Who needs a head torch when we have mulch more bulbs than we can handle at the ETNA community centre?

After an entertaining warm-up, 12 runners set off from Wholefoods, weaving through the pedestrians on Richmond’s high street, then over the bridge and down to the towpath for a torch lit riverside run. We were bound for ETNA community centre in St Margaret’s where we regularly do battle with their cheerfully persistent weeds, with the aim of continuing some unfinished mulching business and making a start on some springtime bulb planting “anywhere you can see soil”.

The Bulb Babes (as they henceforth shall be known) got stuck into the mud with their many, many, MANY bulbs of which roughly 10 made it into the not-quite-thawed-enough ground. Meanwhile, Operation Sheet Lightning (cause they were laying down the sheeting quick as a flash) got snip-happy with some scissors neatly shaping the sheeting round edges and obstacles and layering the bark on top. And our new runner, Richard, got busy weeding the areas we haven’t yet mulched which seemed like an appropriate initiation for his first run given that weeding at ETNA has become something of a signature task for GoodGym Richmond (welcome, Richard!).

Whilst we settled into the task at ETNA, two of our crew set off on a reconnaissance mission to assess the scale of a potential litter picking task for a future date (Operation Litter Bug?). It was all a bit 007, but without the sexual innuendo, car chases and improbable escapes from imminent death. They safely reported back to M (ahem, Mark) before the night was done – sadly not enough litter for this ninja taskforce to tackle on a Monday night. Richmond, you are just too tidy. We haven’t had a chance to use our litter pickers for AGES.

All in all, a busy enough evening for 12 pairs of hands and still more to do for ETNA’s garden-fringed car park at a future date. Good work, team.

As mentioned ETNA are in the process of upgrading their site and therefore the services that they offer our community. They have very much expressed an interest in hearing any ideas we may have to help them raise funds. Let's get sharing, think of something fun and let's see if we can get involved and support this amazing organisation.

This awesome run report was written by equally awesome sister sledge - Debs and Tabs!!! YAYYYYY!!

10 Goodgym runners braved the cold, less than 10 degrees so I'm told. To help Jack our trusty man, with the help of tools from his van.

We started off running through the bitter chill. Dinesh setting off fast against our will. Before long we arrived to the task at hand, ten-ding the canal, soon to be our piece of land.

As quick as we could we began picking the litter. Luckily for Jack this bunch couldn't be fitter. The bin bags themselves were pretty small, so we set ourselves the task to fill them all.

5 minutes to go and we moved to our biggest task of the night: Pulling the trolley out of the water, what a sight!

The boys set to it, that's right we had four! We're hoping they're all back next week, and even some more.

We hot footed down the road, back to our bit of Brent. Along the way dropped off Debs and Tabs, away they went.

A great task was had by all and thank goodness unlike last time, not one fall!!

See you next time!!!!

Eleven runners ran 6km to help Harlesden Town Gardens

On a dark November night, 8 runners met up at the Queensbury to set off on a 2 mile run over to Harlesden Town Gardens. We found runner Meg, and task leader Gabriel waiting for us with a welcoming bonfire already blazing steadily in the pit that GoodGym Brent runners had helped create in a previous task – great to see it being put to good use!

Dinesh and Dimple arrived shortly after the main group after having just missed us at the Queensbury, but luckily their navigation skills and nous led them to the heart of the action around the glowing fire.

We quickly formed a branch-busting bunch to saw up logs to keep the fire fuelled, and a marshmallow-skewering and toasting, sparkler-twizzling support group to keep them motivated. Claire had sadly underestimated the enthusiasm and marshmallow chomping capacity of GG Brent runners, and one pack of those fluffy sugar and gelatine clouds just wasn’t enough to go around, so Joe and Uthman saved the day by running to the corner shop to re-stock so we had enough to make smores (marshmallow and chocolate, sandwiched between two digestive biscuits, wrapped in foil and toasted in the fire, for the uninitiated!).

