MCR Parks and Slow Run Club MCR put on a great initiative at Platt Fields Park to encourage running and a safe space for those running in the darker winter months.

Ben was marshalling at point 4, a key junction for those completing their 3.3 km loops. There were 10 waves in all, with lots of lights, smiles, and thankful runners 🏃🏼‍♀️

Keeping people safe and encouraging exercise is a great way to help, and facilitating during the event was a great experience, even with the Manchester rain 🌧

Ben spent the morning doing the course check at Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 282. Last week's fallen tree 🌳 had been cleared by the council and there were minimal puddles so perfect for a parkrun morning.

Juno and I then helped set up, lugging the trailer from the container to help RD Peter out. We then headed off, with a task in Ardwick coming up.

449 runners and walkers completed the 5 km course, with numbers getting more normal after an early January peak. 25 volunteers helped out 🦺

Welcome to Ashik for your first GoodGym outing! Great to meet you and look forward to seeing you again.

The last Saturday of the month is a regular slot for Ardwick Climate Action, so we joined Gordon, Dan, Zoe, and others for today's activities.

Today, our main task was to continue construction of a dead hedge at one of the green spaces maintained by Ardwick Climate Action. After a 10 minute stroll to the site near Mancunian Way, we split off with Tanoshi and Fanette clearing any litter, with 4 bags collected including some clothing and laughing gas canisters 🚮

Ashik and Ben went wood collecting, with lots of longer tree branches and chopped wood 🪵 As the wood piled high, others were using the stake basher to put long wooden stakes in the ground to help hold the dead hedge in place.

Bit by bit, we began filling in the wall of wood and sticks, with a nearby big broken branch providing lots of strong pieces to go into the hedge. Fanette took a battery chainsaw to some blackthorn (or hawthorn) to provide some extra filler too.

By midday, we'd reached as far as we could, and Ardwick Climate Action seemed very happy with the progress and quality of the build. After clearing up, we parted ways and look forward to returning for another task in future.

Last minute listing to a new place and a new community group!

ReflecTeen are a youth community group next door to FC United of Manchester that runs after school clubs and football for locals. They are in the midst of refurbishing their space to have a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) in their back yard.

To get this done, they need to clear the area and remove the fencing so we were asked if we could come along to help move a rather heavy shed. Turns out, the company contracted to do the work have delayed the task by a whole month so the shed was emptied but doesn't need moving yet (thankfully as it was solitary task in the end). We will be called upon in the next few weeks to get a group to move it, so keep an eye out for that!

After having a drink of water, I ran back via FC United, Etihad, and COOP Live for a decent loop. Lots of opportunities for litter picking were spotted on the way too... 🚮

RSPB big garden bird watch has become an annual wildlife count to check for local biodiversity.

Ben spent his hour in Birchfields Park near Rusholme and Longsight, counting lots of jackdaws and parakeets with a few robins and magpies too.

Jen spotted a sparrow, magpie, and a great tit in the garden in Slough.

Quiet, peaceful, and wholesome hour spent not looking at a screen or rushing around. Bliss.

Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 281

Great to see 497 runners and walkers this morning, and big thank you for listening to the instructions about the diversion around the fallen tree 🌳

Welcome to the 111 first timers to Fletcher Moss and well done to 22 of you who completed their FIRST EVER parkrun 👏

🦺 Our parkrun couldn't happen without our wonderful hi-vis heroes, with 23 volunteers answering the call, so a massive THANK YOU to every single one 💪 special thanks particularly to the additional marshals and help as VI guide runners this morning.