Monday evening and we were off to a relatively new task for GG TH in the heart of Bow…

GET OUT is a charity that connects young people to nature through surfing, food growing and outdoor education.

The Food Forest, based in Bow’s Harley Grove, works closely with the local primary school to offer a well-served community garden for local young people to enjoy and learn in.

Tonight we were joining Kieran, GET OUT’s founder for some heavy lifting...

A workout from start to finish

We started with a few body weight exercises in the park across the road. A keen canine participant made sure we rattled through our exercises very speedily, so after some tricep dips, seated leg lowers, Bulgarian split squats and the obligatory dynamic warm-up we made our way across to the enchanting little garden.

As the project prepares to make way for a skate ramp revamp, large logs needed lifting and so the team proceeded to give upper and lower body a workout-and-a-half with this amazing teamwork as they carried log after log over to the far corner of the garden. The runners didn't stop, wouldn't stop: they carried every last huge bit of wood across the garden, navigating tight pathways and tricky corners.

“Wow. Didn’t expect you to blitz it that quick,” exclaimed a delighted Kieran 20 minutes in.

Plan B

And so to the second tasks: chopping back greenery, sweeping paths, litter-picking – and breaking up soil boulders for Josh.

It was humid, it was heavy going, and it was great fun.

8pm came around in no time, and we were returning tools, discussing dates for our next visit, and posing for a final pic.

We headed back onto Harley Grove and finished with some stretches to end the night.

A really, really fun task. Well done everyone.

A big shout-out tonight to Emma, who joins our Task Force! Welcome Emma!

Next week, it’s another heavy lifting job, as we head to St Margaret’s House to fill a skip…

Until then.

On a sunny Saturday morning GoodGym members came out for a group run with a difference.

Tower Hamlets member Simon and area activator Laura had arranged a meet up and collaboration with the London branch of Frontrunners – Europe's largest LGBT+ sports club – at their weekly multi-ability run in Victoria Park. We started with an introduction to both organisations and why they are important to their members.

GoodGym Tower Hamlets are an enthusiastic bunch of about 30 regulars who are interested in keeping fit while getting involved in local community projects and meeting like-minded people in their local area. It's an inclusive and friendly club where members run, cycle or walk to meet up at weekly or daily tasks where we garden, tidy, clean or just chat with someone who needs our help.

London Frontrunners are a mixed ability, running club for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Non-binary, and Queer people, and their allies, and are part of a world-wide club that started in San Francisco in 1974. The club meets all over London and provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to be part of a sport environment without fear of exclusion or discrimination based on their sexuality and gender.

At 10:15, 5 GoodGymmers and 12 Frontrunners set off on two routes – a 5k loop of Victoria Park and a 10k run around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Everyone regrouped at the Pavilion Café for coffee, breakfast and chats to catch their breath.

Laura and Simon then led the whole group on to one of our regular Victoria Park activities – donning protective gloves and armed with grabbers and rubbish bags - picking up litter around the play areas, woods and fields where bottles, cigarette ends, cans and all sorts of trash had escaped the bins.

Forty-five minutes later and some people were so engrossed (competitive!) with picking litter, but the group slowly came back together to show off our collections. Photos, thank yous and goodbyes done and everyone headed off their own ways.

Next meeting is already set up for 11 June ([see details|https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-tower-hamlets-x-london-frontrunners-saturday-morning-run-social]).

Everyone is invited for this fun and friendly run – join us!

Sustrans Simon had hunted us out another spot on the cycle network that needed some maintenance. This time it was an area of private land alongside Maltravers road with lots of litter and flytipping.

After a briefing by Simon, we set to work clearing the worst of the flytipping and generally giving things a spruce up. Locals seemed generally bewildered why we were bothering, but we did get cheers from one car saying "You're doing a great job. We need more people like you in the world" ☺️

Well done and welcome to Chris on his first mission and Josh on his second!

Goodgymers joined Park Hill Residents Association, Sheffield litter pickers and some Facebook event enthusiasts to litter pick around Park Hill.

Recently CCTV has been installed at the top of the amphitheatre plus extreme fencing to stop 'party central' as Sheffield Litter pickers enthusiastic and Friends of Sheaf Valley Park Member, Linda, named it. Kate, who lives at Park Hill and is behind the beautiful wild flower meadows was wondering what 'party central' was and a thorough discussion about how people use nitrous oxide was then had.

The extreme fencing means that people enjoy chucking McDonald's wrappers and nitrous oxide canisters out of their cars a bit further down but it wasn't so bad and the lovely planting is hiding a lot too.

We picked South Street, Talbot Street and Duke Street as a gang of about 15 or so people.

After our 2 hours of picking on the first day of summer, we met a couple of other goodgymers for brunch and coffee at South Street Kitchen before a resident gave us a tour of Park Hill and we learnt more about the place.

A new bench has been installed at Park Hill and the table tennis court is waiting to be played so picnics may be planned.

The Park Hillers do a litter pick the last Saturday of every month and have litter pickers, gloves and bags and it's certainly making a difference as it's looking really clean! A really nice group of people and the cafe has an all day brunch so worth a visit too.

Thank you everyone!