Over 100 young runners completed Whitley bay junior parkrun on a grey Sunday morning. I was run director ensuring the event ran smoothly. Everything went well and all the young runners seemed to have fun.

On a cold Monday evening, four GoodGymer set off through Byker, aiming to build on last week's task and make the streets a lot tidier. Byker somehow is always littered no matter how many times we pick lots of litter up.

Lots of bags were filled, as usual mostly with drinks containers of various kinds. It never ceases to amaze us how many full-size empty wine bottles find themselves dumped on the street and in the undergrowth!

Thankfully the weather warmed up after a very cold weekend. Races and parkruns suffered mass cancellations on Saturday and Sunday, but all of the ice had magically disappeared by the time we set off on our latest litter pick from Stepney Bank Stables.

Sadly no matter how times we clear litter from Byker, it is scattered everywhere again within a few weeks. Three GoodGymers managed to fill three bags each tonight, which made the place look much tidier, at least for a short time!

Three GoodGymers had a very merry Friday night in Newcastle. The task tonight was preceded by a long walk and talk. Thankfully it was dry and calm, if a bit cold.

Being the last Friday before Christmas, the pubs were exceptionally busy, so the Christmas card writing session took place in a coffee shop instead. We hope a local care home will appreciate some Christmas cards for their residents.

Thank you very much to everyone that has attended a GoodGym session in 2025. We hope to see you all again in 2026! The next Monday night group run will be on January 5th. In the meantime, please look out for some junior parkrun volunteering opportunities, as well as anything else that pops up. January will also bring GoodGym's annual January Challenge, where we will try to match or beat last year's good deed and distance covered totals, and see how we compare to other GoodGym areas.