GoodGym Richmond and Kingston members with SUP boards joined forces with Dittons Paddling to help British Canoeing, National Trust, Angling Trust and the Environment Agency for their Floating Pennywort Voluntary Removal Day - Papercourt Lock/Newark Lock, River Wey Navigation.

With over 60 volunteers and partners in team work at its best we removed huge amounts of the invasive species Floating Pennywort from the Wey Navigation so it is clearer for use by all!

Pennywort? Pennywent! We were not ‘board’! With so many great partners working together including the Scouts, we were not ‘Wey’d’ down!

And home to be back soon to maintain this invasive non-native species that apparently escaped from aquatic fish ponds…

Enjoy the video summary to accompany this report

A super sunny summer Sunday morning, GoodGymers from Bath, Bristol, Oxford and Swindon coming together to run the Avebury Trust 10.

Trust 10’s are free 10Km runs in National Trust venues, held on the 4th Sunday each month from April to October.

Was great to see Alice, Darren, Martha, Matt and Zdeni from Bristol, Alison from Bath and Anwen from Oxford join Swindon regulars Sam, Kirsty, Adam, Simon, Andrew, Rhoda, Clare, Cath,Alethia and the National Trusts own Mike for a scenic run around Avebury.

All runners signed in then gathered for the pre run briefing. The Avebury Trust 10 run starts a ‘stones throw’ from, well, the stones and follows rough track trails out into the Wiltshire countryside. Soon it was time to rock and roll and get going!

It was not long before we were climbing up and descending down the rolling hills. If the run wasn’t breath taking enough, the views at the top certainly were! This was a day for enjoying the weather and the views more than concentrating on achieving times!

Just over half way and we came across the big one! A steep hill which seemed to go on forever! We were all glad when greeted by enthusiastic cheering from Tracey and Jason near the top. The run down the hill was hair raising, it would have been, if I had any! If anyone managed voiding running head first into the bushes, it wasn’t long before we were on tarmac and running towards Silbury Hill. Stone me, if Tracey and Jason popped up again on the final run into the finish, where the lure of National Trust Coffee and cake dragged us over the line.

Everyone did a fantastic job running in the heat and up those uneven climbs and certainly deserved the post run refreshments.

We ‘rocked’ up for the obligatory landscape and portrait photoshoot before ‘rock’ing and rolling home.

The next 'GoodGym West' gathering will be on Sunday 18th August; something not to be missed! Check it out HERE! and then it will be the most amazing half marathon EVER...in scenic Swindon! For more details - click HERE!

What better way to spend a Sunday morning than with friends running up and down hills, then going for a coffee and cake?!

Well, this Sunday, in celebration of The Great Get Together, we had a GG South West Get together with runners from Swindon and Bristol meeting up at National Trust Tyntesfield to complete the Trust10 run there. The Great Get Together is an initiative founded by the family and friends of Jo Cox, who was killed on 16 June 2016. It was created to reject divisive politics, bring communities together and celebrate all that unites us. This week all of our GoodGym sessions have been partnered with The Great Get Together so that up and down the country we can use our run to celebrate kindness, respect and all we have in common! #moreincommon

Trust10 trail runs are free monthly 10k trail runs, and a great way to blow away the cobwebs, get some exercise and take in spectacular scenery at National Trust places. Taking place on the 4th Sunday of each month in the summer, Trust10s take place at Avebury (10 miles from Swindon) and at Tyntesfield (7.5 miles from Bristol).

The Tyntesfield trek is a tough twirl twice around a 5k course, taking in inclines and declines, the odd Tyntes-field of wheat, and views across the valley, BUT...

definitely NOT a course for easy PB’s!

We gathered together for a group photo, listened to the run brief and, before we knew it, we set off dead on 9am. A few of us spectated, one of us marshalled (thanks Mel!) some of us did one lap (well done!), others did two laps (well done again!), but were very tempted to stop at the end of the first loop.

After, we all gathered together in the café for tea, coffees, cakes, and...

one MEGA cheese and bacon scone!

All topped off with good chat with friends from across the M4! Thanks for coming along everyone who could make it, what a Great Get Together!

After more GoodGym greatness?

For Swindon:

Tuesday, 25 June, we have the Group Run Plogging in North Swindon to help clear up the streets and green spaces there. Check it out HERE!

Thursday, 27 June, for a Community Mission Weeding Outside the Cricketers Arms in the Railway Village, to improve the outdoor environment for visitors to the area. This one comes especially Run Reporter recommended! Sign up HERE!

Tuesday, 2 July, we have a popular repeat task clearing the Traverser at Steam. There will be no weeds in the whole of the railway village left after GG Swindon hit it this week! Sign up HERE!

But what about Bristol?

Tuesday, 25 June, we are running to East Bristol Foodbank storage to help them sort donations from their latest supermarket locations. Sign up HERE!

Sunday, 30 June, we’re off for a lovely Sunday afternoon activity helping Tynings Field Community Group with a big scrub bash of brambles. You know you want to come along – sign up HERE!

Tuesday, 2 July, we’re off to Felix Road for a regular dose of litter-picking, gardening, painting and odd jobs around the playground there, ready for the Summer Hols. More info HERE!