Juno 🐕 and I did the course check and helped set up at Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 256. 379 runners and walkers 🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️👣 completed the 5 km course on a stuffy morning.

Thank you to all 24 volunteers who helped make the event happen!

Welcome to Charly for their first GoodGym Manchester outing!

This week's session moved to Thursday after a change in plan from Katie. We were out on the allotment this week with a list of tasks:

• Remove bind weed (an endless task...) 🌱
• Install the fencing
• Plant out tomatoes 🍅 from the poly tunnel
• Weeding and laying membrane
• Laying woodchip

Peter was in his element with plants and brought along some squash to plant in a little pumpkin 🎃 patch.

We installed the fencing, weeded like demons, and laid as much black matting or membrane as possible using pegs to secure down. With a tonne bag of woodchip, we emptied the bag to leave a healthy layer covering a part of a communal area.

Finally, we watered what we could and cleared up before heading home.

Really productive task despite the heat 🥵 and Katie was really happy with the progress. We'll be back.

Run Director at Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 255. 441 runners and walkers completed the 5 km course 👣🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️

Started early due to DSG being closed and possible difficulty getting access to the kit. All went smoothly in the end, even leaving some time for a litter pick around the start/finish area.

Big THANK YOU to the 18 volunteers who enabled the event to take place, with no incidents or issues. Couple of funnel duckers and a few missing tokens but generally a smooth morning. Special thanks to the car park volunteer ensuring we don't annoy the neighbouring residents with poor parking.

Welcome to Hazel for her first GoodGym Stockport task!

This evening we were removing Himalayan Balsam from an area of Hope Valley Nature Reserve 🌳🌱

Led and instructed by Lynn and Bill (also sporting red tops), we set about an area already started by the local Scouts and cubs. While dodging nettles, low branches, and boggy areas, we spent 105 minutes pulling up and stamping out the invasive species.

We'll be back again in 4 weeks. Very therapeutic activity despite the nettles stings.