier in the morning and was treating herself to a recovery walk 😆

In just under 45 minutes we'd run out of leaflets before running out of road, and headed home for some well earned lunch

This week we welcomed Omar to his first session with us and then split the team up to tackle two tasks.

We had a long range running crew of 4 people who headed off to Dallow and up Winsdon Hill, where litter picking was the task of the day. After 50 minutes rummaging around the long grass and woods on the hill an impressive pile of bulging litter bags and general dumped junk was hauled out and left by the roadside for collection by the council.

Meanwhile, a walking team headed off to South Luton armed with flyers for FoodCycle who need to find some more volunteers for their Tuesday night dinners. Their target for the night was a climb up the steep and twisty Armstrong Road, where effort is rewarded with a commanding view of the airport from the top.

Finally, a pair of runners who fancied a shorter run chased down the walkers and ran straight up to the top of the hill and started flyering their way down until they met the walkers again.

The flyers were all delivered in double quick time with so many on the task, whereas the litter pickers, despite bringing in an impressive haul, had to leave most of the hillside unpicked, but we will be back!

A hot and sweaty Wednesday night saw the group get together to deliver flyers to High Town homes, inviting residents to a wellbeing and juicing event by local charity Azalea. Being so hot and not having a huge distance to cover we stuck with walking so the whole group could stick together on the way.

With 500 flyers in hand we then split up into two groups to tackle different areas and with a group of 10 we were empty handed in no time at all.

That just left one more task for the night. Gill had left a batch of GoodGym cupcakes at the pub to celebrate reaching 300 good deeds, so we made our way over there and enjoying a round of cooling drinks and cupcakes. 🧁 🍻 🍹