A new task owner, and location, for the litter pick on this Sunday!

We met at 10.30am by the fancy new entrance to Foundation Park, the new home for the football club’s foundation. We were there to help clean up the green spaces surrounding the County Ground. The pick itself was organised with the South Swindon Parish Council, and a handful of their councillors, volunteers and Comms & Events Manager Matt, joined us for the pick.

All ready and waiting were Mike, Kirsty, Samantha and Ashleigh. Just as we were kitting up with some fancy hi-viz, and equipment, Becky arrived too. But where was Gina?

After a quick call, Mike tracked Gina down, and even got to have a chat with a lady hoping to join the pick from the council side who had brought her litter picking, eco-warrior super six-year-old!

We soon got a-picking, clearing plenty of sandwich wrappers, beer bottles, and crisp wrappers. If you came along and found any other unusual items, let us know in the comments below.

After an hour, we gathered back together for some group photos (and a good bit of litter-picker-posing), and even got a free coffee from the lovely folk at the community foundation café!!

We’re planning on working with the great team at South Swindon Parish Council again soon, watch this space!

It was amazing to see runners arriving to the evenings activities as the drop out rate in the run up to the evening appeared to be heading towards 100%. It looked like it may just be The Trainer and Crazy Legs 😂

The warm up started with squats, because Crazy Legs LOVES squats and a discussion on favourite films and quotes from those films. I’m not going to repeat the quote from ‘Bad Santa’ Ashleigh gave us 😂 Films to remember to see are ‘Bad Santa’ (hilarious, NOT one for the kids!), Elf (hilarious, one for the kids) and ‘Life of Brian’ (a hilarious classic that deserves a rewatch).

Warmed up from squats and laughing we headed off on our run to the BroadGreen Community Centre ❤️

On arrival we were treated to a street level fire works display by some local kids! One was let off in the community centre garden area, so close to the group Crazy Legs startled like a deer and tripped and fell over a stationary pillar that leapt out into her way. The fall was terminal for ‘Wild Africa’ who now have a hole in them and will go to the leggings resting place in the sky 😞

RIP Wild Africa 😞❤️

Heart rates returned to normal, leaflets were distributed, Streets were allocated, groups forms and off we went! Sam bought a poking pen, already a seasoned posting person, she very correctly pointed out you do not want to stick your fingers anywhere you can’t see. Thankfully the group all returned with fingers intact!😁

Teresa, Charles and Ashleigh were the first team back, distributed all their leaflets! Crazy Legs, Sam and Andrew also distributed all of theirs. Andrew did it so well he got a job offer!😂 Emma The Trainer, Jason and Sharon came back with a small handful left, but everyone agreed we distributed many more than we thought we would!

The run back was punctuated with some additional fitness activities, skipping anyone? Still fun as a adult 😂👊 Back at the Oasis there were MORE SQUATS!!! 😂😂 Crazy Legs LOVES her squats ❤️😂 lots of leaping around definitely added the Gym to the Good 😂

A fabulous evening was had, albeit the final evening to be enjoyed by Wild Africa 😂❤️ Why not join us again next week for another outdoor task; Emma The Trainer will be leading the run and heading to Swindon's Historic Railway Village to do some much needed weeding outside the Cricketers Arms. Just click here to sign up to next week's run and don't forget that we now have two community missions in December; check them out here!

It was a lovely autumnal evening, the perfect weather for a run. We welcomed new comer Selina to the GoodGym fold. During the intros people were asked to name a condiment or food item that when add to anything always makes it better. I get the impression Stuart is a bit of a foodie as he makes his own caramelised onion chutney - have to find out if he’s willing to part with a jar or two!

Squats warmed up legs that had been sat under desks and ones that had just got out of bed! Kirsty is working nights, so this GoodGym Run was in fact her morning run and while we all headed home to eat dinner and go to bed, Kirsty is heads off to work!

A short run to BroadGreen Community Centre and a lovely welcome from Pete who is a volunteer for the Council working on local community projects. Pete handed out black bags and litter pickers and we were off!

Some people formed teams and others went on solo searching missions. Mike ‘clearing the way’ to the main entrance. Lily and Jason paired up, working a hedge line allegedly already picked by Paul, but there was a lot of litter left in there. Paul ‘cleared that up’ by saying he was only on confetti duty! Jason made a ‘tidy’ profit of 10p that evening.

Emma and Selina the perimeter, like proper Wombles found thins they could reuse in the form a Rock of Swindon which Emma has re hidden.

Teresa was on a solo mission to rid the area of cigarette ends, the feedback to the Council would be to provide bins for people to put these in.

There were plenty of interesting finds that got picked and binned but the winner of the grossest find goes to Lisa who found a dead rat. RIP Roland, so long rat fans!

Looking forward to seeing some of you at next weeks task, weeding in the rose garden at Christ Church...!