Our last Group Run of January, and what a way to blast out! 💥 We had a very special milestone to celebrate - read on to find out more....

January Challenge

Plus we were on 87 good deeds and with over 10 signups, reaching our target of 100 good deeds in the January challenge was tantalisingly close. What seemed an outlandish doubling of our 2023 target was now a realistic goal 🎯

A roadblock appeared, however. Winter 🌨️ is a notoriously difficult period to find tasks at times, but not for lack of trying. Mark managed to line up a task for us a couple of days before the run, though it sadly got cancelled on Monday afternoon, requiring some quick thinking 🤔

Best laid plans

Mark suggested we split into two groups - some guerilla gardeners to weed unloved planters 🪴 by Kent House station, and GoodGym promoters 🏃 putting up postcards on noticeboards to tell the world (well, Penge and Crystal Palace) what we do.

After introducing ourselves with a contender for the most odd question of the week ever (Which toothpaste do you use? 🪥), we prepared to divide. The promoters further split into two teams led by Cat and me (Stephen). We fought with rock, paper, scissors for who would go up the hill to Crystal Palace; Cat's scissors ✂️ resigned me and my paper 📰 to the steep incline and won her Penge.

Up the hill, down the hill

I wasn't alone, though, as David, Harry and Renier also volunteered for the harder route, and the band of merry men headed off for higher altitudes ⛰️. Mega shout out to David for pluckiness in seeing if newsagents, restaurants - anyone, really - would host our postcards in their window. We got positive response from numerous places we'd never promoted with before, and this was on Anerley Hill before we got near to The Triangle 😀

Mark's and Cat's teams flew towards Penge, with Team Green (Fingers) getting to work on the weeds at Kent House.

All together now

We met back at the Bridge House to hear each others' task stories and prepared to surprise an unsuspecting GoodGym'er, for it was none other than Mark's 500th good deed, an occasion demanding cake 🎂 and an amazingly augmented card and badge from Hannah!

Congratulations Mark! 👏

100 club

We're now a good deed shy of 100 - our goal is within reach and will surely be toppled before the month is done. Well done everyone who participated and helped us get there 🥳