7 Month Streak
Hackney
📍156 Hoxton St, N1 6SH
The garden has very little capacity and the volunteers are at the heart of the activity so this will give the opportunity to the community to access these resources
Sun 26th Jan at 11:00am
An additional session dedicated to creating new paths around the woodland walks of Highgate and Crouch End
Read moreMon 20th Jan at 6:45pm
Jog and plog through nature reserves and public parks with AA Simon
Read moreMon 13th Jan at 7:15pm
Islington Report written by Simon Fitzmaurice
The Goodgym Islington crew returned to Caxton House Community Centre last night with 13 superstars on hand to help with a big renovation project. Task coordinator Rose had prepared the main hall and reception area of the centre ready for our arrival - paint, wire brushes, clothes and rollers on hand.
Our task for the evening was to remove old guard covers off the radiators in the main hall (originally fitted to protect children from burning themselves on hot pipes, but now no longer serving their purpose) and to take them to a recycling spot. Then, we split into groups to wipe dust off the radiators and to scuff up the old paint using wire brushes. In the meantime, we also had a team masking off the edges of the reception table and wiping down other surfaces.
Step 2 involved using water based (but heat resistant) paint to coat the radiators. We used small brushes to leave a nice even coating around the pipes. A roller was used on the reception desk for 2 coats of nice green paint- looking super clean after an hour of hard work!
Rose and the team at Caxton House were thrilled with the progress we made in such a small amount of time. We were told that the day time staff "love it when the runners come down to help", because they always have a nice surprise when they arrive in the morning after a Goodgym visit! Caitlin brought us an absolutely delicious banana cake too- a wonderful way to celebrate a job well done.
See you all at the Arsenal Community Hub next week for a special Gillespie Park plogging session!
(It was Area Activator Simon's 700th good deed last night! Come and join us for a pizza social next week at Someday Canteen to celebrate!)
GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS
SESSIONS IN JANUARY
Group Run- Plogging in Gillespie Park and Finsbury Park 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub, Monday 20th January
https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/group-run-plogging-through-gillespie-park-and-finsbury-park
Community Mission- Thornhill Square Gardens 7.15pm, Thornhill Square Gardens Monday 27th January
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Post Group Run Social - Someday Canteen, Finsbury Park
Monday 20th January, 8.45pm, Someday Canteen
A chance to catch up with the Islington Goodgym crew over refreshments and delicious pizza!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/post-group-run-social-january-someday-bar-finsbury-park
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Achilles International VI Guide Running Sessions
Every Thursday, 6pm, Various London locations
On Thursday evenings, the all abilities sports charity Achilles International holds a group run session at a London location.
Here is a list of our upcoming events and sign up pages. Runners, supporters and guides of all abilities and experiences welcome!
Paddington Rec Track Thursday 16th January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-2b0290a9-fb52-480c-a6c0-b45ba8c2c4a4
Emirates Stadium Thursday 23rd January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-emirates-stadium-4ed31405-80ce-454b-9765-45aed49cde03
Paddington Rec Track Thursday 30th January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-db3e1e87-d1e9-4d55-8f34-fd86e1b9101a
Stratford Olympic Park Thursday 6th February https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-7cdb905f-ec50-40f7-9932-ca8debf0354c
JENKI Matcha with ON Running Spitalfields Group (February)
Saturday 8th February, 8.45am, ON Running Spitalfields
Every 1st Saturday morning of the month, ON Running Spitalfields and JENKI Matcha Café on Brushfield Street will be hosting a 5km social paced group run through East London and by St Katherine's Dock.
Meeting at ON Running Spitalfields store at 8.45am (Bag drop, community shoe try ones, run register, chat and catch up!) Matcha and hot drinks on offer at special run club discount!
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Track and Towpath Social Running Sessions
Every Wednesday (fortnightly), 7.30am, Mile End Athletics Track
If you are looking for accessible training sessions that can be included in your schedule, then come and join Area Activator Simon for his fortnightly runs.
Track training is always more fun with others, and these are designed to be sociable and open to all!
Structured training sessions, followed by refreshments at The Yurt Café, Limehouse!
Wednesday 22nd January
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Elizabeth House Food Hub- Lunchtime Sweep Up Task!
Tuesday 14th January, 12.45 - 1.15pm, Elizabeth House
On Tuesday afternoons, during term time, the team at Elizabeth House Food Hub have requested for an extra pair of hands to help with cleaning and tidying up their donation centre.
