A small but productive session with Ruby showing up and staying for two hours helping sort out all the donations with the shop's other volunteers and staff. It's a shame that another sign up didn't show up.

Well done Ruby!

no photos from the session so using a poster!

Six jolly Goodgymmers, plus GGWF’s youngest recruit, 3-month old Max, convened at Walthamstow Toy Library for our monthly task, where the ever-brilliant Helen set us up with a gentle activity, giving a significant number of tin cans a good coat of white paint. These are going to be used for an Easter celebration, where they will be decorated with ears befitting of the very best Easter bunnies, and will be used to store Easter goodies, or as pots for spring plants. With lovely enthusiastic Goodgymmers visiting from various boroughs we had many hands to make exceptionally light work and our task was accomplished in record time!

The Toy Library continues to do excellent work, both in Walthamstow and at its sister location in Leytonstone, and will soon be celebrating its 50th anniversary. As always, it was a joy to be there, lending a helping hand to this pillar of the Waltham Forrest community. Keep your eyes peeled for the April visit to the Toy Library, which will be listed here on the Goodgym website soon!

it doesn't look like anyone from goodgym made it to the session:(

Next time!

... sadly miscommunication and circumstances beyond our control prevailed this evening, and the Toy Library task did not come to pass. Visitors John and Jaqueline from Camden and Gabriela from Hackney came to join, but unfortunately our mission wasn't accomplished. We did, however, have a lovely chat for 20 minutes, and I thoroughly enjoyed making some new GG contacts. I feel terrible for not properly confirming the task with Helen this week; Helen feels terrible for being on leave this week and forgetting that the Goodgym elves were due to visit. So we've decided to put it down to "six of one and half a dozen of the other" and both sleep easy. Lessons have been learned and the next mission in March will be a mighty fine one, probably with multiple emails of confirmation from both sides ;-)

Is this a bit tardy in its publication? YES. Would Raymond ordinarily have already sent me a reminder and a gentle ribbing? TOO RIGHT.

So many of us came together last Saturday morning at Walthamstow Parkrun for a GoodGym takeover, to celebrate and remember Raymond/Ramon/Ray as he was variously known, who we lost so sadly and suddenly just before Christmas, on 18th December.

There was a huge turnout, despite the freezing 🥶 weather, reflective of how much he was loved, with close family and friends from all areas of his life coming together. Ably run-directed by the lovely Louise, and I have no doubt that Raymond would have loved seeing his son start the runners off, which he did with aplomb.

And SO many Goodgymers! Thank-you Ruby for organising, and Saj, and many more. A full complement of GG marshals, time keepers, barcode scanners. Not just from GG Waltham Forest, oh no. You see, not only was Ramon an active member of GGWF (let’s be honest, Raymond WAS GGWF!), he did so many GG tasks for other branches too. Particularly solo missions for isolated people in all of Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Hackney, Harringey, Tower Hamlets, Islington, and probably more. He wasn’t flashy, he just got on with it, including what he was able to do during COVID. Like it says on his GG Page “Just me…No Dramas”.

He was a friend to many, enormously perceptive and kind, being quietly or completely not quietly (😊) supportive when required! He had a wicked sense of fun, and he never turned down a challenge to construct the most outlandish random outfits while rummaging through and organising charity donations 🦸🏾‍♂️.

Thanks to GG Ivofor coming (always a pleasure), Latoyafrom @GoodGymHaringey , and so many others who were lucky enough to have known Ramon, and had the opportunity to “do good” alongside him.

It was truly wonderful meeting some special people in Ramon’s life, and having a good chin wag while being the Tail Walker and sharing memories of him.

It wouldn’t have been Walthamstow Parkrun without some cake 🍰 at the end, and then off to the local greasy spoon, as I am sure Ramon would agree, was only right and proper.

Farewell lovely Raymond. Please consider making a donation in his name to one of the 3 excellent charities on the flyer. Thank-you.

..when Goodgym Waltham Forest are on hand?! Four happy Goodgymmers walked, cycled and ran to the Walthamstow Toy Library this evening to help the ever-wonderful Helen organise the walk-in craft cupboard. The Toy Library provides craft workshops and activities for visiting children and receives donations of all kinds of lovely creative supplies. From paints, pom poms and playdough to stickers and stencils, pipe cleaners and pencils, glitter and glue, you name it – the Toy Library has it. In fact, the cupboard was so full it was ready to burst!

Two hours of sifting and sorting, consolidating and amalgamating, packing, labelling and shelf-stacking, and the cupboard was, even if we do say so ourselves, unrecognisable! An organisational miracle to behold! Space was saved, clarity was achieved and Helen was beyond delighted. In fact, after all had left and she and I were turning lights out and getting ready to lock up and go home, she turned the light back on, looked at me slightly sheepishly and said, “sorry, but I’ve just got to go and have another look at it!”.

Well done GGWF – we did a good thing this evening. Special welcome and congratulations to Vicky on her first mission – it was super to have you on board.