11 of us ran 8km to Renew Swindon in Penhill, while 6 of us ran 3km to Ferndale Primary School, 3 of who also ran another 5km to meet the Renewer’s!

This week we were double-trouble, with a two-some of tasks for gregarious GoodGym’ers. The planned task? Lifting, Shifting, Sorting and Painting at Renew Swindon's New Home, Chippenham Close Community Centre. We last visited Renew Swindon back in March in their previous location at Cheney Manor for some sanding.

The emergency call-in? Midday, GoodGym time - 6 hours, we got a call from Ferndale Primary School with a last minute hump and dump task. We last visited Ferndale school back in June to help with a gardening task.

Before we set off to our different tasks, our icebreaker was what was our favourite things about Swindon. Our responses include a great running community (GoodGym and parkrun); nice restaurants; great job opportunities; a location close to some perfect places; and brilliant heritage.

And so we split up to our two tasks! The Renew crew set off up the (Pen)hill – the speedies led by Emma The Trainer, and the steadies led by Sandy Sam.

We met Kevin and Dawn who shared the story of Renew Swindon with us. Part of the UK Men’s Sheds Association, they focus on men’s mental health and wellbeing, by providing welcoming, safe and supportive environments to connect with others, be active, learn new skills and share knowledge & give to others through renewing, repairing and re-using materials which would otherwise go to landfill.

Our tasks? Empty a room of gubbins for collection, and sand down the woodwork in the hallway for painting the next day.

The former community centre hall was most recently used as a boxing ring, and so we had:

• IN THE LIFTING AND SHIFTING CORNER - Tracey, Emma, Mike and Tracy.
• IN THE SANDING CORNER – Rachel, David, Hannah, Andrew, Becky, Sam and Helen.

LET’S GET READY TO RRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUMBBLE!

Meanwhile, not far away in the borough, we were answering an urgent emergency. If there’s humping and dumping to be done in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? GoodGym! Six GoodGym runners answered an SOS call from Jane at Ferndale Primary School to help with some more lifting and shifting of rubbish from the playground to a skip. Led by Charles, they made our way down to the school yard where there was a huge pile of rubbish to be moved – and quite a collection of slugs and snails and very smelly rubbish to contend with.

Undeterred, we quickly got stuck in with Trolley Dolly Graham shifting the larger items, while Jo couldn’t be separated from the wheelbarrow. Sarah, Sharon and Gina flexed their muscles carrying rubbish to the skip with sprint shuttles on the way back – Gina quickly covered more than kilometre just at the task! This really was running with purpose! With some good old fashioned GoodGym grunt, the task was completed in around 20 minutes. Any representatives from Guinness World Records available to check that?!

Jane was so pleased with our speedy shifting that after hugs all round, she sent us on our way with a packet of biscuits, aka GoodGym fuel! These were entrusted to Sarah, Sharon and Graham who made their way back to the Oasis while Charles, Gina and Jo ran up the hill to meet the other intrepid sand and shifters.

After the Renew Crew were complete and the obligatory landscape, portrait, square, nature, beauty, wildlife and advertising photography was taken, we were off back to the Oasis.

And that’s where the mystery begins… there were no biscuits when we all returned later to the Oasis. CRUMBS!

• Is it a custard crime or some rich tea rapscallion?
• Did Sarah, Sharon and Graham eat them all?
• Do we call the world record people or the police first?
• Will those responsible for biscuitgate ever be found?
• Will the Jammie Dodgers get away with the crime they committed against those who shift grime?!

Interested in investigating the mystery further? GREAT because there’s loads of GoodGym goodness upcoming:

• This Thursday, a good old chinwag with Sanctuary Seekers with We're Open @ Coffee 1!
• Next Tuesday, 6pm, we’re back at the Gorse Hill Community Centre for more indoor painting. Sign up here!
• We’re also kicking off missions in the town to help older people with one-off tasks. Interested in more info? Check out here or speak to the TaskForce.