25 people ran 8 km to clear out furniture for Hackney Pirates and clear an overgrown garden for an elderly resident

"getting all the more hooked"

Tonight was my third GoodGym run and I am getting all the more hooked as we had yet another totally different type of task to undertake. The variation, for me, makes it all the more interesting and exciting to see who might need the help of the GoodGym next!

Tonight was the turn of the Hackney Pirates to put us to a different work out halfway through our running. They are providing young people in Hackney essential supplementary support to their educational needs - when identified by teachers as requiring it - at a crucial age in the transition to secondary school, with the help of volunteers.

fluorescent presence

They have a great new location in the process of being renovated with fun and creative ideas to inspire those who will come in off Kingsland High Street into their unconventional learning environment. So the lycra and fluorescent presence of the GoodGym team arrive for the practical and necessary task of removing items taking up valuable space in this soon to be den of creativity.

There were more new faces to meet and greet this week which was nice to see and socialising on the run is great fun (if not an intense part of the workout) and, not to mention, a way to take your mind off the slog of the jog (if it’s not your prefered kind of exercise!).

We started with the usual warm ups after the briefing inside Coffee is my Cup of Tea and headed toward the new Hackney Pirates location at a steady running pace. We then moved all shapes and sizes of objects: boxes, tables and drums to vans to be transported. Team work skills were utilised!

racing vans

We then raced the vans as they negotiated the traffic to the storage location, where we unloaded the bounty. The work was accomplished quickly thanks to the numbers of us and willing attitude. Three groups of runners headed back at different paces - which ever they deemed appropriate for their now wearing legs - before a dash through the park and finishing back where we started.

Another team had gone to help an elderly lady with her garden as well, and apparently she was gleefully waving them goodbye with her smile of satisfaction at the end of their efforts. There are many ways to help in people’s lives and getting a taste of how it can be done through GoodGym is inspiring.

no mutiny

There was no mutiny, rum swilling or walking the plank on this adventure with the Hackney Pirates - just two compassionate community projects coming together for those that want to get fit and those that need some support for learning.

Two great causes coming together with a great result for all!

James French Working @SIKAAcademy