What a fabulous time we all had, whether it was choosing gifts or delivering them - it was a very rewarding Community Mission supporting 265 Swindon families in need at Christmas Time. It also gave some of us the opportunity to meet and chat in a very safe and socially distanced way! How lovely to see one another again. Here's hoping we can all see one another soon?

The Christmas Toy Appeal has been in touch to say that 5,823 toys were donated along with £10,900, which was used to buy additional presents. 700 children in total recieved a gift sack that included four main presents, a book, a soft toy and three stocking fillers. One in two families also received a food parcel. How amazing!

Thank you to everyone for making this happen. I am very much looking forward to the Christmas Toy Appeal in 2021.

Having started our Christmas activities back in October with giant brussel sprout pants, yule not be surprised to hear that our last run of the year (or maybe the decade, depending on your level of pedantry) was a cracker! After Dave had been ordered back to his car to get his Christmas hat by Helen (oh deer, not a great start), Run Leader Richard got the evening underway by asking about the best and worst cracker gifts we’re ever got. Gaby’s 5cm ruler that she got as child and still has in her pencil case was definitely the most long-lived gift and far more useful than a comb for Andrew! Having established that those little red fish are good for determining whether someone is dead or alive (maybe we need a first aid refresher?), and before Richard could crack any more bad jokes, we headed out to Westlea for our evening task.

A few soggy feet later as we splashed through puddles and squelched through mud, we arrived at the Gateway Church to meet Dawn who was ready to explain our task for the evening – helping with Good News 4 Swindon's (GN4S) Christmas Toy Appeal. Members of churches across Swindon have come together to help bring a little hope and happiness to local families living in desperate need, so their children can have presents to wake up to on Christmas morning .Individuals, groups and organisations across Swindon were asked to donate new toys and gifts for children aged 0-16. Over 1500 presents, 250 books, 100 soft toys and lots and lots of stocking fillers had been kindly donated. Many of these had already been given to families at five special Christmas parties across the town where families were able to choose and take away a present for each child. What a fabulous idea to help spread some Christmas cheer and what can be a difficult time of the year. Our job was to sort the unclaimed toys after this party, ready for distribution to families who could not attend and then make up gift bags for children.

We set to work in pairs sorting out toys into different age categories. Special Kay found an adorable teddy bear that we had to wrestle from her, Stuart revealed his true colours as Dr Evil, and Princess Mike became a little too attached to a tiara – one for the Christmas list?! Once the sorting was sorted, which didn’t take long, with us all giving 110 present to the task, we had the great privilege of selecting gifts for children. We were told the age of the child and then had to pick six presents for the child to choose from, including some books and stocking fillers. A little taste of being one of Santa’s elves – we hope the children enjoy what we have chosen for them.

After a drink, chocolate cake (we’ve done a lot of eating this month) and a photo session – where this time it was Helen who forgot her Santa hat – it was time to head back to the Oasis for the last time this year. To celebrate this, Richard took us on the scenic route by the sewage works – he knows how to treat us well! Although we nearly lost Carly at the kebab van, we all made it safely back, present and correct. After some goodbyes, if only until we meet again at our Community Mission on Thursday, or at parkruns both near and far – it turns out there is no escape from GoodGym Swindon – some of us headed in for coffee and, what’s that - yes, I spy a mince pie!

I’d like to say what happens at coffee stays at coffee, but it is the season of giving so here goes! From a history of music (yes…Lena Zavaroni was back), to questions like “what’s an LP?” from one of our younger members, we neatly segued to Christmas pasts by watching Morecombe and Wise clips. Quite how we got from there to The Nightmare Before Christmas can only be explained by Tracey but there are not many occasions when you’ll hear the words “I had a dream about Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Biggins, and Jimmy Krankie…”. One for further exploration in the New Year for those who are brave enough!

And so, that’s a wrap for group runs in 2019…Christmas presents, Christmas pasts and hopefully lots of Christmas futures with our lovely GoodGym family ❤ There’s one last chance this year to get on Santa’s nice list with our community mission on Thursday with the We’re Open Christmas Party at Coffee One and the added incentive of a Winter Warrior badge!

Looking ahead with 2020 vision, there’s loads of fab events already planned for the New Year. Enjoy the Christmas break and see you in January for:

Painting the cycle storage containers…the sequel on 7 January – this task is walkable!

Goodgym Swindon takeover of Seven Fields parkrun on 25 January where we’ll be launching the Seven Fields parkrun pacing team!

A fancy dress run for our last group run of the year as we ran 2 miles over to the Gateway Church to help wrap presents for their Christmas toy appeal. The run leader decided to turn up as a present himself and Emily donned a Santa top (+ crazy leggings still of course) whilst most sensible people opted just for a hat given the wind and rain. Mike’s ear muffs were the best idea.

A cold-rainy welcome to our new runner Chris who has been signed up for ages but can’t normally make Tuesdays. It was good to meet you and here is hoping you can sneak out the odd Tuesday or join us for some Missions and Community Missions in future (like when we go back to Darkroom Espresso).

Shout out to the dry-club: Lynette, Stuart and Tracy who couldn’t run but did meet us there for the task. Smiling and looking warm, Lynette was already wrapping and stayed later so a special well done to her.

Our brief was to find appropriate toys for a family from the tables and wrap them. These toys are for children of families in need, nominated by social workers, churches and support agencies across Swindon. Each child got two main presents, a book and a cuddly toy. Some really great toys available, the number and quality of donations to the church were incredible, and this was just what was left after they already held a drop-in event.

Emily’s wrapping experience from the Prospect Hospice mission earlier this month was clear and she led a group effort with Sam and Kirsty. Tracey’s experience would have also been appreciated, had she got off the train at Swindon Station (oops!). Did you want to go do Bristol GG Tracey?

Then there were the lone wolves like Paul, Richard, Mike and Chris who tried to take on a whole family each. I think Chris had like a family of 6 which was 24 presents to wrap himself. That’s the sort of newbie ambition we like to see!

I think we learnt that teamwork was the more productive way to go.

Eye Spy A Mince Pie – Yes Please. Nice little break taken.

I’m sure mulled wine was mentioned at one point but we didn’t have time to slack off and wander in to the carol service, although it did look great. We spotted a couple of familiar faces from City of Sanctuary, letting them know we will be back to see them at Darkroom Espresso in January.

We slightly over-ran the task but we needed to complete the families. Checking we were all PRESENT and correct we headed off the 2 miles back to Oasis for a rare group coffee, not leaving Richard on his own for a change.

To use the classic pun:

That’s a wrap for our 2018 group runs.

A huuuuuuuuuuuuge well done to everyone who has joined us this year. We have had some good laughs along the way and since our summer launch we became:

"Weeder, Painter and Church yard curator

Horticultrural planter and Game playing banter

Wild seed disperser and Cleaner of traverser

Good at bicycle repair and Fixer of wheelchair

Leaflet dropper, Litter stopper, Wrapping for shopper

Sorting foods and lifting moods

..but we never did build that shed"

See you on Tuesday 8th January 2019; in the meantime have a very Happy Christmas and New Year!