It’s great to see how the Town Gardens are evolving, and Gabriel told us about Friends of Harlesden Town Garden’s future plans to build a clubhouse there, here is the link if you’d like to cast a vote to support their funding bid:

https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/voting/project/view/17-4315

It was so cosy round the fire that it was hard to leave, especially after all the sugary indulgence – but somehow we managed to tear ourselves away and get back to the Queensbury again, I don’t know about everyone else, but the hills felt a bit steeper on the way back…!?

You Guys were ace, thanks for coming, great to see your faces!

On the eve the hallows, there were some scary sights to behold in Brent! But thankfully amongst the horrors, were 14 local heroes, who, although wearing masks, carried out tasks, in the name of what's Good(gym) in Willesden. YAY!

SCREAM QUEEN The usual meet up was a freaky affair, in our old haunt, The Queensbury! But making a play for old Queenies crown, was I, the Goodgym prom queen of death, in all my crowning glory!! But to my absolute delight, I wasn't alone in my Halloween costume efforts, with the majority of the crew bringing a whole lotta fierce, with faces painted, masks, head dresses and props! Hurahhhh haaaa haaaaa haaaaaaaaaa (that was an evil laugh by the way!)

Amongst the familiar faces was another I'd seen before, although a member of my Peckham flock who appeared to have flown West for winter! Michael, a regular Southwark speedster, but due to a change in address was ready to bust out with Brent!! Hurrah!

So after housekeeping and the big reveal of what would be the prize for best costume - A pumpkin disguised as a chocolate orange and my crown, we hit the road for a fast mile down to the police station.

ELLO ELLO ELLO The Old Police Station is a site we've been visiting for months and months and are proud to say have contributed to its complete regeneration. Once a den for squatters, thanks to Colin and his community crew, it has been shaped into a glorious hub for artists. What was once an unsightly eyesore, is now a tremendous center for arts and crafts, which values community spirit and supports local business.

Devil may care, artistic flare So after our pavement pace down the high road, we arrived excited and raring to go. Waiting at the door for us was Colin, our host, ready to explain our missions for the eve. First up on the agenda was was the most important task; The creation and painting of our very own Goodgym mural, representing all the hard work that we've achieved since beginning our volunteering, way back in spring. So with paper at the ready, the crew began sketching the designs, that would later be translated onto real life, painted wall art!

Rubble in paradise As the sketching began a few of the scary soldiers peeled off to tackle some lifting and shifting of rubble and rubbish outside, into Colin's trusty old van. This task was EPIC to say the least!! Led by Uzman, the gang of Goodgym ghosts and ghouls, hoiked and slung mountains of debris and made way for some much needed outdoor space! As the crew formed a chain of shifters and lifters, Joe was put to work inside the van, where he felt far more comfortable than standing on the roof, like last time!!

Paint by numbers With all the action outside going on, I nearly missed the excitement inside, when the actual wall painting finally started! Crammed into the mini room where our mural would take shape, the team worked tirelessly, chalking up outlines, then painting on the infamous GG logo and all manner of related images, from running shoes, to wheelbarrows and spades. Michael worked particularly hard on the creation of MEEEE, now to be remembered forever doing pull-ups on the tube!!

Drop it like a squat Even though the night was brimming with all manner of tasks to be completed, I still found time to put my Halloween hotties through their paces. Splitting off in teams of 4, a HIIT session was on the menu, consisting of squats, stair runs and sprints!!

We've only just begun Even though we would have loved to have stayed all night long, we feared the inevitable of turning into pumpkins ourselves, so I had to wrap the timer on the cop shop task drop. However, we still have loads and loads of our mural to complete and will therefore be back to do more in 2 weeks!!

But before we could say a final farewell, sister sledge - Tabs and Debs were crowned the winners of the Halloween Prize for their fantastic face painted efforts!!! However the twosome turned out to be not so gruesome, when they shared their choccy orange prize out with the troops.

Homeward bound So that's a wrap the winner revealed as Debs the cat. Oh and Tabitha too, as a scary ghoul. We ran home feeling pleased, with all we'd achieved, on this Goodgym for Brent, on all Hallows Eve.

See you next time fit fam xxxx