On a very windy evening in Newcastle, thankfully Stepney Bank Stables' top yard has some very high walls and fantastic levels of shelter. The task tonight was to prepare the walls to be painted and, if time allowed (it didn't), paint them.

Three GoodGymers set to work scraping and brushing the walls to remove any loose material and dirt. Scott braved the ladder to extend the reach of the task. Quite a lot of material was removed from the walls, making for a successful evening.

It was a wet one at Whitley Bay junior parkrun. I was timing for the first time at Whitley Bay and the first time with over 30 young runners - we ended on 136! I had to put my phone in a sandwich bag to stop the rain drops registering as extra runners! But dispite the rain it was still a lovely morning.

My first foray into the Volunteer Coordinator role at Mowbray Park Junior Parkrun today. Just learning the ropes and getting into the swing of things!

Brilliant turnout despite the weather, lovely to see so many bunnies hopping around the park too!

I believe that GoodGym Newcastle were helping out at three local junior parkruns today! Michael and I were waving the flag for Saltwell Park … or make that waving the umbrella! Yes, it was raining! But that certainly didn’t deter either the runners or the volunteers - it was like water off a duck’s back!

On a very pleasant Monday evening , two GoodGymers headed off towards Byker in order to get fit, pick up some litter and deliver some GoodGym flyers.

Success was achieved in all three regards. A short, but undulating run to start with, followed by clearing Byker High Street and some of the surrounding streets of much of the litter. There must be a high proportion of smokers in the area as the sheer volume of cigarette ends were impossible to pick up, so we concentrated on larger items. The evening finished with delivering the GoodGym flyers on the boundary between Byker and Heaton.

The only failure on the day was Scott's litter picker, which had developed a crack in the handle. Scott managed to put it back together several times, but that litter picker has gone into retirement.

My volunteering point at Saltwell junior parkrun this morning was just after the start. I was feeling a little jaded this morning after a long run yesterday but the enthusiasm and determination on the faces of the speedy children this morning was inspiring! After clapping them all through both laps I managed the long route round the park on my way back, ready to take on Sunday!