The farm before the storm...22 GoodGym'ers ran 6km to lend a hand at Phoenix Farm

On a VERY humid evening, 21 other GoodGym’ers joined me to run and do good for their community. While it was nice to have been spared from the storms and the rain, the high humidity ensured that we all ended up damp in another way, from sweat, how delightful!

A big welcome to Marissa, Laura and Tom - great to have you join us tonight, hope you had fun! And a big welcome along to our tourist, Dharmesh from GoodGym Redbridge.

You snooze you news!

Firstly, well done to Jonny who got a new parkrun PB and to Lucy who was the fastest parkrunner dressed as a phone! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️🏆📱

1. GoodGym Olympics - Saturday 3rd August - Last chance to sign up! Lots of event options! Enter here. Deadline is Thursday 27th June at 23:59.
2. Fulham Palace parkrun takeover - Saturday! - Just the last few roles to be filled...please sign up here.
3. Community Mission - Thursday 11th July - Solidarity Sports need some GoodGym'ers to lend a hand as ushers, and with the sound and lighting for their local volunteers awards evening in Kensington. Please sign up here.
4. Asics London 10K Aid Station Volunteering - Sunday 21st July - Come and volunteer at the race, you'll get FREE entry into another Virgin Sport race and get to cheer on loads of other GoodGym'ers. For all the details on how to sign up click here.

And...a BIG well done to Andrew for completing his 50th good deed! 🖤

Weave this town

With the pulse-raising warm-up and name and number count complete we headed off on our 3km run up to tonight’s task at Phoenix Farm. A beautiful sea of red and black GG shirts weaved their way around the pedestrians in the town as we headed up to Hammersmith Grove and towards Shepherd’s Bush.

Silent fitness

As we had a longer run tonight there was sadly not going to be time for a fitness session. But fear not, in order to get our fitness fix for the week, when we paused to regroup, with the help of Chi (much to everyone's delight!) we got in lots of exercises and stretches: the weekly wall sit, a balance testing partner glutes stretch, some jumping jacks, pistol squats and some standing press-ups.

Our good luck farm

With red sweaty faces we all arrived at Phoenix Farm and were warmly greeted by Cath from the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association. Cath led us in and around the amazing gardens on the farm site to a lovely space in the middle where we all gathered in a perfectly formed circle. Cath explained to the group that Phoenix Farm had been open for 12 years and provides a learning resource for the school, local community groups and offers volunteering opportunities for local residents. The site comprises of a huge number of plant beds, over 40 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs, polytunnels and glasshouses. It is also home to rabbits, guinea pigs, bees and chickens.

Cath led us round the farm site and explained the jobs that needed to be done tonight:

• Weeding in the flower beds
• Digging over vegetable beds
• Turning over the potatoes
• Chopping of broccoli stems
• Lots of fruit picking

There was no shortage of work to be done tonight! With everyone gloved up and allocated a job the group set off to work.

Chop chop, snap snap!

With Mo a fashionably late arrival, we gained another pair of hands and of course, some more fantastic snaps - here's hoping 'smelly plants' doesn't become my new nickname! Photos were aplenty tonight as Mo, Chi and Jason all got snapping 📸 - with Jason doing a particularly good David Attenborough impression...check out all the animal snaps!

Snailed it

There was lots of friendly chatter between everyone’s very physical digging, picking, chopping and lopping. And of course, the scream from Lucy when she came across a snail 🐌. Sensibly she defected to the safer, less snail-ridden job of fruit picking.

The berry best fruit

As always the time flew by, but the group were having far too much fun to head back just yet! Cath kindly allowed the group to enjoy some of the fruits of their labour and were treated to a feast of cherries and berries: white, red, black, the lot! Delicious! What a wonderful healthy and organic treat. As some said their hellos and goodbyes to the rather timid rabbit, guinea pigs and chickens, most grabbed their final handfuls of fruit before we regrouped in the middle for a lovely tool-filled team photo with Cath. Mo also did his best scarecow impression, the resemblance is uncanny! 😉

Cake it happen

All that was between the team and the post-run treats in celebration of Andrew's 50th was as a gentle 3km run back to base and stretch off. Maybe it was the thoughts of the cakes at the end, but aside for the quick stretch en route we seemed to get back in super quick time. With a stretch and one final reminder about parkrun on Saturday, we called it a night and indulged in the wonderful chocolate orange muffins made by super chef Johnny, some banoffee pie made by myself and some flapjacks! With everyone’s sugar levels replenished we all parted our separate ways and headed off home. Amazing job tonight team, especially in that humidity!

Next week we're heading up to Wormholt Park to help with a final spruce up and weed a few days before the park is judged for the London in Bloom ‘its your Neighbourhood’ category on 4th July! Sign up here. Have a great week, hopefully see you on Saturday, or next Tuesday!