Each week the Luton Goodgym Group run/walk/cycle is full of fun, laughter and friendly faces. Throw in a little purpose and hard graft and you've got a shining example of what community can really look like. That in my opinion is something to be celebrated. And here in Luton our team love an excuse to celebrate. Which is rather fitting as this weeks task marks the 4th birthday of Goodgym going live in Luton. I know, it's hard to believe that it's only been 4 years since David led the first group 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️ and this week we return to the task that started it all, as we visit Penrose Roots to Recovery just as the OG team did on day 1. Gill expertly led from the front and after her welcome, warm up and safety briefing, she set us of on our way, 2 and a bit km out of town to our task. When we arrived we were met by Pete the task owner who had us clearing bramble to create a space so that him and his team could safely harvest Pears 🍐 from the tree above (and there are loads to harvest). As we were celebrating or Run Leader for the evening had arranged for some delicious cakes that she had prepared to be dropped off to the task by her husband, which we lovingly call Gilliveroo . Needless to say the cakes were amazing and there was one foe everyone. There were also special toppers for a few of the cakes to celebrate some of the milestones that had been achieved over the last 12 months. One however was particularly apt as the amazing Gail finally became a LGG Centurion and as with all the other milestones this recognition was immensely deserved. Well done, you're a true Legend. It was fantastic to be joined by Rebecca who hasn't been able to come for a while and was there at the first task. Before we headed off back to town, Pete offered the team some marrows that had been grown at the allotment and he was taken up on his offer, so there will be all sorts of culinary delight being created with them this weekend I'm sure. Great task this week, fantastic effort by all and a real sense of pride that the group is growing and making such a positive mark on our town. Well done everyone 👏 👍🏻 You're all amazing 👏 ❤️

This weeks group 🏃‍♀️ run, 🚶‍♂️ walk and 🚲 cycle, we visited Penrose Roots to Recovery. We had a great turn out if 13 Goodgymers, 4 of which were first timers and 1 joining for their first group run. So welcome to Lee , Dilpreet, Fayemi and Bauyrzhan, we hope you enjoyed the evening and look forward to you joining us again. After heading off from the town centre the team headed out on a 2.5 km run, walk or cycle to join our friend Pete at Penrose. He got everyone shovelling fertiliser on to some beds and when that was done, we all got stuck in to some epic weeding. All in all, a great task that everyone contributed to and a fantastic evening to welcome some wonderful first timers. Great effort everyone, you done a fantastic job 👏 👍🏻 👌 🙌

This weeks group run took us on a relatively short run to Penrose Roots to Recovery where we met up with the task owner Pete sitting comfortably on a chair enjoying the early evening sunshine 🌞. This weeks task had the team chopping back nettles that had grown up behind the poly tunnel at the allotment. The team made relatively short work of cutting down the troublesome plant although I think there may have been 1 or 2 moments that reminded some of their childhood as they got the odd sting. Some of the nettles were put into a vat of water to be left to break down into liquid fertiliser. After a couple of group photos 📸 the group headed to the bandstand in Wardown Park to do a little workout with resistance bands. 💪 Then we headed back to town to finish the evening. Fantastic effort tonight by all, Thanks to David for leading the run and the workout. I look forward to seeing you all at next week's 🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️

This weeks group session saw the team head back to the Penrose Roots to Recovery Garden. 7 GoodGymmers got to work, tackling weeds, stinging nettles and grass cuttings. Everything was raked together and transferred in to wheelbarrows, to be deposited on to the gardens compost pile. Eventually it will break down, ready to be reused in the community garden. The team tidied up the areas around the gardens raised planters, and around the sink / shed making it a nicer environment for the groups attendees. Always a great place to help out, we couldn't resist getting a group photo with the 2 scarecrows. GoodGym Lutons next recruits?!

It was a return to the Penrose Roots to Recovery garden this evening for part two of a big sleeper cutting task.

There's lots of new raised beds planned for this year's crops but before they can be built we needed to cut a bunch to size.

We completed the sawing job and moved some sleepers down to the far end of the garden in super quick time so we ran on to the Wardown Park Bandstand for a leg-based workout circuit.

This week we had Joe return for his second session and we had Steph visiting from Ealing for is 501st!

Our Group Run took us to the Penrose Roots garden where Peter had two tasks for us, an enormous pile of wood chips that needed putting into bags and a pile of sleepers that needed sawing in half.

We split into two teams and the shovelers got shoveling while the saw team hit an early obstacle. Wet wood was making it very difficult to cut through with the saws. After a few minutes of perseverance David remembered he had the trusty pruning saws in his kit bag. They've never let us down! He gave it a try and great success, the team swapped saws and suddenly we were making progress.

We rotated around the tasks as backs got tired from shoveling and arms got tired from sawing. Circuit training GoodGym style!

By the end of the session we got the whole pile of chips packed away in bags, but we only got half the sleepers sawn, so we'll be back soon to finish off that task.