Sunnyside Community Garden
93 GoodGymers have supported Sunnyside Community Garden with 10 tasks.
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Jute-y Free
Monday 25th November
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
On Monday evening, Area Activator Simon was thrilled to go for a (slightly chilly) run with Mehmet and Emily (congratulations on your half marathon in Richmond!) up Sussex Way and over to the Hornsey Rise Kickabout Playground. About 1.8 miles from the Arsenal Hub to Sunnyside Community Gardens, and short walk to find this unique new planting space.
Down a quiet corridor by Hazellville Road, we found the gardens built upon a former basketball court in the middle of a housing estate. Right on time, we heard an Islington Council electric bicycle, and Eslam appeared around the corner, with access keys, jute coffee sacks, bags of chaff and collected leaves on board. We made our way in, and got started!
Our task for the evening involved contributing towards the big overall project- filling the whole playground with quality soil for local residents. Together, we used some sturdy donated jute bags (provided by The Roasting Shed and Allpress Coffee) to collect up fallen leaves from Sunnyside Community Gardens for future composting and mulching. We were also provided with "chaff", the lovely soft produce created by roasting coffee cherries that also works really well as a fertiliser (and smells wonderful!). Over the course of an hour, we had filled up at least 20 full bags between us, making a great heads start for the residents spring time composting.
To celebrate the end of November, we had a gathering at Rusty Thai cafe just off Hornsey Rise, well regarded for delicious noodles and hot soups on cold days! Well done everyone.
GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS
Achilles International VI Guide Running Sessions
Every Thursday, 6pm, Various London locations
On Thursday evenings, the all abilities sports charity Achilles International holds a group run session at a London location.
Here is a list of our upcoming events and sign up pages. Runners, supporters and guides of all abilities and experiences welcome!
28th November- Stratford Olympic Park
5th December- Paddington Rec Track
12th December- Emirates Stadium
19th December- Paddington Rec Track (and Post Run Xmas Party- The Carlton Tavern)
Green Guardians Weekly Workdays
Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am - 12 midday, Wednesdays, Fridays and occasional Saturdays
Community garden volunteer drop in sessions organised by a collection of specialists and tutors across the borough. Always day time, with occasional weekend meetings throughout Autumn.
The next sessions are as follows:
Wednesday 27th November, 10am - 12 midday, Newington Green
Friday 29th November, 12 - 2pm midday, Market Road Gardens
Elizabeth House Food Hub- Lunchtime Sweep Up Task!
Tuesday 26th November, 12.45 - 1.15pm, Elizabeth House
On Tuesday afternoons, during term time, the team at Elizabeth House Food Hub have requested for an extra pair of hands to help with cleaning and tidying up their donation centre.
Expect some satisfying sweeping and surface cleaning to assist this busy team!
The People's Army- Food Parcel Deliveries
Friday 29th November, 2pm - 4pm, Cressida Road, Archway
The team at The People's Army food bank and community hub are seeking more volunteers for their busy service.
Every Friday, care parcels are prepared for isolated individuals and families in the Archway and Islington boroughs, and delivered by amazing volunteers.
Any assistance for deliveries on foot or by bicycle would be hugely appreciated.
JENKI Matcha with ON Running Spitalfields Group (November)
Thursday 5th December, 7 - 7.30am, ON Running Spitalfields
Every 1st Thursday morning of the month, ON Running Spitalfields and JENKI Matcha Café on Brushfield Street will be hosting a 5km social paced group run through East London and by St Katherine's Dock.
Meeting at ON Running Spitalfields store at 7am (Bag drop, community shoe try ones, run register, chat and catch up!)
Matcha and hot drinks on offer at special run club discount!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/jenki-matcha-with-on-running-spitalfields-group-november
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Compton Terrace Gardens- Volunteer Session
Saturday 14th December, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel, Islington
A smashing community mission for those partaking in Highbury Fields or Finsbury parkrun on a Saturday morning!
A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.
Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.
Friends of Canonbury Square- Volunteer Morning (December)
Saturday 21st December, 10am - midday, Canonbury Square Gardens
The Friends of Canonbury Square Gardens host an open community gardening session on the 3rd Saturday morning of every month.
Usual tasks would include bulb planting, trimming, laying compost, maintaining flower beds and litter picking.
First Post-Xmas Group Run- Islington Street-O Challenge!
Monday 30th December, 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub
For our first session back after Christmas, Goodgym Islington have set up our first local treasure hunt style challenge, based on the "Street-O" orienteering concept.
All participants will be given a map, a series of questions and 60 minutes to fill in as many answers as possible.
