38 GG Yorkies completed three tasks across the city!

Tonight we split up into three groups to spread the good and have triple the impact. We welcomed along one brand new runner to the team, so give your big Yorkie cheers to Debbie!

• The 6km team led/tailed by Tim and Ed went to Gale Farm Court to clear an area where a raised bed is going to go
• The 5km team led/tailed by Paul and Becky went to St Nicks for some planting
• The 4km team led by me and tailed by the rhyming duo of Nikki and Vicky went to the YUMI allotment to dig in manure and create a woodchip footpath

It was plain sailing at the YUMI allotment, despite some tools that were definitely designed for children. We had to turn over fresh manure into the three large flower/vegetable beds to get them ready for planting. We also had to dig the weeds out of a section of footpath, lay down some weedguard and top with woodchip. There were also some areas in the borders which needed digging and weeding.

Babs and Katie were busy tackling one of the borders but little did Babs know that Katie was secretly and gleefully sticking cleavers (sticky weeds) to her back the entire time.

The last time we were at Gale Farm Court, Pete ended up in A&E so he had unfinished business. The residents were delighted to see him with all limbs intact and the team set about tackling the big roots and plants which needed clearing.

Rich was pushing the limits of what could realistically be lopped. It started with thick branches but when he squared up to an oak tree, Tim had to step in.

At St Nicks, the team had to dig up a patch of nettle roots to clear the way for wildflowers to be planted. Nick headed off with a mattock and apparently looked like the eighth dwarf, going off to work.

You could call me Lanky

There was a lot of rubble in amogst the digging and Jonathan asked the team to make a pile so that "lizards can bask on them".. we're not sure if that's real or true but a pile was made nonetheless. Everyone then had to plant lots of tiny plants.

After all the planting, the St Nicks team had a fitness party in the park and even got to have a play on the swings.

I know someone who died because they went over the top of the swing - Jessie

Didn't stop Paul Kelly and Legendary Leanne from going for it..

My team finished up with a few hill reps (Babs still with a couple of cleavers on her back) before a plank challenge back at base. John beat Lauren in the Forecast sprint finish (that's 2-0!), Tim hadn't needed to get out his first aid kit and Jonathan had given us several massive bars of St Nicks branded chocolate - all in all a good night!

45 GG Yorkies completed two huge multi-part tasks!

It was another night for celebration as Vicky ran her 50th good deed and got to run in the Cape of Good Deeds - go Vicky (make sure you give her a big cheer)!

We also welcomed along Chris for his first ever GoodGym run, extra exciting because Chris is one of the founding members of GoodGym in Harrogate and is working hard to bring another GG to North Yorkshire.

Our warm-up (and subsequent fitness session) was a test of coordination and concentration as we introduced new game, Slappy Slappy Point Point. Leanne and I demonstrated rather badly but some people picked up the concept straight away. See the video below!

I led a team out to St Paul's C of E School's allotment in Holgate, where we were met by Charlotte and three of the teachers from the school too, they were already busy digging up weeds. Our jobs list was hefty:

• Clear the whole bed on the right of the entrance
• Clear the weeds from the wood pile
• Sand and paint the yellow bench
• Sand the three picnic benches
• Completely weed and clear four large and four small raised beds
• Empty out the two plastic compost bins and put compost in (newly cleared) raised beds

Not only that but in the process we added two new tasks to the list:

• Relocate the waste from the compost piles into the emptied compost bins
• Get the bug hotel open for business

Esther, Maddy and Laura seemed to unearth a nest of frogs and so carefully went about popping them back into the beck, which Carl and Paul had now cleared the way for by weeding an area along the fence line.

Caped-Vicky and Nick were busy getting all the lovely compost out of the bins to top up the newly-weeded raised beds whilst Debs was on a mission to restore the bug hotel to it's former glory.

The three picnic benches were sanded down in no time at all and looked much better for it, whilst the yellow bench to a little more elbow grease. Zoe has a sure-fire way to check it was sanded effectively prior to painting.

If I rub it and it doesn't hurt me, it's fine.

We had one last dash to take many filled bags to the van just outside the allotment before we attempted some Slappy Slappy Point Point fitness variations with squats instead of slaps and lunges instead of points. Success was limited. Mel and Katie absolutely nailed the original version and were going so fast nobody could stop them, whilst Zoe and Helen created their own interpretive dance version.

After the run back, Vicky announced she'd made Creme Egg cookies and they were the best ever.