Expect some satisfying sweeping and surface cleaning to assist this busy team!
Thursday 14th January
Compton Terrace Gardens- Volunteer Session
Saturday 8th February, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel, Islington
A smashing community mission for those partaking in Highbury Fields or Finsbury parkrun on a Saturday morning!
A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.
Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.
—--------------------------------------
Friends of Canonbury Square- Volunteer Morning (January)
Saturday 18th January, 10am - midday, Canonbury Square Gardens
The Friends of Canonbury Square Gardens host an open community gardening session on the 3rd Saturday morning of every month.
Usual tasks would include bulb planting, trimming, laying compost, maintaining flower beds and litter picking.
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day
Sunday 19th January, 11am - 1pm, Hanley Tennis Club Car Park, Greenways Our monthly trip to CREOS this year for a woodland regeneration- loads of smashing forest path building has been planned! https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-january
—-------------------------------------- Penn Road Gardens - November Volunteer Day Sunday 26th January, 10am - midday, Penn Road Gardens Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road. https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/penn-road-gardens-open-morning-january-c1c2ace2-9aba-45d4-9609-8a038f2aa101
Met League Cross Country Series- Goodgym Race Team
Various locations, October 2024 - February 2025
Met League Cross Country is a set of five 7-8km races organised by London race clubs. They are held in parks and forests around London with the routes including a mixture of grass, gravel and a fair bit of mud (it is XC after all!)
Sign up to the Goodgym Race Team for £15, and enter ALL 5 RACES for the bargain price of £20!
Newbies encouraged and welcomed- the most fun you can have running over the Winter months!
Fixtures
8th February Trent Park https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-trent-park
Sun 12th Jan at 11:00am
Hackney Report written by Dan (He/ him)
Great to be back helping the residents of Nightingale Estate and well done everyone for braving the cold to join us!
We split in two groups this morning, one group helping to dig up, clear and cut back a communal garden patch which had been neglected. In no time the area was clear and ready for planting 🙌
The second group headed to the Estate's parklet to clear leaves and seperate it from the litter. When I caught up with them they were dragging an industrial size bag full leaves! Smashing it 🔥
Welcome Jess who was on her second good deed of her first goodgym day 👏
And great to meet Goodgymers from different boroughs joining us for this Funday Sunday Task.
Mon 13th Jan at 2:59pm
Great work all!
Mon 13th Jan at 3:29pm
2 GoodGym sessions on your first day?! Nice one Jess!!
Mon 6th Jan at 6:45pm
Islington Report written by Simon Fitzmaurice
We were thrilled to have 9 keen Goodgymmers joining the GG Islington crew for our first group run session of 2025. Area Activator Simon joined runners Louise, Caitlin, Emily and Bianca for a lovely 1.5 mile run (on quiet streets due to the cold weather) down to Barnard Park.
Upon our arrival, we caught up with the rest of our team at the Barnard Park Adventure Playground (a fun former Goodgym Islington task circa 2022!), and split into 3 groups to scout out discarded Xmas trees within the immediate borough. The official Islington drop off point had been recently cleared, so our plan was to try and fill it again within30 minutes!
Between our three crews, we successfully picked up 20+ trees - super impressive work all round! 6 of our runners then joined us on the route back to the Arsenal Community Hub (passing Paradise Park and the Hornsey Model Bakery) to top off an excellent evening out.
GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS
SESSIONS IN JANUARY
Group Session- Christmas Tree Pick-ups, 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub, Monday 6th January
Community Mission- Caxton House Painting and Sanding (Indoors!) 7.15pm, Caxton House Community Centre, Monday 13th January
Group Run- TBC 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub, Monday 20th January
Link TBC
Community Mission- Thornhill Square Gardens 7.15pm, Thornhill Square Gardens Monday 27th January
—-------------------------------------
Achilles International VI Guide Running Sessions
Every Thursday, 6pm, Various London locations
On Thursday evenings, the all abilities sports charity Achilles International holds a group run session at a London location.
Here is a list of our upcoming events and sign up pages. Runners, supporters and guides of all abilities and experiences welcome!