Work solo or in groups, running or walking. Just return within 60 minutes or receive a time penalty!
Followed by a trip to The Lamb to tally up results and to enjoy some chat and refreshments.
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/goodgym-islington-special-street-o-challenge
Met League Cross Country Series- Goodgym Race Team
Various locations, October 2024 - February 2025
Met League Cross Country is a set of five 7-8km races organised by London race clubs. They are held in parks and forests around London with the routes including a mixture of grass, gravel and a fair bit of mud (it is XC after all!)
Sign up to the Goodgym Race Team for £15, and enter ALL 5 RACES for the bargain price of £20!
Newbies encouraged and welcomed- the most fun you can have running over the Winter months!
Fixtures
30th November Uxbridge https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-uxbridge
11th January Welwyn Garden City https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-stanborough-park
8th February Trent Park https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-trent-park
Pick and Mix
Monday 30th September
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Area Activator Simon met at the Arsenal Community Hub on a chilly (but thankfully dry) Autumn evening, before running up Sussex Way to Sunnyside Community Gardens. Upon his arrival, he met with task organiser and Goodgymmer Eslam who had opened up the Hornsey Rise Kickabout Gardens specially for our visit this evening!
Sally, Alison, Emily and Vaughan were also on hand for smashing evening of community garden renovation- a project set up for sustainable growing on formerly abandoned grounds. Our task was to break down a large pile of donated soil into more manageable chunks (using spades and pickaxes), and depositing it into buckets and wheelbarrows. Then, we moved the soil over to a lovely wildlife pond (made from an old bathtub), and we built some foundations around the tub. Emily took charge of padding the soil down, almost like a muddy sandcastle around the pond!
Within 45 minutes approximately, we had moved almost all of the soil, and had successfully created a strong base for the pond. Wonderful job everyone!
GOODGYM ISLINGTON NEWS
GROUP SESSIONS-
Monday 7th October- Timbuktu Adventure Playground- Community Mission 7.15pm, Task Location
Monday 14th October- Arachne Greek Cypriot Women's Group- Group Run 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub
Monday 21st October- Rose Bowl Youth Club- Community Mission 7.15pm, Task Location
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/community-mission-rose-bowl-youth-club
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Monday 29th October- Turning Compost at Pollard Close- Group Run 6.45pm, Arsenal Community Hub
JENKI x ON Running Spitalfields Monthly Matcha Morning Group Run
Thursday 3rd October, 7am, On Running Spitalfields
Every 1st Thursday morning of the month, ON Running Spitalfields and JENKI Matcha Café on Brushfield Street will be hosting a 5km social paced group run through East London and by St Katherine's Dock.
Matcha and hot drinks on offer at special run club discount!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/jenki-matcha-with-on-running-spitalfields-group-october
Achilles International VI Guide Running Sessions
Every Thursday, 6pm, Various London locations
On Thursday evenings, the all abilities sports charity Achilles International holds a group run session at a London location.
Here is a list of our upcoming events and sign up pages. Runners, supporters and guides of all abilities and experiences welcome!
Thursday 3rd October- Paddington Rec Track
Thursday 10th October- Emirates Stadium
Thursday 17th October- Paddington Rec Track
Thursday 26th October- Stratford Olympic Park
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Thornhill Square Gardens- October Workday
Saturday 5th October, 10am - midday, Thornhill Square Gardens
This is an open volunteer gardening morning set up by the Friends of Thornhill Square. As one of the largest public spaces in Islington without council maintenance assistance, extra pairs of hands for bulb planting, composting, litter picking and preparing flower beds would be hugely appreciated!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/thornhill-square-gardens-open-volunteer-morning-october
Compton Terrace Gardens- Volunteer Session
Saturday 12th October, 10am - 1pm, Union Chapel, Islington
A smashing community mission for those partaking in Highbury Fields or Finsbury parkrun on a Saturday morning!
A friendly gardening group started to look after the park about 10 years ago. We are always looking for more help - with planting, mulching, pruning, and all the other things a garden needs.
Everyone welcome, no special skills needed! Lots of fresh air and a nice chance to meet local people. We meet once a month on a Saturday morning near the shed in the middle of the Gardens.
Friends of Canonbury Square- Volunteer Morning (October)
Saturday 19th October, 10am - midday, Canonbury Square Gardens
The Friends of Canonbury Square Gardens host an open community gardening session on the 3rd Saturday morning of every month.
Usual tasks would include bulb planting, trimming, laying compost, maintaining flower beds and litter picking.
Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) Volunteering Day
Sunday 20th October, 11am - 1pm, Hanley Tennis Club Car Park, Greenways
Our monthly trip to CREOS this year for a woodland regeneration- loads of smashing forest path building has been planned!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/crouch-end-open-space-creos-volunteering-day-october-2024
Camino Ultra London Lee Valley Eco Trail- Aid Station Superstars
Saturday 5th October, 9am onwards, Ranger's Retreat, Chingford
DaznBone (aka Darren Strachan and David Bone) and the Camino Ultra team are putting together the logistics for their next 50km ultra race (running from Wanstead Flats, up the green corridor to Epping Forest and back), and have invited the Goodgym crew to get involved!
On the course, there will be 4 major aid stops, and we have been invited to take over the first refresh point and the penultimate aid station.
This will involve providing water and snacks to runners of all abilities during the key stages of their race, and to support them with smiling faces and enthusiasm!
Gait Analysis Training Session with Area Activator Simon
Wednesday 9th October, Emirates Stadium, 6.30pm
Gait analysis has been proved to be a useful tool for highlighting potential issues, making suggestions for improvement and checking efficiency in movement.
Simon would like to offer 10 Goodgymmers the opportunity to join him for a dynamic warm up and short interval session.
During the evening, recordings for forward momentum, running form and lateral stability (at different paces) will be made, and used to make suggestions for training focus or for footwear choices.
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/gait-analysis-training-session-with-area-activator-simon
Goodgym Race Team Big 4- Love Luton RunFest 2024
Sunday 13th October, 8.45am onwards, Luton Town Centre
This 5k, 10k, and half marathon around the streets of Luton is a popular road race with GoodGym. Join us for this 4th and final official GoodGym race team race of 2024. Big Goodgym running crew meet up to be expected!
https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/love-luton-love-luton-runfest-2024
Met League Cross Country Series- Goodgym Race Team
Various locations, October 2024 - February 2025
Met League Cross Country is a set of five 7-8km races organised by London race clubs. They are held in parks and forests around London with the routes including a mixture of grass, gravel and a fair bit of mud (it is XC after all!)
Sign up to the Goodgym Race Team for £15, and enter ALL 5 RACES for the bargain price of £20!
Newbies encouraged and welcomed- the most fun you can have running over the Winter months!
Fixtures
12th October Claybury https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-claybury-3aab4cb8-8f15-4d0d-a0ed-126cdf50e85e
9th November Horsenden Hill https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country
30th November Uxbridge https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-uxbridge
11th January Welwyn Garden City https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-stanborough-park
8th February Trent Park https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/london-met-league-cross-country-trent-park
Sieve Long & Prosper
Monday 9th March 2020
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
15 awesome runners attended our Islington group run last night (including new starters Stephanie and Tom- welcome!), and braved a wet and windy trip to Sunnyside Community Gardens near Crouch Hill.
Also- congratulations to Hanry for running 100 good deeds last week. His celebrations were at GG Camden, but he is a certified GG Islington runner too!
Before layering up to sustain the rainfall, Trainer Simon asked the crew for some film recommendations (after being blown away by Bong Joon-ho's multi-oscar winning thriller "Parasite". All of these great suggestions have been included here:
- For Sama
- Call Me By Your Name
- Moonlight
- Little Women
- Okja
- Snowpiercer
- Alien Covenant
- Jojo Rabbit
- Precious
- Dark Waters
- The Witch
- Harriet (soon to be released in the UK)
- The Green Book
- This Year's Love (because it is all based in Camden...)
Sunnyside Community Gardens
Our team made their way up Hornsey Road after a quick warm up, with Steve Lee assisting as the backmarker. Upon arrival, we politely disturbed the meeting of the Sunnyside Gardens Trustees and met up with Anna, the volunteer coordinator. We wheelbarrowed a vast array of forks, spades and shovels (and gloves, of course) to the upper end of the gardens, and began work on creating compost for the upcoming spring planting season.
A small group started sieving woods and twigs out of the finer dirt and soil, before distributing the contents into different piles. Other goodgymmers used clippers to break down larger branches and small dead trees made the green waste into useful mulch, leaving the rest of our crew to lift the chips into a designated compost pile. A smooth production line was established, and we made significant work out of this large ongoing task!
We packed up after 40 minutes of solid work, and enjoyed the downhill jaunt back to the Arsenal Community Hub. Aidan lead a series of stretches and cool down exercises, whilst Steve Lee offered us some authentic holiday Turkish Delight, and Trainer Simon brought out some Biscoff biscuits for a job well done.
