With the promise of a relaxing evening bulb planting, the number of red tshirts (some hidden under many layers) was promising as we headed off to RUSS Community Housing, only to find out we weren't planting bulbs but instead shifting topsoil!

In true GoodGym spirit no one minded the change of task and it was definitely a task that kept us warm!

Part of the group stayed by the time capsule (and hopefully didn't open it!!) ready to receive the bags of top soil and empty them onto some pre-laid out cardboard.

Another part of the group tackled digging up the top soil and putting it into bags. There was a good rhythm going by the end including some lovely delicate shoveling with the small spade!

The remainder of the group wheeled the bags to and from both locations! There was a variety of modes of transport, some could handle the job and some looked like they might tip over at anytime - the modes of transport, not the GoodGymers!!

We were then treated to tea and biscuits to warm us up before we headed back to Glass Mill for a quick cool down. Not before we admired Vic's running technique as she disappeared into the distance and decided to try our best to replicate but we might have all ended up with pulled muscles so we'll leave that to the experts!

This trip to Senior's was a little different, in place of completing a big task that the team are unable to complete themselves and therefore doing some good... we arrived to a very dark looking building and spent 5minutes trying to find a doorbell.

Unfortunately there was to be no task for the evening but not to worry we'll be seeing the Senior team soon. It's nearly time for putting the Christmas decorations up!!

And we still got in a longer run up and over the hills - silver lining!

Not only were we spreading the word about Age Exchange and their fabulous Christmas Fair...we also took the opportunity to spread the word about GoodGym.

We gathered at Glass Mill and spent a little while deciding who was going where and with how many flyers. All courtesy of Oli's highlighted maps - thank you!

Julian and Oli set off first as they had the furthest to go whilst the rest of us set off in a group.

With everyone assigned to their roads, all that was left for me to do was wait for you all to return to the designated spot. Whilst the flyering happened, I did a couple of walks up Belmont Hill to keep warm, I noticed the professional bowlers go to Lewisham Lanes on a Monday (not sure why we aren't invited to that) and was on hand with extra flyers for the groups that had delivered all theirs.

Flyering done and we popped back to Glass Mill as a group for an early finish!

Double task night which meant we had a couple of people heading to Florence Green to tackle the watering and the rest of us heading to RUSS Community Housing to tackle the weeding. And a couple of us had just come from TRAID. We were helping so many wonderful organisations last night.

It was Lindsay's 50th good deed this evening. Congratulations, we can't wait to see you sporting that black tshirt soon!!

Onto the tasks both were a short run away. At Florence Green there was lots of watering the saplings.

At RUSS there was lots of heaving lifting! We had soil to shift, giant piles of weeds to shift and woodchip to shift but we got it all done and made excellent progress on the woodchip!

Vic and Sarah made excellent progress on the weeding except when it got too dark and they could no longer tell what was a weed and what was a small tree.

We then created my favourite group run photo ever which was unplanned and then some of us headed to Mamma Dough for some post-group run pizza!

Don't forget we have a lot of weekend sessions at RUSS if anyone fancies it.

It's also definitely head torch time of year now and I will be bringing the lights for outdoor tasks.

It was a short run to St Mary's this eve and after a warm up of heads, shoulders, knees and ball which warmed up everyone's with all the laughter and smiles than actually bodies, it was time to head to the task!

Sue and Marion and the team are always very organised when we visit and last night was no different. We had a number of tasks to tackle which included: - raking the wildflower meadow - cutting back some overgrown areas - digging 2 big holes for the trees - wheelbarrowing compost - trying to work out why one of the graves has iron railings (that one was just me) - planting the 2 trees

It was such an honor to have this dignitary help plant one of the trees at St Mary's i.e. sprinkle a spade of compost on top! Thanks Vic - all in a days work and allowing us to use our pun we'd already thought of!!

After all our hard work, we were treated to cups of tea and sandwiches and biscuits in the church. If you're reading this St Mary's team, we are very grateful!!

Next week, we are heading to RUSS Community Housing and the task is going to involve straw. And we also have a social after - location tbc.