23 GoodGymers were out in the freezing cold doing good around Camden last night.

We had two newbies join the herd; welcome Dee and Hazel. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and will be back with us next week.

While you're here, why not get your name down for Scope and C4WS next week?

After a quick intro, we headed off along the streets to Jonathan and the team at the American International Church with bed-making on our minds.

Tonight there were 9 men's beds and 3 women's beds to be made, and with so many of us to hand, we got the task done in 20 minutes flat! The work we do by coming every week to make the beds over the winter literally means the difference between someone being on the street and being able to have the energy to apply for universal credit, book onto interview and English lessons, so thank you from me and thanks from Jonathan for turning up every week over what has been a cold winter to help out. I hope you think it's as meaningful a task as I do.

But once the beds were made, it was time for us to get moving again; our night wasn't over yet! Next was a run along the backstreets to Granary Square for some good old-fashioned laps with a time-trial of sorts underway; everyone had to run at least 2 laps and make a few seconds difference on their first lap's time.

With everyone back in one piece - and suitably warmed back up - we jogged back to the Community Centre for a cool down stretch. Although he didn't want it shouted from the hilltops, Suraj reached 50 Good Deeds on the run and I think that's worth celebrating! Liz was a very good egg and - as she was Walk Leader to C4WS and back - she bought some treats on the way back for us all to share.

NEXT TIME

COMMUNITY MISSIONS: Caledonian Junior Parkrun needs your help and Abi's organising the troops from Camden. 08:30-10:00 on Sunday 1st March.. They need 8 more volunteers - can you be one of them? There's also a Story Garden community mission next Wednesday before the Scope run from 5:30-6:30.

BIG HALF: There are a few of us Camdeners running the Big Half this Sunday! If you want to go along and cheer the team (and everyone else running!) please do - there are plans afoot on the GoodGym Camden Social WhatsApp group. A link to sign up to that group will be coming in an email from me on Thursday morning. And lastly but not least-ly, here's the info for the Big Half after-party. Runners, supporters, friends, family etc all welcome!

NEXT WEEK'S RUN: We're going to be heading back to Camden High Street to help out at Scope charity shop next week. The usual smaller group will be back at C4WS making beds. It'll be two indoor tasks, so not much chilly outside time for you - what a treat.

See you next time!

P.S. Huge thank you to Liz for saving my bacon with this quick and genius pun. I really need to go on a pun training course - any suggestions?*

A whopping 35 runners trooped out of St Pancras & Somers Living Centre on Wednesday night to get out and do some good in Camden.

We had two newbies join the herd - welcome Collette and Katie - as well as TWO big celebrations of the milestone variety:

Becs (as in the Rebecca Clarke, GoodGym Media and Comms extraordinaire) reached her 50 Good Deeds milestone tonight and Laura Lambert hit 100 Good Deeds! Stop reading right now and go and give them a cheer! Well done to you both. Big milestones deserve cake baked by Liz, but more on that later.

As normal, the team split with 10 runners going with John to C4WS and the rest of the rabble coming with me to see Helen in the Camden Scope shop on the high street.

C4WS Report (by John)

A group of 11 threaded their way through the crowded streets of St Pancras and Bloomsbury, avoiding swiftly opened van doors on the way, for our 12th visit this winter to the homeless people's shelter at the American International Church. We knew the routine by now, setting up a human chain to move sheets, mattresses and other bedding from a storage area to the warm area where less fortunate Londoners can spend a night away from the streets and enjoy a hot meal in comfort. In a few minutes we achieved what would have taken an hour for the busy helpers in the church. Afterwards we jogged back to Granary Square for a fitness session: three laps round St Martin's School of Art at a steadily increasing pace, before a relaxing warm-down on the swivel chairs at Coal Drops Yard.

Scope Report

23 of us arrived to Helen's Scope shop in Camden high street, ready to get stuck in. A queue formed and our very drilled taskmaster handed out the jobs to the waiting teams. Jewellery needed sorting and pricing, mannequins needed re-dressing (by the GoodGym visual merchandising team - "Sorry if it's 'Devil Wears Prada' but I think we need a belt here."), shoes needed polishing, donations needed sorted (and steaming) and the upstairs office needed an early spring clean. So many jobs and so little time, but we managed to do them all and boy did that place shine as we left.

By the time both teams got back to base, it was time for blondies and fudge (both made my the inimitable Liz!) to celebrate the two big Good Deed milestones. Liz's recipe for the delicious blondies are at the bottom of the report if you'd like to try at home.

NEXT TIME

COMMUNITY MISSIONS AHOY: There's not one but TWO plogging Community Missions today - one at 1pm at Red Lion Square Gardens and the other is Glebelands Wood Nature Reserve from 4:45-5:20pm! Let's beat Lambeth to be the top scoring London GoodGym in the January Challenge. We can do it!

NEXT GROUP RUN: It's official, we're going back to Alara Wholefoods and there'll be a box of granola in it for every runner after you've helped shift some manure, tidy up the pond and do some weeding. A smaller group of us will be heading back to C4WS to make the beds again. It's going to be a brilliant night whichever task you choose.

Liz's Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies:

Ingredients

125 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

100 g butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

150 g crunchy peanut butter

175 g light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

100 g white chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Butter the sides of a 20 x 20cm square cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter together until very soft. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder and the chopped chocolate and mix to form a dough.

4. Place the dough into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and almost firm in the centre.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin, before removing and cutting into squares.

6. Eat!