We were a sturdy team of 22 tonight - just as well as we had an eleventh hour emergency task request from one of our longest standing task owners, Cranbrook Community Food Garden.

Cranbrook Crew to the rescue

Team Task Force saved the day again - Bryon took a team of 3 down to the food garden to lift decking in preparation for some paving stones due to be laid on Wednesday. The team of 3 got bundles accomplished, including other jobs around the garden once the decking had been swiftly lifted. The team were rewarded with some of the finest rhubarb in the land, and came to meet us at the farm clutching handfuls of this antioxidant-rich fruit (thinking about it, we could have used the stalks as relay batons for tonight’s speedwork). Amazing mileage, speed, efficiency and productivity from the Cranbrook Crew tonight.

Down on the Farm

In the meantime, I led our team of 19 to our first visit of the Autumn to Stepney City Farm, where task owner Charlie had a variety of tasks for us, and wasted no time in dispatching teams to the gravel path by the pig pen; the sweepers went to the ‘cement corridor’, bin emptiers to the, er, bins and the compost crew raced down to the compost area where they proceeded to shovel mounds of steaming compost for nearly an hour, only pausing for breath to try and sort out the flash function on my phone (#youhadonejob).

The farm was abuzz with busy GoodGymers, racing wheelbarrows of straw and gravel from pillar to post, emptying bins at record speed and lugging cement from one side of the pathway to another.

And before we knew it, it was time for a brief tour to see the Mars-the-pig plus piglets (“He’s called Mars.” “As in the bar?” “No, as in the God of War.”)

Greyhound vs hare

Then, sticking with our animal theme, our running game tonight was Greyhound vs Hare. We split into two teams to head back to our base: Bryon led the greyhound team, and I led the hare team. With a 3-minute start, the hares tried to speed back to base before the greyhounds could catch us up. It was quite the exhilarating run back after a busy night, and the team all performed amazingly.

What a terrific task force

Thank you to our utterly brilliant task force tonight: Bryon, Leanne and Becky for top fitness session-strategy planning by the pig pen; Bryon, for leading the greyhounds, Leanne for backmarking both there and back, and for taking over the fitness session at a crucial moment (when our headcount was momentarily out, on arrival back at Peel Grove…).

...and our utterly awesome new runners

A massive GG warm welcome to our first time runners tonight: Joel, Annie, Emily, Sophia and Luke. You did good. You all accomplished so much, with so many smiles, and many hands-on-deck. Thank you. And please come again soon.

Let's do it all again next week

Next week, we’re heading to Cranbrook Community Food Garden for trellis-building and gardening and, for those who fancy a slightly longer run, we’re also heading to Look Ahead in Commercial Road for two tasks: painting and gardening. So, there’s something for everyone next week. Sign up here and come and be part of the fun!

In the meantime, have a wonderful week everyone.

Gladly there was no rumble (at least not that we saw) at St. Joseph’s Hospice jumble sale today, but we could have been in Zaire with the July weather the way it has been…

We arrived a bit ahead of the game, so Anne and Bryon pointed their eyes at a screen showing something called ‘Wimbledon’ whilst Emily and I went out to sample the food being sold out in the courtyard, entertained by all manner of weird and wonderful dance routines and music.

Once trading had finally closed for the day, we all got to work moving the rails and bags of clothes off to where they were stored at various parts of the site, including the old and now disused site dating from when the place was run by nuns (definitely haunted!) So far so easy, plus we were unexpectedly joined by Jess who’d just stopped in to buy some fairy cakes.

It was around now the full scale of the jumble sale, and indeed or task was revealed. Dedicated rooms were spread about the site, each with huge quantities of merchandise - they had a whole room just for children’s DVDs and books for example. Since they do this often, everything was organised in crates so was straightforward enough to shift via carts and trollies to the basement where it lives the rest of the year. Plus, there were plenty of regular staff and volunteers around to make sure things went smoothly.

After much toing and froing in the lift, the site was transformed back to it’s normal appearance – at least for a few months when they do it all over again. 😅