Our latest task took us back to one of Nottingham’s most iconic locations, the Green’s Windmill and Science Centre.

A quick rainstorm in the afternoon caused us a bit of worry, but thankfully by 6.30pm the skies had cleared as six of us met up for our pre-task run. Leah, Nina and Rachel L had all arrived by bike (that’s a whopping 50% of the group!) so we quickly popped our bikes inside the windmill grounds before setting off. Oh, and Leah cycled for the first time so even more well done to her!!

Our mission was to find the Sneinton dragon which was a half a mile down the road. It was gentle slow jog so we didn’t get out of puff, ideal for having a good old chat and getting to know new members, Vicky and Luna, as we went.

According to its website, the dragon stands seven feet high and has a 15-foot wingspan, and ‘it lurks in the shade of the trees lining an urban street corner’. Some of us didn’t even know it existed despite driving past many times! After a quick photo with the dragon, we jogged back and did a few stretches before starting our task.

We were joined by Gaurav, Tom and Rachel W as we met Jamie from the windmill who explained what he needed us to do. Rachel W and Rose took on the job of painting one of the fences to neaten it up and weather-proof it. Meanwhile, the rest of us did more weeding of the paths around the flower beds and by the entrance gate. We were pleased to see that the sections we tackled on our last visit were still looking pretty clear, but the recent rain meant there were still plenty of weeds to get our claws into.

After an hour of work and a beautiful group photo under the apple tree, we jumped back on our bikes and feet and all headed home.

Thanks to Jamie for having us and to all our members who attended. Special welcome to Vicky and Luna - we hope to see you again very soon. Also a big well done to Tom who just returned from tackling his first ultra marathon in the Lake Distract where he finished an epic 15th in the Lakeland Trails Ultra 55k challenge!

WANT TO JOIN US NEXT TIME? Check out our up-coming sessions here.

GoodGym Nottingham returned to the wonderful Windmill Community Gardens for our Wednesday night task. They are hosting their annual Feel Good Garden Party on Saturday and needed our help with a few jobs in preparation for the event.

Carley set us to work clearing a large pile of rubbish and wood, transporting it in wheelbarrows to a skip which was located a bit further down the entrance road. Our main challenge was avoiding all the rusty nails sticking out of the wood. Most of the pile was destined for the skip, but we managed to save some glass, plastic and metal for recycling. We also rescued several slugs and a dog made out of welly boots!

Once the first rubbish pile was clear, our next job was to fill our wheelbarrows with wood chip from outside the gate and transport it to the very back of the gardens where it would be laid to make a path. Not wanting to waste a wheelbarrow journey, we filled them with more rubble and wood for the skip on the way back out.

It was a warm, balmy evening in Nottingham (a rarity at the moment). So much so that at one point Nigel decided to take a shower…door, from the rubble pile. We finished with a quick photograph by our full skip and headed on our way.

What a smashing task!

See the pictures for details of the Feel Good Garden Party and other events at the Windmill Community Gardens.

GoodGym Nottingham celebrated its first birthday on 26th June with a run and pub social. The sun came out (finally) for this joyous occasion, and we met at the traditional 'Left Lion' meeting place already feeling a little hot and sweaty. After a quick photo with the lion and a lesson from Peter on what the lions are actually called (Agamemnon on the left, and Menelaus on the right), we headed off for our run.

Peter had planned a route around the main sites of the city centre and he led the main pack of Tom, Ashley and Nina around filling them in with a range of trivia and knowledge as they went.

Leah and Rachel decided to take a slightly shorter route which, they thought, would enable them to walk and meet the runners at some point near the Park Tunnel. This didn't turn out as planned, but we all ended up back at the Robin Hood statue by Nottingham Castle almost at the same time.

After another group photo by Robin, we headed to The Roundhouse pub for a well-deserved drink and some food.

Thanks to everyone who came. Special welcome back to Ashley who has been doing most of his GoodGym-ing with Derby recently - we hope to see you at more Nottingham tasks soon! We look forward to more good deeds, fitness and fun in the year to come!!

The weather could not make up its mind on Sunday morning when 7 GoodGymers (plus Pascal!) headed out to the Serenity Gardens in Highfields Park. Thankfully, by the time we had arrived, the sun was out and we set to work on planting a row of new shrubs which will create a boundary for the garden. The idea is that this will direct walkers around the path so that they do not trample across the grass area and near to the trees and plaques which have been lovingly installed by bereaved families.

For the most part, we found digging the holes fairly easy but did come across a few troublesome stones, manhole covers and bricks to work around. Some of us also helped remove an old kerb stone which took a fair bit of digging and levering. After the bushes were planted, we also helped with weeding some of the flower beds and strimming around the trees and plaques.

We had no first-timers today but welcomed back Sehrish, Gaurav and Andrew to their second tasks - thanks for coming back guys!

The Serenity Garden is a beautiful space owned and run by Forever Stars, a local charity dedicated to supporting families who have suffered a stillbirth or infant loss. Thank you to Daniel and Martyn for hosting us and to the charity for allowing us to come and be part of something so special. We would love to return and help out some more soon.