Suns out, spades out!

It was the loveliest day of the year so far, which always fills us with Vitamin D fueled energy. Which was good news as we had a big task to reclaim some overground areas in Chiswick.

After a very short run we arrived to meet Karen from Abundance London, who had brought with her a barrow full of tools. There is a set of beds right by the busy A4 that have become really neglected. Abundance have cleared one and planted it with lots of pollinators, o there was a stark difference between the cared for space, and the overgrown, litter strewn area we were there to tackle.

We wasted no time (and I even managed to remember to take a 'before' shot, so you can really see how much we got done) getting stuck in. Out came bindweed, cans, bricks, some wrangled metal, a broom head and more weeds than you can shake a fork at.

We were doing so well that a splinter group featuring Chris, Alan and Gus even moved over the road to work on pulling up grass and clearing another area. While we worked we remarked how just a little care makes a big difference. If passers by see well-loved, neat and flourishing beds they are much less likely to chuck their litter there and much more likely to want to take some ownership for its upkeep. So well done everybody, it really is time well spent.

After finishing up we made our way back to the green. Thanks to the rain it had been a while since we'd had an opportunity to do a proper core session so we took advantage of the lovely weather to knock out a series of exercises aimed at strengthening our abs. Just look at those happy faces in the photos!

On Saturday there is a great community mission to plant at Harvard Hill. So far we have no sign up so it would be wonderful if you had a short window to spare to lend a hand! Here are all the details you need.

Happy GGing everybody!

It was the perfect evening for a spot of GoodGyming last night. With clear skies and warm weather, we met at Cavendish school, a regular task location for us, to help with the ongoing improvements the new caretaker is bringing in.

First stop was to take a look at the nature project we've been helping with, and it was fantastic to see new pathways and big compost bins had appeared. After firefighting the weeds and overgrowth for so long in the past it feels great to see real progress happening - we'll be back again soon to support some more!

Our job for the evening was in the school grounds themselves, and it was a biggie. We were tasked with moving a huge pile of green pine cuttings over to the playground area to provide a soft surface underneath the climbing frames. So with Chris and Florian taking charge of shoveling the big pile of pine, and Suze, Luis, Emily, Tish and Jon transporting it over to the site, while Michelle and Remy raked, we were soon operating like a finely oiled machine.

Before we knew it, we were all smelling very Christmassy, and the playground had a brand new covering. We just had time to knock out an intense glute session whilst trying to remember the Superman theme song. After a quick Swan Lake recital from Michelle, we recreated one of the best GG Hounslow photos to date, and then headed out. Thanks for an amazing effort last night everyone!

Don't forget we have a couple of missions coming up which could definitely do with a few sign ups! Especially this one to help plant at Harvard Hill and next week's lunchtime shift at Hounslow foodbox which is also looking very quiet!

Next week we're going to be helping Abundance London reclaim an overgrown area in Chiswick, see you there!

It was a double header last night in Hounslow! With two tasks to choose from, there was something for everybody. We also got a chance to welcome Beata to her first Hounslow session - great to have you join us!

Those that preferred a shorter run/walk to a local organisation took on the weeding task at Chiswick Methodist church, led by Michelle. What sounded initially like a relatively light job actually turned out to be quite the session. Luckily, as Michelle put it, they took it very methodically....have a look at the impressive before and after photos to see what the group managed to achieve. They also had birthday girl Alanna there to keep spirits up - many happy returns to the lovely lady herself on her special day! When the group is reunited next week we'll give you the bumps.

The second group set off on a slighter longer, and arguably somewhat less scenic route to Gunnersbury Park where a hefty job relocating logs waited for us. We used what three words to find the exact location, running past many very much smaller piles of logs en route. When we finally did arrive, we realised the scale of the task. There was no shortage of enthusiasm though, and we started shifting the logs as fast as our legs could carry us. Until, that was, we discovered a section of the local wildlife that had made the pile its home. Lifting up the wood we found lots of little families of frogs nestled in the mud. So as not to disturb their peace, we gently worked around the tiny amphibians, and soon only the giant unliftable logs were left. Great work everybody.

Next week we're off to do another stint at the Cavendish Nature area, so pack your gloves ready for the next step in this exciting project.

Have a great run into the weekend GoodGym!

We were in high spirits last night at our group run as it was the first time in months we met in bright evening sunlight. Couple that with the fact that we had some great racing last week (well done Florian and Steph!), the promise of a new task at Duke's meadow, and with lots of the group off to Paris for a weekend of marathons and croissants, everybody was in fine form!

We set off through the beautiful grounds of Chiswick House, and soon arrived to find Jo from Wild Chiswick waiting for us with all the tools we needed for the job. Duke's Meadow is run as a trust and over the years it has created fabulous play areas, planted hedgerows, wildflower meadows and an orchard to increase the bio diversity of the park. The trust is a social enterprise focused on sustainability and volunteers maintain the area.

Our job for the evening was to cut down the cherry tree suckers that have sprung up around the more mature cherry trees. This new growth saps energy away from more essential components, particularly fruit-bearing branches or foliage, and spread outwards rather than upwards thereby taking up space for other plants. Without wasting any time we snipped away and cleared the branches for collection, happily working away under a falling blanket of blossom and sky bursting with sunset colours.

In just a short amount of time the difference was clear, so we packed up our tools and made our way back across the field. Great work everybody. By the way, if you notice a notable improvement in the quality of some of the photos this week, you can thank Michelle and Lucy for an upgrade on my efforts with some lovely snaps! Next week we're at Cavendish school to do some more work on the nature area. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Happy running Paris racers!