Dark, windy, and determined—the newspaper ninjas were out again! More than 200 Stockport homes (covering the area between Shaw Heath and Wellington Road) got their January Stockport Post delivered by the heroic squad: Mithra, Mandy, Hazel, Laura, and Ben. Mandy, Laura, and Ben sprinted to the meeting point like they were late for the Olympics, where Hazel and Mithra awaited—calm but chilling due to slapping winds. The first arrivals promptly glued themselves to the nearest wall in a desperate attempt to avoid being blown into a neighbouring postcode.

Step one of the mission? Folding newspapers one by one, because nothing says “professional operation” like DIY aerodynamic engineering or origami. Luckily, the papers doubled as a personal anti‑wind sandbags preventing the team from being yeeted into the sky by the wind. Despite the chill, the crew smashed the delivery in under an hour—efficiency level: elite. And because they apparently hadn’t suffered enough, they finished the evening with a few extra kilometres of running before parting ways.

Stockport Post: delivered. Team: spirits fying high! Stockport Homes: reading

P.S. Mithra was invited to the session as she got curious about GoodGym 😉

Credits: Laura Boldison - Run Leader

Big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped out at their local parkrun today! Well done for getting out to facilitate the events in what has become a rare public health success (according to The Times)!

Maimoona was timekeeping at Woodbank parkrun along with Hazel who helped with the pre-event set up and marshalled one of the corners. 263 runners and walkers completed the 5 km route for event number 768.

Juno and Ben did the course check and marshalled at a muddy Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 280. 537 participants completed the course.

Plenty of steps and plenty of moving this evening with Rebecca and team at Restocked CIC!

After a quick jog to the task for Mandy, Hazel, and Ben, we were informed of our task: move lots of wood and equipment from one room to another before clearing out the "Monica" cupboard to tidy up and make use of the shelving inside.

Using the trolleys, dolly trolleys, and some GoodGym grit, we shifted a few...

• table saws
• drill stands
• cupboard units
• wood
• paint tins

The foam storage contained a whole array of foam pieces of different sizes and types plus some cushions and pillows. After clearing that, we moved the shelves to the new carpentry room to make use of the boxes and shelving. The foam storage certainly looks more tidy now, even when using a door as a makeshift shelf...

Fuelled by tea, we managed to complete the task and get some info on the upcycled furniture, chairs, headboards, and other activities. Mandy also made the link for a potential collaboration of unused furniture from her place of work to be passed on, so fingers crossed for that!

Good session all round 💪

At -3°C, Woodbank parkrun wasn’t just a run—it was more “penguin shuffle with a side of frostbite chic.” With other local parkruns slipping into cancellation mode, Woodbank was the hottest (well, coldest) ticket in town.

Hazel decided to have her own 5k, so she ran to the venue first, mastering the penguin shuffle 🐧. Volunteers were thinner on the ground than the layer of grit on those frosty paths, so Maimoona was called up for the role of tail walker, aka “Chief Frost Wrangler.”

Hazel took up her post at the café marshal station, ensuring runners don't accidentally sled down the hill (or have a coffee break 😉) and instead follow the winter route like obedient snowflakes. Despite the cold turning hands and feet into frozen peas, the atmosphere was warmer than a mulled wine stand—full of frosty greetings, icy banters, and smiles that could melt glaciers.🥰

The cherry on this icy cake? Spotting Laura and Gill braving the chill. Because nothing melts your heart faster than familiar faces showing up when your toes have gone on strike. And yes, we all survived without turning into human popsicles.🥶✨