Welcome to Robert for your first GoodGym Manchester session 👏 Great to meet you.

This evening was a bit different. After being approached by Natalie Kate Moss Trust, a charity raising funds and awareness for the treatment and prevention of brain haemorrhages, we combined GoodGym with their Brain Gym resources to get us thinking about our brain health and lifestyle. As part of that, we covered ~4.5 km from St Peter's Square around via Hulme, University of Manchester, Ardwick, and circling back to Sandbar. The combination of a brisk jog and social interaction both forming a significant aspect of the Brain Gym suggestions 🧠

We had bumper numbers this evening, with Scott fresh from a speedy Media City Half Marathon, Hazel joining from Stockport, Peter back from Sri Lanka, Tanoshi and Fanette joining for their 1st Monday night group run, Robert, a journeyman of Bath and Merton GoodGym groups, and regulars Sam and Ben.

We self-quizzed ourselves on the Brain Gym recommendations, including taking small steps, keeping a record or journal, having a support network, "colouring our plate" for food, and keeping a good sleeping routine. All this while enjoying refreshments and tasty pizza at Sandbar (some were more colourful than others) and discussing a potential Mam Tor litter pick in the spring... watch this space 💪

Peter and Ben shrugged off Blue Monday to set out and donate some much needed items for Manchester South-Central foodbank.

With lights and fresh GoodGym t-shirts, we set off, laden with bags of donations.

In all, there was several kilos of items mostly cans and non-perishables, including:

• peanut butter 🥜
• tinned veg 🥕🫛🥔🌽
• tinned fruit 🍑
• tinned fish 🐟 & meat 🍖
• rice pudding 🍮
• UHT milk 🥛

Much easier and lighter run on the way back 🏃‍♂️ hope the food donations go to good use 💪

Congrats to Peter on leading his first GoodGym Manchester session!

Despite a very wet forecast 🌧 we were in Gorse Hill to help prepare the allotment for Gorse Hill Studios as part of their Green Rooms project for the winter.

We met in Gorse Hill park to collect loose leaves 🍂 plus a litterpick with a couple of rubbish 🗑 sacks and 10 bags full of leaves.

We used the leaves as mulch on the allotment to help the future beds and dampen any weed growth. Peter also brought some strawberry 🍓 runners to be planted and we took out any tomato plants 🍅 from inside the polytunnel.

With heavy rain and dark clouds gathering, we called it a day. We'll likely be back in the new year for spring prep and perhaps at the studios to help there too.