Stratford Olympic Park Thursday 9th January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-olympic-park-stratford-route-831bc57f-3d39-4d8e-bfa0-5a7f13b206eb
Paddington Rec Track Thursday 16th January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-2b0290a9-fb52-480c-a6c0-b45ba8c2c4a4
Emirates Stadium Thursday 23rd January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-emirates-stadium-4ed31405-80ce-454b-9765-45aed49cde03
Paddington Rec Track Thursday 30th January https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/come-and-guide-run-with-achilles-international-paddington-rec-track-db3e1e87-d1e9-4d55-8f34-fd86e1b9101a
JENKI Matcha with ON Running Spitalfields Group (January)
Saturday 11th January, 8.45am, ON Running Spitalfields
Every 1st Saturday morning of the month, ON Running Spitalfields and JENKI Matcha Café on Brushfield Street will be hosting a 5km social paced group run through East London and by St Katherine's Dock.
Meeting at ON Running Spitalfields store at 8.45am (Bag drop, community shoe try ones, run register, chat and catch up!)
Matcha and hot drinks on offer at special run club discount!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/on-running-spitalfields-x-jenki-morning-matcha-miles
—--------------------------------------
Track and Towpath Social Running Sessions
Every Wednesday (fortnightly), 7.30am, Mile End Athletics Track
If you are looking for accessible training sessions that can be included in your schedule, then come and join Area Activator Simon for his fortnightly runs.
Track training is always more fun with others, and these are designed to be sociable and open to all!
Structured training sessions, followed by refreshments at The Yurt Café, Limehouse!
Wednesday 8th January
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/track-towpath-morning-social-track-session-mile-end
Wednesday 22nd January
—-------------------------------------
Elizabeth House Food Hub- Lunchtime Sweep Up Task!
Tuesday 7th and 14th January, 12.45 - 1.15pm, Elizabeth House
On Tuesday afternoons, during term time, the team at Elizabeth House Food Hub have requested for an extra pair of hands to help with cleaning and tidying up their donation centre.
Expect some satisfying sweeping and surface cleaning to assist this busy team!
Thursday 7th January
Thursday 14th January
Compton Terrace Gardens- Volunteer Session
Saturday 11th January, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel, Islington
A smashing community mission for those partaking in Highbury Fields or Finsbury parkrun on a Saturday morning!
A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.
Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.
—--------------------------------------
Friends of Canonbury Square- Volunteer Morning (January)
Saturday 18th January, 10am - midday, Canonbury Square Gardens
The Friends of Canonbury Square Gardens host an open community gardening session on the 3rd Saturday morning of every month.
Usual tasks would include bulb planting, trimming, laying compost, maintaining flower beds and litter picking.
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day
Sunday 19th January, 11am - 1pm, Hanley Tennis Club Car Park, Greenways
Our monthly trip to CREOS this year for a woodland regeneration- loads of smashing forest path building has been planned! https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-january
—--------------------------------------
Penn Road Gardens - November Volunteer Day
Sunday 26th January, 10am - midday, Penn Road Gardens
Every last Sunday of the month, the residents of Penn Road invite keen volunteers to help with maintaining this lovely community spot just off Holloway Road. https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/penn-road-gardens-open-morning-january-c1c2ace2-9aba-45d4-9609-8a038f2aa101
Met League Cross Country Series- Goodgym Race Team
Various locations, October 2024 - February 2025
Met League Cross Country is a set of five 7-8km races organised by London race clubs. They are held in parks and forests around London with the routes including a mixture of grass, gravel and a fair bit of mud (it is XC after all!)
Sign up to the Goodgym Race Team for £15, and enter ALL 5 RACES for the bargain price of £20!
Newbies encouraged and welcomed- the most fun you can have running over the Winter months!
Fixtures
11th January Welwyn Garden City https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-stanborough-park
8th February Trent Park https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-trent-park
Sun 19th Jan at 11:00am
The garden has very little capacity and the volunteers are at the heart of the activity so this will give the opportunity to the community to access these resources
Read moreSun 12th Jan at 11:00am
Making a big difference in the community
Read moreMon 13th Jan at 7:15pm
A collection of indoor refurbishment tasks fornthis smashing community centre
Read moreThu 19th Dec 2024 at 6:00pm
Islington Report written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Achilles International wrapped up a smashing year of running across London (and the rest of world too, if we consider our many racing exploits!) with a special Christmas meet up at Emirates Stadium. Our crew of visually impaired runners, guides, supporters and dog hosts enjoyed some lovely loops around the stadium concourse on a perfect crisp Winters evening. Very impressive considering some of our team also ran at Runthrough Battersea Park Chase the Moon 5km and 10km races the night before.
Following our session, the majority of our runners joined us for some post run refreshments and food at The Brook Gate, Blackstock Road to celebrate an excellent year.
Some of us are looking forward to running a Boxing Day session. Feel free to join us here:
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