A crack team of determined GoodGymers overcame adversity to clear two bags of litter from the streets of Chelmsford.

Richard braved a squeam-inducing injury he sustained a few days earlier, Fay shook off illness and Jen battled through traffic to join the group.

The runners met Fay by the river where we started our litter picking duties.

As the night got colder and darker, Jane and Andy made everyone jealous with plans for breaks in warmer climes, while Martin wondered if there were any GoodGym groups in Scotland. Apparently not.

After finding the south of the river surprisingly tidy, the group crossed a bridge so new that it doesn’t appear on Google Maps’ satellite view and struck litter gold around the Meadows car park, with cans and bottles carefully extracted from hedges.

Good work everyone!

After a late change of task, a small but perfectly formed group of GoodGymers removed a bag of rubbish from the streets of Chelmsford.

With the GoodGym tasks starting to get an autumnal chill, Richard and Sallyann sensibly turned up in several layers. Martin did not.

The Brook Street car park and footpath towards the river proved a fertile testing ground for a new double handed approach to litter picking, with a grabber in each hand, and the trio’s efforts were rewarded with compliments from passing cyclists.

The group binned an airplane and several bottles of dubious looking liquid but drew the line at two abandoned bikes, before debating when it was acceptable to turn the heating on at home (the correct answer is: when the clocks go back).

Look forward to seeing everyone at next week’s task. Don’t forget to wrap up warm!

7 of us met as usual on a lovely summers eve ready to do some good. Unfortunately Hearing help Essex had to cancel as they weren't ready for us, so we decided to do a litter pick instead.

The shout went out on the socials and Leanne had suggested Arun park as in need of a bit of TLC. Fay and Sallyann kindly offered to walk with the litter pickers and bags while the rest of had a little run along the avenues.

We met by the playground and got stuck in and in no time we had filled 2 bags and managed to chat the entire time ( who would have thought). And just as we were about to leave a member of Springfield football club asked if we could pose for a photo outside their club house. Obvs, we jumped at the chance and hopefully will be partnering up with them in the future for some more good deeding.

Thanks all for coming and hope to see some of you at the beer festival on Friday or parkrun this weekend

Run Happy

Rich

It was a warm summer evening and we met at the usual place and it was amazing to see a new goodgymer - Maryam! She had seen us on social media and the red tshirts around town so wanted to get stuck in.

Sallyann modelled her fashionable red tshirt, red watch, and MAGA red GG hat, lamenting Strava wouldn't recognise multiple watches.

Some decent finds tonight: 1. Andy found a metal bar and some socks 2. Russell found asbestos (probably not really) 3. Maryam found a cuddly duck 4. Richard found a massive bag of tinnies 5. Jane found a jellyfish bollard to go with her story of when she used to throw jellyfish around at the beach 6. Sallyann found she can't carry a bag once it weighs a measly 8.2kgs

Clearly, someone had moved the bins but we did find one, dropped the litter, and headed back.

great work everyone! Next week is meadowview cottage and led by the ginger ninja!

2 sacks collected, 1 mile covered, Area looks better.

Meeting in the rapidly fading sunshine Fay offered us the option - take on #FaysFysicalChallenge and be legends or wuss out. Naturally, Andy wussed out. You can see the challenge and the rest of us tackling it on the gram. Newcomer Steve must have wondered what he got himself in to! Welcome.

We undertook a bit of democracy and decided to go for the run first, as we were picking litter very close to base. Leah was confident she knew where she was leading us and we set off for a jaunty 4.5km run.

Once we got back we picked up the pickers, the bags, and the area activator. Some disgraceful littering by people, but graceful GoodGymers got to work.

Some lovely finds tonight. My personal highlight is the (empty) parking ticket we found which Steve put on the car blocking the pavement. I'd love to see the driver's face when he saw it.

Rich W will be gutted he missed out on spoons. Someone won't be best pleased they lost their credit card. But even worse, someone will be devastated I'm sure that they ended their night without their trousers and underwear! Three very full bags found, excellent work.

I am looking forward to hearing how Richard gets on eating a kiwi with the skin on as though its an apple, and how Rob's race goes this weekend! Jealous of him going to Prague at the start of April, less so for needing to do the half marathon...

The clocks go forward next weekend so it'll be light for group runs soon, that'll be almost as exciting as getting my hands on some more of Martin's allotment produce.

Happy running everyone! See some people at Parkrun, if not next week.