Part IV of the GoodGym Newcastle efforts to spread the word about the OuseburnFestival happening on 5&6 July!

Used a cat sitting favour as an excuse to venture around the High Heaton/Heaton area to spread the word wider!

76 leaflets short of a full box and a job pretty well done if I say so myself!

Our third leafleting task for The Ouseburn Festival was a success on a balmy Thursday night. The cats of Heaton again witnessed us busily zigzagging the terraced streets as we delivered our message.

Please join Paula on Sunday morning as we look to complete our mission.

Following up on last week's task, two GoodGymers headed back out towards Heaton with two boxes of Ouseburn Festival leaflets (twice as many as last week). Many thousands of steps later, all of this week's approximately 530 leaflets had been deposited through letterboxes.

On the way several sleepy cats were encountered, as well as one enquirer who had heard of GoodGym but didn't really know what it was. I hope you looked us up via the flyer, are reading this and come along and join us soon!

On a mildly moist Monday evening Aimee and Richard set off from Stepney Bank Stables, armed with several hundred leaflets to promote the Ouseburn Festival on July 5th and 6th.

The destination was Heaton and its array of terraced streets. The plan was that this would hopefully prove a quick way to dispatch all of the leaflets through letterboxes, and so it proved. So much so that the task was completed quicker than anyone expected.

Local resident Keith was very keen to say hello and was told all about the Ouseburn Festival and GoodGym's work in the local area. Keith was the only one to receive two leaflets tonight, being given a GoodGym flyer too. As promised, you got a mention in the report Keith, so I hope you looked us up and are reading this!

We'll be back at Stepney Bank Stables next Monday to attempt to deliver the rest of the Ouseburn Festival flyers. Please come and join us!

Five GoodGymers joined us for our bonus group run with the Ouseburn Trust on cold but sunny January day. Newcastle members Tanya , Debbie , Angela and I were joined by parkrun and GoodGym tourist Jason who had come up to Newcastle from GoodGym Leeds to get his parkrun alphabet J at Jesmond Dene and decided to make a day of it by including GoodGym.

We had a short walk from the stables over to the Ouseburn Trust container were we met task owner Dave and were equipped with gardening glove and loppers or secateurs then we send off up the steps by the Northumberland Arms and set to work, along side with Ouseburn Trust volunteers, on cutting back the branches and brambles which were growing into the path and pushing any cuttings back into the bush.

The area was covered in litter and we found a bank cascading with hundred of (mostly bud light) cans. I have so many questions. How was there so many? Surely these can't all be from one siting? A random person to who drinks a crate a day on his lunch break? Why bud light? Tanya requested litter pickers and bin bags and Dave retrieved from the container the biggest bin bags and I have ever seen! We got stuck in litter picking for the last 20 mintues and managed to make a big dent in the budlight mountain. I could barely pull myself away ('just one more handful!') but we were running out of time, the huge bag was getting full and getting out was a bit of a scramble! Angela was also struggling to stop continuing to littering pick all the way back to put the equipment away.

We decided not to do a fitness session as we collectively decided parkrun and the never ending stairs near the Northumberland arms were enough for today.

Well done everyone and a special thanks Jason for joining us you are welcome back anytime you are in Newcastle!

With Storm Bert bringing a bit of havoc over the weekend, we knew tonight’s task with brilliant Ouseburn Trust was in very good time. Ouseburn trust is responsible for keeping the Ouseburn area vibrant, safe and brilliant for both residents and commuters using the network of paths connecting Newcastle. We love lending them a hand, and even in the darkness of winter thanks to our trusty floodlights we are able to keep the partnership going.

Storm Bert stopping plans over the weekend was the topic of conversation when we met up tonight, forcing many of us hardy parkrunners to change, and in my case cancel, plans. I also shared plans for upcoming tasks as we head towards (whisper it!) our Christmas break.

Armed with head torches and lights and suitably layered up we headed off to meet task owner Dave for an epic tidy up session in the Ouseburn Valley. Split into two teams tonight, litter picking and maximising our step count for the day was Aimee, Damu, Max, Scott and I, while Tom and Jack got stuck into leaf sweeping with Dave. Keeping track of the group was easy enough though- just keep a look out for the head torches and you can’t go wrong! A really simple task this evening that covered a lot of ground and really made a difference.

As I missed our last social thanks to a stomach bug, a repeated visit to the Cumberland Arms followed this evening, a great chance to warm up and chat to round off an excellent start to the week.

If you’re around on Saturday morning there’s a great Urban Green Newcastle task at Leazes Park where we are getting some expert tool training as part of the session. Come and meet us any time from 10am.