Tim's team ran to the lovely Hull Road Park. They trotted in on our lovely hand-crafted path which we'd constructed over winter and were quickly set to task in 4 separate areas by Rachael and Kristina. The areas were spread out all over the park so Tim covered a lot of extra mileage in his run leading duties.

In the first team was by newbie Chris from the wannabe-future-Harrogate-GoodGym folk and parkrun-tourist-extraordinaire Tom, they got stuck in. Their job was clearing the remaining waste from a composting area and dragging it all the way over to where it could be picked up by a skip later this week.

"Love a good Drag" - Tim's louder than intended response to the task

The second team met their match with some surprisingly deep rooted plants that needed clearing so they can install a new bench. The plants lured Tom D into a false sense of security sending him tumbling as it snapped earlier than he expected.

The third team were there to pop the last remaining bits of self-binding path gravel down on our path. They might have laid it on a bit thick as it ran out just short of completion but some frantic scraping of sand just about got the job done!

The fourth and final team were tasked with speed-staking wooden stakes into the ground to protect some newly planted flowers from the lawnmowers. Their mission was to speed through it so they could run to the aid of the other teams. Craig and Max both for a boost of enthusiasm when Tim told them how much destruction was happening elsewhere.

After collecting up all the tools, there was just enough time for a quick fitness themed slappy slappy pointy pointy game/coordinated falling over if you watch Pete and Max's video (standby for link).

With so many tasks happening they overran slightly so were all super out of breath on arrival back at the Priory Street Centre after a fast run; husband and wife dream team John and Lauren Forecast even raced for a sprint finish. Unfortunately Lauren went the wrong way handing John the lead. But don't worry Lauren next time you'll have him!

Only a few of Vicky's amazing cookies were left so we incorporated a stretch and walk-out-plank challenge for those who wanted one (read: everyone).

We shortlisted these entries for the Slappy Slappy Point Point competition, vite for your favourite by commenting below!

On the first light evening of 2019, an absolutely massive crew turned up to do some good!

Our team included three brand new runners, a surprisingly unbroken Nikki (even after running a casual 65km over the weekend), a very happy Craig who beat his 5k PB again at the weekend, breaking that 20-minute barrier AND of course, the GG Yorkie of the Month for March.

The accolade for March goes to Christine who did loads of community missions in March, also wrote loads of run reports and takes fantastic photos for us regularly, well done Christine!

We sent a speedy crew of of ten blokes and a Jessie (led by Paul) off to a bonus task of planting lavender on the bank in Clifton, whilst the rest of us headed over to Fishergate School for a whole list of tasks in their outside forest school area.

The task list at Fishergate included:

• weaving willow into the igloo shelter
• weaving willow into the fence
• weeding the raised beds
• weeding the bases of all the hedgerow trees
• excavating an old brick fire pit

The excavation was actually quite exciting. On first glance, the 'fire pit' was just a flat muddy area, but as the team scraped away, a circle of bricks emerged.

I feel like we are time team! - Helen

Over at the raised beds, Lucy had ended up with what was definitely the smallest trowel that has ever been manufactured. Still effective.

Huw, Ben and Simon were really chuffed because they'd bagged another task which involved digging a big hole. There isn't a GoodGymer out there who doesn't love a good bit of hole-digging. The hole they dug was 100% big enough for the quite small tree which had to go in it. Some might say 200%, either way they were all very happy.

The speedy crew made it to Clifton in double quick time and got to work planting 45 lavender plants in amongst the daffodils on the steep bank. Craig had forgotten his gloves so borrowed a pair from the pile. He gleefully handed them back once the task was over, proclaiming them to be the comfiest garden gloves he'd ever worn.

Those are my cycling gloves - Kay, task owner.

After just 40 minutes, we'd finished the whole Fishergate task list and new runner Lionel finished beautifying the fire pit by washing away the last of the dirt was a bucket of water. It was an amazing transformation. There was some chat about igloo weavers stealing willow from fence weavers but all rumours were unfounded.

We celebrated a great evening of tasks and the lovely light, sunny evening with the super duper Cones of Joy!! Paul's team got back just in time to join us and it was fitness mayhem as people lunged, planked, can-can-kicked, ran in circles and did extreme cheering from the cheering station.

I was paired with Stef, he just kept running so I had to do all the exercises - Craig (lucky)

Pun credit - Tim (excellent work)