A brisk wind greeted us this Sunday, reminding everyone that winter is just around the corner, but the cold weather didn't deter the fantastic juniors at Lesnes Abbey Woods parkrun!

I had the pleasure of volunteering as the Tail Walker, ensuring that every runner, jogger, and walker made it safely around the course, and leaving no one behind.

It was wonderful to see so many little hands and feet moving quickly to stay warm!

Thank you to all the juniors who came out, and we look forward to seeing everyone back next week to earn those post-run treats.

It was a classic late-November morning at Danson Park—cool, grey, and squishy underfoot—but the atmosphere was anything but muted.

This week, I had the privilege of seeing the entire event unfold from the finish funnel, volunteering as both Finish Token distributor and Report Writer.

Handing out those tokens is truly the best view: seeing the sheer effort, the final sprint, and the massive relief on everyone's faces is absolutely infectious.

The core of parkrun shines brightest on these chilly days. It was fantastic to see so many determined runners and walkers, and we also want to give a huge nod to our community partners who joined us, supporting the important White Ribbon initiative.

Thank you to all the runners, and especially to every single high-vis hero! It's an honour to write about the spirit you create every week.

With most of us coming from a thwarted leafleting task earlier in the morning, and Ceci meeting us at this task, we were back at the Community Hospice for a second session of thorn-thrashing - cutting back a prickly area of brambles so that hidden fruit trees and other suffocated plants can thrive again.

We had cleared about half the area last month, and this time we were determined to get the rest done. Before the rain.

And we did just that!

Just as we were taking the tools back to the shed, the rain set in. It was definitely a lucky escape as the forecast would have seen us getting very wet much earlier. Or perhaps the weather gods recognised that GoodGymers giving up their time to help others deserve a break!

The hard work done, a few of us enjoyed a tasty lunch and good natter in the Hospice canteen, then headed home.

Jason, the Hospice's head gardener, is sure to have plenty more for us to do on our next visit, and the more hands the better, so come along and join us!

This morning was all about helping two brilliant local charities and supporting a local parkrun.

First up Bexley parkrun - Manish in hi-viz handing out finishing tokens; Marta, Julian, Johnny and me running. Afterwards we mingled with the other runners, giving out Mind in Bexley's leaflets promoting their Mental Elf run in the park next weekend. So far, so good 👌!

When Ivar arrived, we donned jolly elf hats and set off to pop lots more Mental Elf run leaflets through letterboxes of houses close to the park. Well, that was plan at least.

However, a resident at the second house told us he already had a leaflet because someone else had delivered fliers along the street earlier in the week 🤔.

Not wanting Mind in Bexley to receive complaints from locals about having been targeted twice, we called it a day on that task, said 'bye' to Manish and moved on to the Community Hospice for some bramble-bashing.

Things may not always go to plan with GoodGym, but we always have fun time when we get together, so it's never a wasted venture.

Come and give GoodGym a go.

We had a treemendous time decorating the trees at Parkview Care Home last night!

After some of us ran to the task from the sports centre, we met up with Andy, the care home activity co-ordinator, and the other GoodGymers.

We split into two groups in order to decorate the trees in different lounges, with the help of some of the residents. We had a lot of fun chatting with them and sorting through all the baubles.

In no time at all the trees were done and it was time for us to go.

Ho ho ho until next time ✨️!

It was a wet start to the day at Lesnes Abbey Woods junior parkrun, but the morning rain couldn't dampen the incredible spirit of our young runners! As your warm-up manager, I was thrilled to see so many smiling faces jumping and stretching, ready to take on the challenge, regardless of the drizzle. This dedication and enthusiasm always makes Sunday mornings special, proving that a little bit of rain just makes the achievements all the more impressive. The perseverance of all the little runners paid off spectacularly! Midway through the event, the clouds parted just enough to treat everyone to the stunning, scenic beauty of the park, complete with a brilliant rainbow arching over the course—a true cherry on top for everyone who braved the weather. Thank you, as always, to the brilliant hi-viz heroes who marshaled in the damp conditions, ensuring a safe and successful event for all our fabulous juniors.