Peter got there early but was feeling under the weather, went home to recover. That left us with 3 goodgymers going for a litter pick. Krish who was a 1st timer for goodgym joined us regular lot in tracking down litter. Our route took us down to Wanstead Leisure centre which was quite well kept although we did find a basket which Linda put to good use. we wandered further down where we found a bush which had a truck full of litter, annoyingly most was unaccessible so we moved on to under Redbridge roundabout where we saw somone had flicked a load of red paint across some of the flats, under the roundabout near the bike and footpath we found the paint in a black bag, as our bags were pretty full we moved on, heading up to The George & the Dragon pub, we dumped and reported our 3 full bags of rubbish to the council, made our way back to our HQ and called it a night. Well done all.

This was setup as something good to do before the Christmas meal, the goal find loads of litter, following one of our usual routes near Wanstead Leisure centre and toward Redbridge roundabout, we manged to get 2 bags of rubbish and report some fly tipping

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your generosity, kindness, and support. Together, you have helped make this year’s Bancroft Santa’s one of our most impactful yet for the Minis and their mums supported by The Magpie Project.

We set ourselves the goal of collecting 200 books — and you exceeded it beyond all expectations, donating over 300 books. That is something truly special.

Thanks to the incredible skill, time, and care of Liz Day, every child will also receive two beautifully hand-knitted toys — perfect companions to cuddle while enjoying their stories.

Through the generosity of your cash donations, we have also been able to support the launch of The Magpie Project’s new campaign. Many children visiting The Magpie Project do not have winter shoes, turning up in plimsolls, jelly shoes or second hand fake crocs. This campaign aims to ensure every walking child who visits their centre receives a pair of well-fitting, well-made shoes — shoes that support them to climb, run, walk, and play.

At this point, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Gav Norman. After sharing the idea behind this campaign, his immediate belief in and support for the project helped make its launch possible. This support sits alongside, and is strengthened by, the wider generosity of everyone involved.

If you would like to continue supporting this vital work, please follow the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/magpieminishoes

After an emotional, but wonderful day, it is with enormous pride that we can say this: through the combined efforts of our book donors, bonus ball players, gift wrappers, cash donors, drivers, and knitting legends, we have come together as a community to ensure that every child at The Magpie Project will receive books, hand made toys, and a pair of warm, supportive shoes this Christmas.

Thank you. May this festive season bring you and all your loved ones peace, joy, health and prosperity. You truly are bloody wonderful people. ❤️

Ed and Linda arrived nice and early at Frenford Foodbank which gave us time to make sure everything was ultra organised before the Frenford volunteers showed up. We like to think that our pre-session efforts contributed to the smooth running and early finish of the session 😊

Another Saturday, another parkrun at Valentines

Once again the weather did cooperate, the rain lashing the country overnight subsided and a crisp clear December morning made for good running weather.

Ed did his usual at the car park entrance. Linda walked a lap with R and then chased down the Tail Walker - she made it look easy! And I ended up on my first experience of the app to do timings

Side note - Julia chased down James, who managed to just stay ahead. #96 done for her, still on track to hit 100 before end of year

Once upon a Friday lunchtime, a GoodGymer Ed set off on a noble quest. His mission was an important one: to dismantle a weary old bed so it could be taken outside and given its final farewell.

Armed with nothing but determination and the trusty screwdriver of adventure, Ed stepped into the room where the great bed lay. Piece by piece, he loosened screws and gently unfastened the bed from its frame. It put up a fair fight—after all, it had supported many a restful night—but Ed kept at it, working steadily until the mighty structure lay defeated in tidy sections.

With the bed now tamed, Ed carried each piece outside, down stairways and through doorways that seemed just a little too narrow. Yet with patience (and maybe one careful sideways shimmy), he succeeded.

By the end of his lunch break, the bed was resting peacefully outside, and Ed had restored order to a home that needed the space. With a smile and a well-earned stretch, he jogged back to work—his good deed done and his lunch hour well spent.