As we regrouped, we made our way to The Victoria Tavern on Holloway Road for 2-for-1 pizza, drinks and good times, as part of our monthly social.
NEWS
GG Islington Cover at Goodgym Camden!
Trainer Simon will be leading a one-off group run with Goodgym Camden this Wednesday, setting off from The St Pancras and Somers Town Living Centre in Somers Town. Great opportunity to try out some GG tourism, and to meet up with new and familiar faces getting involved with some new tasks!
This week, we will be visiting Cecil Sharp House to assist with various gardening and weeding tasks at the home for English Folk Music and Dance, with a second group running to C4WS- a homeless shelter set up in the American International Church on Tottenham Court Road.
Typically followed by drinks and a meet-up at the Somers Town Coffee House pub, opposite the Crick!
Sign up here and come on down!
Compton Terrace Gardens Community Mission
Saturday 14th March, 10-1pm at Compton Terrace Gardens. A perfect post-Highbury Fields parkrun task!
One of our lovely GG Islington task owners will be leading a work day at Compton Terrace Gardens, a great green space right outside the union chapel. Mission expert Liz Mills has agreed to lead the session along with some of the neighbourhood regulars to assist with clearing, tidying, lifting and shoveling work- super outdoors workout fun!
CREOS March
Sunday 15th March, 11-1pm at Crouch End Open Space, 85 - 87 Wood Vale, Crouch End. One of the longest running, and best, community missions. Come for the gardening, stay for for the picnic!
Crouch End Open Space is inviting the Goodgym team back to help with their monthly community green space maintenance project. Local volunteers meet up to keep the neighbourhood area as beautiful as possible, and to make sure that the pathways are accessible for everyone to enjoy this popular spot.
All helpers will be treated to a great carboot picnic and hot drink afterwards!
The Arc Centre Deep Clean and Free Fitness Session
Sunday 22nd March, 5.30-7.30pm at The Arc Community Centre, Islington
Goodgym have been asked to help out The Arc Community Centre with some bi-monthly cleaning and tidying tasks- a great indoor activity to wrap up the weekend.
In return, we have access to the main hall and the accompanying gardens before the the task. Trainer Simon will be offering a free all abilities circuit training session before we start with the cleaning duties. Strength and conditioning are under valued pursuits for a lot of runners, and we will be introducing some simple body weight exercises you can do as part of a group (the best way IMHO!) or in your own free time.
Look a little on the Sunnyside
Monday 13th January 2020
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Despite the looming threat of Storm Brendan making an appearance, 13 Goodgymmers came out to Sunnyside Community Centre last night (including first timers Marie Laure and Evangelina- welcome!).
Before we started our warm up drills (ankling, high knees, can-cans, dynamic lunges and sumo squats), we asked each other the question: "What is your favourite fruit?"
The responses were as follows:
- Bananas
- Pineapples
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Raisins. No, sorry, Grapes...
- Mangoes
- Yeah, Mangoes. But those really sweet yellow ones... maybe these?
Sunnyside Community Centre
Thankfully, we had a little bit of respite from the rain as we ran the 2.5 km to Sunnyside Community Centre (up Hornsey Road). Thanks to Kike, Latoya and James for back marking to and from the task.
We arrived at the gardens, and no-one was there. Surely Trainer Simon hadn't got the date wrong, had he?
Thankfully, Anna the volunteer coordinator appeared from behind our group, and showed us to the tool shed whilst we set up lights and torches for this dark gardening task.
Our challenge was to turn a large collection of green clippings into compostable green waste, by cutting down larger branches. Another set of runners would then load the green waste into wheel barrows and pile it into a tidy space, so it can all turn into mulch for spring time gardening.
We had plenty to do in quite a short amount of time, but we made a huge dent in the pile of leaves and branches. It is a huge overall task, that we will return to next month (every second Monday, in line with the trustee's meeting).
We downed tools, and set off back to the Emirates Stadium with a storm whipping up behind us! Upon our arrival, we engaged in a series of stretches to cool down (some of them focusing on the shoulders and arms for the benefit of those shoveling heavy branches and moving wheelbarrows). Ginger biscuits were on offer to all (accidentally vegan btw!).
Great work everyone. Come and join us next week for our local task at Market Road Gardens!
NEWS
Goodgym Islington's 5th Anniversary Meet-up
After our task next week, we have booked a reservation at a local Bangladeshi restaurant on Holloway Road for 9pm. Come and join us for great food, drinks and good times!
