On a bright but eventually rainy evening 4 Goodgymmers made their way down past the station to help Pam and Colchester in Bloom. Helen and Stu met us at the allotment already stuck into thick brambles, where it was rumoured some fruit trees once planted by Goodgym years before dwelled.

Some exciting news from Sophie following her holiday whilst Helen advocated the importance of protein, we took on some truly gnarly weeds before breaking them down for stashing in waste bags. Eventually, beyond the many thick layers a gorgeous cherry tree emerged, bearing some ripe and delicious cherries!

Despite trying to wrap up the task our volunteers were too keen to stop, insisting everything be cleared despite the falling rain. Once getting ourselves away finally we parted ways with a sense of great satisfaction. Another task cleared, with literal fruits to show for our labour.

Is it really June?! The date says it is but the weather is more autumnal, so we needed to keep busy to keep warm, and a brisk walk and jog did just the trick...as well as the warm welcome to Lavinia for her first good deed. Give her a cheer on the Goodgym website!

Our task was not for weeds. Or should I say it was for weeds(?) as we tidied up the front of The Cannons, removing a huge amounts of bind weed, grouting the concrete areas and weeding the flowers beds.

Another great job done to tidy up a Colchester Borough Homes space, another good run for our Fitness and mental health and we continue to help our community - layers of good on Layer Road.

Have a great week and see you next time.

A muggy evening, our 5 GoodGymers arrived ready for a blooming good task! We were welcomed at the town hall by Pam from Colchester in Bloom along with a group of other volunteers all ready to get stuck into the flower boxes. Our task was to empty the boxes of old flowers and weeds, saving the ivy! Plenty of digging, weeding and forking was carried out.

We had time for a little hill running fitness session with three uphill efforts increasing in distance and ending with some well-earned cool down stretches. Well done all and see you next time!

We made our way to our monthly Foodbank clean up in the evening sun to be met by a very young family of birds in the air-vent. The team got stuck in, giving the reception area a thorough clean and vacuum whilst the rest of us swept and mopped. Cleaning the foodbank is an ongoing and much needed task, with a physical element and lots of opportunity to chat and socialise too.

After a great effort a little bit of cake helped us on the way courtesy of Ella's baking skills!

It was an evening of first good deeds, hill runs and battling litter warriors on the footpaths of Balkerne Hill and St Mary's Fields. Not to mention the happy return of Denise and credit for the report title!!

So a big welcome to Daisy for her first good deed with Goodgym, making Colchester a bit tidier and doing some powerful fitness! (Enjoy Scotland)

The evening started at The Mercury Theatre where we set to grab a few discarded cigarette butt's next to the Hole in the Wall pub and head down the hill. The mowers had been out which means that litter gets shredded and harder to pick, but the pathway from Sheepen Road to St Mary's field had (unfortunately) the usual amount of litter, much of which was frustratingly out of reach. Find of the evening was a pannier, chucked on top of the brambles which between us we managed to grab and bin!

To finish up, we got warm with some dynamic stretches and a did some progressive hill running/sprinting!

Good job all and enjoy your week!

After a day of torrential downpours or April power showers, the sun shone for our task with Colchester in Bloom at the Bergholt Road allotment.

It was slightly chilly but we warmed up as we 'Jeffed' for 3km to the task where we were met by Pam. Our task was a very good arm work out emptying roughly 30 hanging baskets and boxes ready to be replanted and hung across the city centre. We completed it, even saving some of the plants in boxes and saving Colchester in Bloom loads of time!!!

Off we trotted into the sunset, another task complete and looking forward to seeing the flowers in the coming weeks.

Good luck to Frazer for his 5k on Wednesday and we'll done to Sophie for performing in a BSL choir in Chelmsford to a large crowd!