Been a while since we visited the Crisis warehouse at Canning Town and a few changes since our last visit....a complete new floor level

Alan and Valerie joined us for their first GoodGym mission.

Richard and Ryan welcomed us all and gave a brief introduction about the warehouse and the plan for it use in the future and the plan for today.

Boxes and bags of stock for the Crisis shops were being moved from the warehouse in Elephant and Castle to Canning Town.

As the vans arrived we began to help unload and move the boxes and bags upstairs,with Kim letting is know where they needed to go.

A quick tea break as we waited for the next van to arrive with bags of clothes,more unloading and moving.

The time went quick and it was time to say goodbye and head home but Alan and Louise stayed to help with the next van.

Newham's second Group Run of the year yesterday, welcoming some great new personalities, enjoying a boost in numbers - and our ability to do more as a result. Jensen made his debut, in spite of a groin injury, lovely to have you along mate, hope that leg clears up asap. Becky and Jess, who usually frequent TH, but made their way over the border, fab to meet you both. Ceiling, who's been before, but not for a while, blessed us with her presence. Finally, new Newham resident, George, and GG long-timer - welcome to the east-side pal. Hoping to see you all comeback every single week forever, and ever. No but seriously, catch you next week.

Squat warm up and high-knees got the HR up and the chat flowing. Then our RWQ, perhaps not the most inventive, but it's always good to hear the answers regardless - "what was the highlight of your weekend?" Running a 10k in Vicky Park, seeing your aunt and uncle after too long, eyeing up the controversial Marble Arch Mound, striding out a muddy 5k then getting a roast in, completing a hardcore GG mission in the hammering cold rain, a spot of meditative gardening, post-baptism party, doing absolutely nothing and lastly getting a rainy run in. A solid range of activity, culture and relaxation.

Circa three kilometres later and we had arrived at the Crisis warehouse. Few jobs on the cards, we got masked-up and threw on some high-vises. Then broke into three groups. Group one went about loading a large transit van with bags of clothes donations. Group two sorted and counted a selection of computer accessories. Group three went about rearranging the upstairs room. I can confidently say they all got the job done, superb to see how much more we can do with a few extra sets of hands, van filled to the brim, computer accessories all sorted and upstairs room completely reassembled. Bra-blimmin'-Vo.

Managed to sneak in a touch of strength exercise on the way back, enough to consider form on highly useful moves to better running, probably not enough to give a sizeable training effect - but we'll keep working on these key movements, we'll have more time in coming weeks to do some extra. Hopefully you can gain confidence and do them solo, that's the end goal.

Next week is round #2 at Crisis. Our last one for the foreseeable future, so sign up here - and let's get stuck in again.

Have hootin' good weekend, because we might ask about it at the next session...

Till then

B

A late leadership change due to Brahma being on good husband duties meant Kev taking the lead....well I nominated him once we arrived at the Crisis Warehouse

It was great to have Hugh Jeans join us big thanks to Amy and Olivia for letting us have for the evening.

Office furniture moving was the task for this evening.....the moving part was the easiest working out the best position for the desk and getting some units up the stairs was slightly trickier but we got there in the end after a couple of false starts

Helen was our expert with the wheeled trolly ensuring smooth movement of the items.

Simon and Dan did and awesome job with traversing the cupboards up the stairs.

Ruth Hils and Eugene did a brilliant job balancing the desk while Kevin screwed it back together.

With a final full team effort the last of the donated furniture was placed in the call centre ready for the Crisis at Christmas volunteers who will be working here over the next few weeks.

Mission complete we headed of into the now cold night promising Richard we would return in 2022 to dismantle it all again ready for the warehouse to be refurbished.

A short walk from Cody Dock is the new home for Crisis at Christmas warehouse.

After lunch at Cody Dock Kevin,Rosa Hilary and I head off to see Richard at Crisis.

We started with some sofa shifting ready for next weekend when the warehouse opens for public donations.

We then had the task of rebuilding the picnic tables for the Crisis volunteers who will be helping when the warehouse opens to the public in December (these are the same tables we put together in December and dismantled in January) not the easiest thing with multiple screw holes and extremely warped table tops.

Pete and Simon came and joined us which meant more tables completed.

We are back the the warehouse on Wednesday so sign up here

We then headed back to Cody Dock for a few carols, mulled wine and gazebo dismantling.

This session was very much about marking a huge milestone for Sharon, four hundred good deeds. It's not possible to do that level altruism justice in a few words, but I think we all have an inkling for the amount of graft and dedication that it took. So we doff our GoodGym caps to the one and only, Sharon.

We also did a Group Run, with this week's RWQ courtesy of our visiting guest, Dev: "If you could have four hundred of anything what would it be?" Four hundred different types of coffee, four hundred different packets of crisps, four hundred hours in a free store that sells everything, four hundred plants, four hundred hours in a day and four hundred extra square metres of home. A great selection of answers to a tricky open question.

Claudia and Hilary met us at the warehouse where shelf building was on the agenda. We moved into two teams of four and got to it. Richard oversaw and occasionally gave very faint hints disguised in questions. They had been constructed a few times before, so had seen some wear and tear, meaning alignment wasn't as easy as we would've hoped. Together we made 5 shelves, in just under an hour, rewarding in its own way, a task that was all about team skills and whacking stuff into place.

The evening ended with loaded fries, pizza, chocolate, flapjacks and percy pigs - as we re-energised our depleted gycogen stores for next week, very important I'm sure you agree.

Sign up here for next week at Cody Dock and have a great end of week and weekend.

Till then,

B

First Crisis session of the season went to plan yesterday, on a day that looked baltic but in fact was unusually warm. We had the pleasure of welcoming Jay to the Group Run mix, a superb personality, come back again soon.

In fact it was her RWQ this week "With COP 26 happening, what individual action are you taking to help the environment?" Everyone had something positive, which was encouraging, from selling cars, to reducing meat, cycling more, working in energy efficiency, buying second hand and hosting a sustainable medical module. Decent work squad.

After winding through industrial estates we infiltrated the high security perimeter and entered the Crisis warehouse. Much less cavernous, old and large than last year. Richard greeted us, and instructed what to do - taking a stock check of a plentiful amount of donated food.

As always, we naturally found an efficient process, emptying boxes, checking best befores, separating into categories and then itemising each product. There was some decent bits; few nice tagliatelles, some useful bits; loads of canned stuff, then some weird bits; jarred hot dogs and tinned beef ravioli. Each to their own, I guess.

We definitely overran, by at least 20mins, but the satisfaction derived from completing the job was worth it. Everything arranged into tidy, categorised boxes with a nice itemised list. Wish my cupboards looked like that. All in less than an hour, 9 people working swiftly and in unison, a thing to behold.

Next week we are back at Crisis, sign up here

Until then, keep up the eco-warrior activities and have blimmin' ace weekend.

B