It was a little rainy for our task tonight but since most of us had been caught in never-before-seen-in-this-country levels of torrential rain yesterday, whether as runners or supporters at the Great North Run, it was like water off a duck's back!

It was great to welcome back Matt and Alfie to their second tasks - I think that makes them regulars now!

We had a short stroll into the Ouseburn Valley to meet task owner Dave from the Ouseburn Trust and his colleague Chris. The Ouseburn Valley is a buzzing green space on the edge of the city and it's a favourite task of ours to help keep the space safe, accessible and looking good for people passing through. As always, Dave was ready for us with two tasks and the tools to complete them. The valley didn't escape the effects of the storms yesterday and mud had been swept onto some paths and steps, making them slippery. Michael, Matt and Alfie got to work with Dave, using shovels and brooms to clear the mud, making the paths and steps much safer. Meanwhile, Aimee, Elliot, Dan, Chris and I got to work with loppers, cutting back some overgrown hedges, including some rather vicious brambles, which have the ability to penetrate gloves, sleeves and leggings! Check out the photos of beautifully clear paths!

At this point we should address the elephant in the room! We were joined tonight by a BBC film crew making a piece for the Morning Live program on the theme of Running for Good. It was great to be able to talk about what a fantastic organisation GoodGym is and the different ways we can use fitness sessions to benefit the community, and vice versa, to use volunteering to help motivate us to keep fit. Hopefully it'll lead to a few new members joining us. Coming to a TV screen near you very soon!

We have a busy weekend coming up with Urban Green tasks on Saturday and Sunday, quickly followed by a litter pick in the Ouseburn Valley in Monday - at least we know the paths will be clear for that one - unless the storms come back! Check out the website to sign up!

(Kudos to Dan for pun and pics!)

Stop what you are doing and immediately go and give Alfie a big cheer. After signing up to GoodGym last summer, he finally made it along to his first ever GoodGym happening with only mild cajoling by Dan!

On what was a freezing cold evening we were actually pleased to have the hill of Westgate Road to contend with as we set off on a leafleting task to promote a community event for Reviving the Heart of the West End. As with all good GoodGym tasks this was a team effort, with Paul collecting the leaflets and handing them over to me, myself Aimee and Michael walking, while Dan and Alfie ran.

Squad!

We definitely add "leaflet experts" to our collective CV and we talked about how quickly we can get this task done now as well as having our favourite types of door, path and gate. Rock and Roll Mondays, eh!

I had the unfortunate experience of trapping my finger in a letter box as it SNAPPED shut, and we had a sympathetic LOL at Aimee as she had the awkward moment of posting a leaflet at the same time a man opened a door. (CACKLE)

In just 20 minutes, 200 leaflets were DROPPED across four streets so we have a set plan to finish next week. I would love to see you back for this one, its such a satisfying task. We were definitely warmer by the end of this one and knew we had really made a difference by spreading the word to so many homes that will hopefully get involved.

PS: also discovered tonight, can you believe the film Hairspray is 15 years old?! Random Monday Fact.