Spring shared brightness and heat this morning.

Eight wonderful folk - Alison, Cherian, Emilie, Marek (on their first GG outing - welcome!), Matt, Pete, and Steve - met by the (soon-to-be-public) Ingestre Community Woods for a morning in the sun.

Alison, Emilie, Marek, and Matt grabbed pencils, saws, and drills to remove old signs, shape and cut new signs, sand everything, and apply blackboard-style paint. Over 90 minutes, this group made a technical task look quick and easy!

Cherian, Steve, and Alex meanwhile descended on a pile of wood. Some wood looked fresh and simply needed sorting and moving to a new pile. Other wood looked less fresh and needed shifting to the other side of the estate for collection. Over 90 minutes, this crew made tidy work of everything.

And across it all, the brilliant Pete coordinated and organised everything.

Thanks, everyone! See you soon!

On Monday evening, Area Activator Simon ran from the Arsenal Community Hub and over the Elizabeth House Food Hub on Blackstock Road to help at this busy food distribution project. Dan, Matt, Emily, Maggie and Caitlin were on board with helping the volunteer crew over the half term holidays.

Elizabeth House Food Hub operates a busy "supermarket style" food bank, that invites neighbours around the Islington borough to pick up food and essentials for their families. Our team walked together to a variety of households across the area, dropped off the shopping before running back.

As the operations quietened down, the Goodgymmers helped out by moving non -perishable food back to the kitchen shelves, and then cleaned and folded down tables in the hall. Chairs were collected up, and the floors were swept, ready for the next session tomorrow. Our assistance was hugely appreciated, and we plan to return during the Easter holidays.

To celebrate, many of our team enjoyed some excellent Thai food and beverages at The Woodbine on Blackstock Road. Great work everyone!

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GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS

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SESSIONS IN FEBRUARY / MARCH

Community Mission- Caxton House Community Centre 7.15pm, Caxton House Monday 24th February

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/community-mission-caxton-house-painting-and-fabric-sorting-indoors

Group Run- Rose Bowl Youth Club 6.45pm, Rose Bowl Youth Club Monday 3rd March

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/group-run-rose-bowl-youth-club-a588639e-e54a-4e59-909f-3bf3c5c44b24

Community Mission- Sunnyside Community Gardens 7.15pm, Sunnyside Community Gardens, Monday 10th March

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/community-mission-sunnyside-community-gardens-composting

Group Run- Lighthouse Community Gardening Project, 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub Monday 17th March

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/group-run-lighthouse-community-project-gardening-dc4882e6-87c9-497d-acc5-7c51d4ea92a7

Community Mission- Hornsey Rise Kickabout Playground, 7.15pm, Hornsey Rise Kickabout Playground, Monday 24th March

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/community-mission-hornsey-rise-kickabout-playground

Community Mission- Barnsbury Square Gardens 7.15pm, Barnsbury Square Gardens Monday 7th April

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/community-mission-friends-of-barnsbury-square-gardens

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Achilles International VI Guide Running Sessions

Every Thursday, 6pm, Various London locations

On Thursday evenings, the all abilities sports charity Achilles International holds a group run session at a London location.

Here is a list of our upcoming events and sign up pages. Runners, supporters and guides of all abilities and experiences welcome!

Emirates Stadium Thursday 20th February https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-emirates-stadium-398b3240-7201-49b9-b73c-d75d86b6a86e

Paddington Rec Track Thursday 27th February https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-f84dc6a2-273c-474c-bd46-5e29cc1d7268

Stratford Olympic Park Thursday 7th March https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-a6f34119-2ee1-423c-af26-d1ef84572c61

Paddington Rec Track Thursday 14th March https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-84f58337-118e-4cd7-93e1-4710a9923494

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Track and Towpath Social Running Sessions

Every Wednesday (fortnightly), 7.30am, Mile End Athletics Track

If you are looking for accessible training sessions that can be included in your schedule, then come and join Area Activator Simon for his fortnightly runs.

Track training is always more fun with others, and these are designed to be sociable and open to all!

Structured training sessions, followed by refreshments at The Yurt Café, Limehouse!

Wednesday 19th February

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/track-towpath-morning-social-track-session-mile-end-4

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Elizabeth House Food Hub- Lunchtime Sweep Up Task!

Tuesday 18th February, 12.45 - 1.15pm, Elizabeth House

On Tuesday afternoons, during term time, the team at Elizabeth House Food Hub have requested for an extra pair of hands to help with cleaning and tidying up their donation centre.

