Well, what a turnout. No fewer than 28 GoodGymers – including GG visitors, faces we’d not seen for a while, and a couple of new folks – crowded round a table in Wholefoods ahead of our Richmond Group Run. After the briefing, we headed over to the Green to warm up (how many more times will we get to enjoy a warm-up on the grass this year?), with Mark taking us through our paces with a variety of (pretty complex and confusing) exercises in motion.

GoodGym Richmond gets moving on a Monday! #warmup #moves #crab #squat #dance #fun #volunteering #runninggroup #Richmond pic.twitter.com/w1qwKyPVw4

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) September 3, 2019

Suitably warmed up, the main group set off for the undulating hill run up the Church road – down the Kings and up the Queens … Nearly a full house! Chatting was constant until we hit Queens Road and then we experienced the HUSH ON THE HILL. It was like I had gone deaf as the runners set there sights on the top and made focus strides to conquer the hill (last dulation). Meanwhile the walkers power walked through the remains of Richmond Palace (learning a little of the local history on the way), along the river front and up Richmond Hill to the Vineyard, resisting the temptation to pop into the pub next door on the way...

Running drills where try to leave each other , but none of us really want to! #staytogether #runtogether #runninggroup #goodgym #volunteering #richmond pic.twitter.com/d2VsURdKU7

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) September 3, 2019

So, what does The Vineyard do? Pretty much everything you can imagine to support the needy in the community: a morning drop-in for people in crisis (through homelessness, addiction or mental or social difficulty), a foodbank providing emergency food for local people in need, a skills and training social enterprise for those hoping to move forward from crisis, personal health advice towards appropriate treatment and care, and a charity selling clothing and providing clothing support for rough sleepers and household goods for those newly homed after being on the streets. It really is a mega-charity right here in Richmond.

It was December when we were last there, doing a combination of clothes sorting and leafleting, and this time is was nice to spend a balmy evening in the garden. It was lucky there were so many of us because the task was a BIG one. The centre had been closed for some weeks of building work and with the new season fast approaching, had their work cut out to be ready in time. Enter GoodGym. Lists of jobs were handed round and the group divided into small teams to conquer each one. As is our way, everyone rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in – sweeping, sawing, shoveling, compost-spreading, dismantling, lifting, stacking, leaf-blowing (when the plug wasn’t being pulled out by mistake…) and generally tidying the place up inside and out.

It’s amazing to see a team working in harmony and ploughing through the tasks, and before long the garden was looking fantastic – as far as we could tell as dusk descended on us, anyway! Before sending us off on our way back to town, task owner Desiree surprised us with an amazing reward of more delicious Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes than even 28 of us could manage. After a quick photo on the benches inside, we headed back to Wholefoods to warm down, before gathering in the Tap Tavern for our monthly social.

Welcome to Ciara and Naveed on your first Richmond run and welcome back to Jon for his second run with us. Wonderful to welcome over two Hounslow folk Remy and Michelle as well. Hope to see all of you back soon!