If you can't make the task, but still want to come along, the address is as follows:
Standard Tandoori 87 Holloway Road, Holloway, London N7 8LT https://www.zomato.com/london/standard-tandoori-holloway/menu
Please make sure that you sign up to this event page, so we can confirm numbers in advance!
Caledonian Park junior parkun test event
We have been invited to volunteer for a recce for the proposed Caledonian Park junior parkrun, a 2km free weekly timed run for children aged 4 to 14, started every Sunday at 9 am.
This is really exciting for GG Islington regulars, as we have been involved with various tasks in Cally Park leading towards this parkrun!
Sign up here to get involved with this special event, Sunday 19th January at 9 am (please arrive by 8.30 am).
This will not be listed on the main event page, so feel free to send the link to this page for any interested Goodgymmers!
First CREOS community mission of the year!
Easily GG Islington's most popular Community Mission, helping out the Crouch End Open Space charity workers with gardening and maintenance of their lovely plot just off the Parkland Walk.
Sunday 19th January, starting at 11 am, and often finishing with a picnic and snacks in a beautiful woodland setting. What's not to love?
Click here for more information, and to sign up!
Rake me up before you go go!
Monday 9th September 2019
Written by Simon Fitzmaurice
Cracking run (and cycle) tonight with 22 lovely Goodgymmers, tackling a huge pile of branches and foliage at Sunnyside Community Centre.
After a short warm-up around the slopes of the Emirates Stadium, we connected on to Hornsey Road and powered up the 2.5km of incline to Sunnyside Community Centre. Upon arrival at the volunteers portacabin, Bridget handed us rakes, shearers and clippers and directed us to a large mound of branches, leaves and bushes, collected from the gardens. This would usually be a task for a shredder, but the groups machine suddenly broke down just as Autumn began, leaving the space covered in green foliage!
In 40 minutes, our Goodgymmers raked the massive pile of branches into lots of smaller piles, and snipped them down to a smaller concentration of greenery. Before we left, we moved all the branches back into an orderly spot, away from the main entrance to the community centre. Amazing effort considering the light was fading as we worked. We were treated to a steady downhill slope back to the Emirates, some nice easy relaxed stretches and a few jammy dodgers and lotus biscoff biscuits for the road!
Plenty of runs, events and get-togethers next week, continuing Goodgym's 10 year anniversary celebrations:
- Goodgym Lambeth will be leading a monthly long run this Sunday, starting in Brixton, and following the Green Chain Walk to Crystal Palace. Sign up here.
- Former Islington trainer and all round excellent fellow, Paul Bown has announced the dates and details for Goodgym Euro Trip Kiev 2020. 4-5 days of holiday fun with 10km or half marathon races in between! More info can be found here.
- We will be visiting Thornhill Gardens for next weeks task, helping the organisers with some willow tree weaving for decorations (pop your name on the list here). Hoping to test out some new portable flood lights as well, but I still recommend bringing a headtorch if you can!
- Also, we plan to visiting the Victoria Tavern after our run next week and you are very much invited to join us!
Have a smashing week everyone, and see you for the next one!
Follow the Yellow Chip Road
Monday 11th February 2019
Written by Paul Bown
24 Goodgymers ran 5km to help Sunnyside Community Gardens turnover compost piles and lay woodchip paths!
Welcome along to newbies - Kathleen, Steve, Helen, Claire and Rachel - lovely to have you all along, come back and join us again :)
In the news this week:
- GoodGym is pacing Finsbury parkrun on Saturday 23rd February - especially on look out for 25, 30, 35, and 40 pacers - sign up here.
- This Sunday James is leading CREOS Community Mission up in Crouch End - full details here.
- Join the GoodGym Unofficial Unofficial Facebook Group here to keep updated with other things going on.
Corrrr that was a fun evening - loved it! After our intro and warm up we split into two groups to head up to Sunnyside Community Gardens. James & Steve led a faster and longer group by doing a lap of the Emirates, while the rest of us went up directly.
Upon our arrival we met Anna and other committee members who explained what our tasks were this week:
- There were two piles of compost that needed to be taken off, turned over and put back in a pile again. This helps fasten the process of making compost, which will then feed the garden.
- The second task was to lay woodchip over the paths.
Over 25 minutes we did some great work! The compost teams did a great job getting to the bottom (or as far as they could) - the piles were definitely smaller when we left - good turning. Team woodchip did a fantastic job moving the good chip stuff in bags and a wheelbarrow - lovely.
After a group picture we headed back to base for some stair sprints and some out of date biscuits.... oh hahaha.
Sign up for next week here when we'll be helping Caxton House.
PB out
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