Another glorious morning greeted us at the Fields today, and the clock change didn't seem to have caught anyone out, as we had 33 enthusiastic runners (plus their coaches/cheerleaders) and a full team of volunteers made up of GoodGymmers (Simon, Nicolas and Nick), DofE participants and a small group from On Running whom Simon had clearly persuaded that spending a Sunday morning volunteering at junior parkrun was the best decision they'd make all day.

After a well drilled warmup led by Run Director Mas, with a little help from one or two of the younger runners, everyone was keen to get going in the morning sunshine - a quick last minute course check and we were good to go. Simon, on timekeeping duty, counted down and before he'd got to "1" the field was already sprinting away from the line, leaving Nick (on tailwalking duty) with quite a task to catch up. It wasn't long before the lead runners were reaching the far ends of the course where Nicolas, positioned at what is known as "Sarah's Corner", was on marshalling duty and ready to cheer the runners as they passed him by.

It was a very close finish for the leading positions - only a second separated the first 3 as they all made a sprint for the line in the home straight - and not too long after that the final runners (chased by the tailwalking fox...) reached the finish funnel - 9 PBs were achieved on the course today, reflective of the great effort put in by all those who ran. A quick pack up of all the equipment, tokens sorted, hi viz all returned, and event #313 was complete. See you next week for more fun at the Fields!

Volunteered at Hackney Night Shelter

This task was all about clearing and weeding a heavily neglected area of a primary school forest school - ready for Earthwatch to come in and work their magic. We have two more sessions to complete the job before the school holidays, don’t forget to sign up!

Sooz arrived first and, alongside task owner Pieter, got stuck into one area of weeding, succumbing to heavy nettle stinging in the process. The group soon increased as a parent and teacher at the school came along to support.

Louise joined soon after and went straight for hedge clipping and tree clearing, making great headway on the overgrown paths. She joined Sooz and they were soon working in tandem to clear out the former log seating area of weeds and compostable mulch, meeting a lot bugs and worms in the process!

A hugely satisfying first effort for this mammoth task. The proof is in the before and after shots!

Delivered a bread roll and 3 X soup to Mrs N in the spring sunshine. Streets and parks busy with happy people, took a nice longer route on the way back. All was quiet and easy at Humdingers soup kitchen, and Mrs N pleased to get the delivery so a very nice mission all in all.

With spring just round the corner, there was plenty to do in the Mary Seacole Nursing Home garden and there was a wonderful bumper crop of GoodGymers on hand to help out. Particular shoutout goes to Ishbel, who joined us today for her first ever GoodGym task.

The session started with three working groups. The first were tasked with planting a number of bamboo plants along the back fence to soften the view. John, Audrey, Louise and Yaz soon realised that the soil could have done with some softening up too but with considerable effort and perseverance, they got the ground prepped for planting.

Meanwhile, the second group (variously Sooz, Nathan, Grace and Anne) got stuck in to prepping the planters in the middle of the garden for a fresh lick of paint. This task required a special trip to the local supplier of heavy duty sandpaper and wire brushes (thank you Nathan).

The main event, however, was the grand gazebo assembly, for which there was considerable prep-work. So the third group (which comprised a shifting membership of helpers needing a break from digging and sanding), got stuck in, painting bitumen onto the Gazebo's feet to protect against the wet soil and the elements, while task leader, Varda, diligently studied the instructions to ensure everything was assembled correctly.

During this time, a tug of war broke out in bamboo corner, with several GoodGymers trying to liberate pot-bound bamboos. The comment, 'It's like the turnip story', required some explanation but did ring bells when retold.

Eventually, the point we had all been waiting for came, when bits of gazebo had to be attached to one another. The two 'short' sides (3m long) were assembled first and then moved into location, before the longer beams were added to hold the short sides together. Ladders and chairs were enlisted to give the height necessary to put bolts in place. The morning finished with the dance of the heavy-weight lifters, to nudge and jiggle and ultimately maneouver the now tall, heavy, and rather awkward structure into a reasonably stable position.

It was agreed this was as far as we could progress the gazebo assembly for today (step 5 of 26!) so look out for more listings to play your part in the making of the gazebo very soon!

A big thanks and well done to everyone who who came along this morning and got stuck in. It was great fun and a real team effort.

With grey clouds starting to gather, everyone was keeping fingers crossed for a dry parkrun this morning!

Season regulars Sooz, Rue and Sarah were joined by Nicolas and surprise guest Louise, plus new-to-London Fields Luisa for a fast field of athletic prowess.

Luisa took to the tail, gaining an extra 2km having already run to the mission! Rue, Nicolas and Louise marshalled the first half of the course and Sarah set up under her usual tree.

Sooz was joined at the finish line by a field of volunteers doing their Duke of Edinburgh volunteering, and the course was complete.

A big round of applause for a half marathon milestone, followed by Rue’s usual haka warm up, and then they were off!

Wrapped up in half an hour and ready for morning coffee.

Great effort team, see you next time!