Expect some satisfying sweeping and surface cleaning to assist this busy team!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/elizabeth-house-food-hub-lunchtime-sweep-up-task-ed246f24-ef9a-4d7b-8a38-c38dd1560462

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Green Guardians Spring Sessions

The Garden Classroom, Newington Green

Saturday 22nd February

Wednesday 26th February

Next session:

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-garden-classroom-newington-green-green-guardians-volunteer-morning-saturday-session

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Market Road Gardens

Tuesday 25th February

Next Session:

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-garden-classroom-market-road-gardens-tuesday-volunteer-morning-04f13fcf-7286-44e4-a3a6-d0f3cbfcb6e1

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Penn Road Gardens Open Morning (February)

Sunday 23rd February, 10am - 12 midday, Penn Road Gardens

Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road.

Local volunteers will be on hand to direct anyone who arrives to offer their help between 10am- midday. Come on down to enjoy a lovely morning community task!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/penn-road-gardens-open-morning-february-9fa349e3-06fb-47c7-866d-09df1379716e

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Saint John's Garden: Building a Dead Hedge and Garden Maintenance

Saturday 22nd February, 11am - midday, St John's Garden

Friends of St John's Garden community group would LOVE Goodgym's help to build and maintain their dead hedges and as an optional lighter task help sweep the garden paths.

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/saint-john-s-garden-building-and-a-dead-hedge-and-garden-maintenance

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Compton Terrace Gardens- Volunteer Session

Saturday 8th March, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel, Islington

A smashing community mission for those partaking in Highbury Fields or Finsbury parkrun on a Saturday morning!

A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.

Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/compton-terrace-gardens-volunteer-open-morning-march-7d7a97f5-0c8e-42a3-a4db-49704da2d519

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Camino Ultra London- Lea Valley Races Finish Line Party!

Saturday 29th March, 12 midday, Here East, Stratford

The Camino Ultra London 50km and Gratitude 25km returns for 2025, stretching from Welwyn Garden City, to Ware, and then down the Lea Valley to our finishing line in Hackney Wick (Here East).

Race organisers Darren Strachan and David Bone aka DaznBone would love to invite the Goodgym community back to bring excitement and positivity to our runners, as they finish their races.

The theme is: Bring The Party!!!

Cowbells, cheers, noise makers, music and fun!

https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/camino-ultra-london-lea-valley-races-finish-line-party-9b26694e-5382-4354-ad3c-6a73c2656f85

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Hackney Half Aid Station and Marshal Volunteering

Sunday 18th May, 7am onwards, Marion Place, Pritchard's Road (TBC)

The team at Motiv Sport have asked if our Goodgym team would be interested assisting with the 2024 Hackney Half Marathon on one of the 6 water and aid stations.

All volunteers that help in 2025 are offered a free place in any of our running events in 2026 (Hackney Half, London 10K, Oxford Half).

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/hackney-half-aid-station-and-marshal-volunteering

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London 10km with Saucony- Water Station Volunteers!

Sunday 13th July, 7.30am onwards, Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y 5AH

An incredible event that offers runners to opportunity to race through traffic free streets in the Capital!

Motiv Sports (who also operate the Hackney Half and Oxford Half marathons) have requested Goodgym assistance to help at their 2nd aid station on the day.

Food and water provided, and a free entry for any 2026 event on the Motiv Sports roster will be offered to all volunteers!

https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-10km-with-saucony-water-station-volunteers-7fc3f823-de75-4b32-9ada-ec2e94c7a51a

4 wonderful GoodGymers (Emilie, Emily, Matt, and Steve) and 1 Alex took GoodGym to the West End today.

Explore one of Theatre Land's side alleys and you may stumble across a lush plot of trees, flowers, and calm. The Phoenix Garden has been in the community's hands for 40 years, and it's a haven from the bustle from dawn until dusk every day of the year.

Our brilliant group stepped fully into the GoodGym spirit today.

The garden uses gabion cages to hold raised growing beds. And the cages are filled with Covent Garden's debris from the area's bombing in World War 2. These bricks and this rubble hold a history, and we were moving them to give life to a new structure today.

Our task was to empty the existing cages, move the cages to a new (sunnier) spot, and re-fill them. The new bed will be lined and filled, and the hope is that the sunnier climes will result in better growth this year.

Over 90 minutes, this wonderful troupe emptied, shifted, wheel-barrowed, and re-assembled, and the result was a huge difference :)

Thank you, everyone! We will be back here soon!!