As summer definitively winds down in windy rain and darkened evenings, 2 Goodgymmers made the full 5km+ run from home down to the local foodbank for our monthly clean. Following some chat about my daughters Harry Potter birthday party, we grabbed our own broomsticks for a swift run down the aisles and a spot of mopping and hoovering.

The lights were already on with music playing despite it being empty, either a foodbank ghost or a neglected task from the day shifts. Either way our quick stop helped keep it tidy for the morning before another casual jog back home.

Headtorches at the ready as we head into the Autumn tasks and chillier weather!

Two regular Goodgym legends (and me!) cruised their way to Colchester Foodbank to give it a good clean. Sophie, with her eye for detail and cheerful focus, ensured that the front reception area was sanitized and vacuumed but also that the hot water urn was as shiny as can be! A great task as she approaches 30 good deeds!

Meanwhile, the warehouse floors were met with methodological and meticulous sweeping and moping as Frazer, who is putting in impressive running mileage (and who never forgets to turn off his Strava on trains!!!), added to his workout by getting fit whilst doing good.

Last night also marked my last task as Area Activator. It is my second time moving away from being the Trainer/Area Activator and this time for good. Since the pandemic ended the numbers of Goodgym participants has been much lower which ultimately is my responsibility. In the early days when I took over as Trainer I spent many hours seeking tasks, meeting with charity managers, marketing staff, council officers, borough homes managers and those hours paid off resulting in a regular group of tasks and a system which I created whereby many charities could contact me for tasks and I regularly checked in with them to double check. Those relationships with charities are too many to list - but I can sincerely say that I have contacted every charity in Colchester and a little bit beyond (Tendring)!

So I am proud to be stepping away and it is time for a fresh, new approach and a positive change - for Goodgym Colchester to be community led and run is the new aim - so it is time for those who appreciate the unique philosophy of Goodgym to keep it alive in Colchester. If you want to be part of it come along to this planning party event on Sunday.

Goodgym cleaned up the foodbank in flash, on a warm night of chatting with odd and surely accidental innuendo!

There was no bicycle race to get there as others arrived on foot, but once there it was Goodgym heaven for everyone. Goodgym has one vision and wants to be helpful - one thing is certain, we will rock you with our do gooding. Some days I think 'these are the days of our lives' and tonight we chatted about Sophie getting engaged. Congrats from all of goodgym!

The reason we help the foodbank is because they are under pressure to help the community in hard times but so many volunteers wake up each day and think "don't stop me now"!

Is this the Queen of reports or what?! (how many song titles can you spot?)

What is the cleanest work out in Colchester? A Monday night at the foodbank of course. Our monthly clean up was a warm one as we jogged purposefully to the Foodbank. The road closure meant there was a little less traffic, so whilst cars detoured, we strode on!

Frazer told us about his daughter beating him in a sprint finish at a Colour run event and we chatted away on World Wellbeing Week. The sun and warmth is a far cry from wet winters nights!

We managed a big effort of cleaning and left satisfied with our work!

Well done , next week Frazer will lead you to help Colchester in Bloom.

Here at Goodgym we celebrate all good deeds with a little report and a cheer and of course a pun or something fun for a report title. But of course the ironic saying 'no good deed goes unpunished' is wildly inaccurate!

For Kerry and Daisy their second good deed (for Goodgym) was not quite a midnight clean up but hard work never lies and the results were conclusive as they made the front reception area as clean as they could.

Andy arrived on the bright breezy evening by bike with hi-vis in-case there was fog on the Tyne...whilst Frazer and Daisy enjoyed a sunbathe and chill moment before running down and then running up that hill.

At the Foodbank we swept, mopped, vacuumed and wiped and made sure we were safe and sound with wet floor signs and the presumptuous Danger! men at work sign.

A huge well done and remember nice guys do not finish last at Goodgym!

(how many song titles can you find!? It is not as easy as 1,2,3)

We made our way to our monthly Foodbank clean up in the evening sun to be met by a very young family of birds in the air-vent. The team got stuck in, giving the reception area a thorough clean and vacuum whilst the rest of us swept and mopped. Cleaning the foodbank is an ongoing and much needed task, with a physical element and lots of opportunity to chat and socialise too.

After a great effort a little bit of cake helped us on the way courtesy of Ella's baking skills!