🎵 Mid February in Twenty-twenty... 🎵

The GoodGym gods were smiling down on us last night as the rains subsided and let us do our task in relative dryness!

This week we were off to the Yellow Qube, a new community centre in Tulse Hill, to finish off some litter picking and ivy removal that we started a few weeks ago.

First up we welcomed lovely new runners Selina, Hanna, Christina, Robyn and Jie to the fold and adorned Alfie with the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE for smashing his 50th good deed! 😲

We had a quick warm up and split into two distance teams. Nicky lead a longer route via Herne Hill and the rest of us only got a little lost on a shorter but hilly run.

When we arrived we had to vault a slippery fence to get into the area to be tidied which everyone (generally) did with grace and elegance. We shared around the gloves and bags and got to work, yanking up the ivy and picking up the rubbish. In no time at all we'd filled up every single bag (probs like 30..!), jumped back over the fence, took a snap and headed back.

A bunch of us then headed off for a quick sip at the Grosvenor!

ACE WORK TEAM

Next week we've got TWO tasks - either a nice 5k up to the Portico Gallery or a shorter 2k to help the GP Food Co op in Stockwell! Click here to get signed up!

Despite a last minute cancellation, we had TWO tasks on offer.

Nicky lead the run to option one: ☝️

Our group of excellent group of GoodGymmers braved the cold to run to the beloved Remakery. After a quick introduction to the brilliant work they do there, reusing and upcycling materials into furniture/sculptures etc, our first challenge was to divide into three groups - one large, one medium, one small.

Two groups were sweeping and hoovering the woodwork workshops. Armed with a Henry Hoover and very attractive face masks, they quickly made a huge difference. The other group were moving large piles of wooden planks and sorting them into small, medium and large. They quickly got a system in place and GoodGym efficiency won again. On our way back to base, we did a quick meet and retreat fitness round Myatts Fields park. And then it was time to head home and warm up.

Good work everyone! - Nicky

The rest of us headed had a longer run to flyer for Brixton People’s Kitchen, actually nearer Vauxhall...

By day, it’s a cafe serving good value grub to locals. By night, it provides cooking workshops using food from supermarkets that would otherwise go to waste!

We split into 3 groups to cover 3 separate areas in the immediate vicinity. Unfortunately we couldn't get into the upper flat block levels... but hopefully those on the ground floor will spread the word to their neighbours! After a solid 20 minutes avoiding finger-biting dogs, we took a few beautiful posed photos and headed back.

Oh and there was even a lovely lit up heart. GoodGym's theme for the month is #GiveItHeart so that was nice :)

Cracking running guys!

And nice one Clem and Michael for joining us for your first ever GG run! 💥

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See y'all next week for another two tasks: Clearing out furniture at Brixton Rd Youth Centre and pulling up the rest of the ivy at the YELLOW QUBE. Also, it's pub week! 🍻 🍻 🍻

Lambeth brought it's A-game tonight with not one but TWO tasks completed.

We first up congratulated looooads people on fantastic Januarys, smashing the GG milestones. Massive shoutout to Nicky for picking this run as her two hundredth good deed.

And topping the GG Lambeth heroes wall for January and rightfully receiving this month's SPOTM, the untouchable Francis Collier-Wright. Some A-grade hand cream, biscuits, sports bar and even a champions plaque, which I'm sure will go atop her mantlepiece.

We also welcomed some new runners to the gang. Tom, Jamie and Martin, you are so welcome!

We then had a super quick warm up, split into two groups and got going.

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Nicky lead most of the group, truly earning that 200th deed. Here's what she had to say:

A brilliant team of GoodGymmers headed up the hill to a brand new task at the Yellow Qube. We met Mel and had a brief interlude in the warmth whilst she told us about this brilliant community space and what they needed us to do tonight. Our task was to clear up the space below the walkway. Our first hurdle was a literal one - jumping the fence. Everyone managed this with aplomb and displayed a variety of styles/techniques and different degrees of gracefulness. Once over the fence, we got to work clearing up rubbish and pesky ivy. Mel was very happy and after a quick group snap, we headed back down the hill for some stretching at base camp (aka Papa's).

POW

The rest of us hung around at Papa's to do a bunch of jobs around the cafe. First up, we needed some warming up. Obviously a game of tag was just what the doctor ordered. Then we got cracking:

🎨Painting a wall white, to brighten it up, after spending about 10 minutes trying to open up the paint...

🔩Removing the weird notice boards - hunting down the screws and trying not to pull down the fence...

🌱Pulling up the weeds/knowing which ones are the weeds...

We threw in a few some chilled circuits to warm up halfway through and were even treated to hot chocolate and marshmellows from Valcie from PAPA's cafe.

YUM 👅

Nice one everyone! Next week we're back at Jubilee Primary School - sign up here!

32 brilliant GoodGymmers arrived for our final GoodGym Lambeth group run of the decade!

We started by welcoming some lovely new runners - Lois, Katy, Jack, Sukhi and Ash.

We heard about what's coming up in the world of GoodGym (and beyond):

• Lots of community missions, including the chance to win a GoodGym jumper and a virtual badge (ooooh!).

• Dulwich parkrun and breakfast on Saturday 18th January 2020, as part of our monthly GoodGym Lambeth parkrun socials.

• Cross-country on Saturday 11th January 2020 at Wormwood Scrubs. Always fun, sometimes (aka mostly) muddy.

• Christmas and New Year parkruns - Many areas have extra parkruns on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Just make sure you check the start time for your area.

After a quick warm-up led by George, we split into two groups:

George and Alfie led a group to Jubilee Primary School to help them with a project to connect the children with nature. Here's what leader George had to say:

"Well, we moved quite a few bags of garden waste from the garden to the car park, and a significant quantity of stone from the car park into a wooded glade (and build the worst dry stone wall). There was lots of wheelbarrow action, and a fair amount of standing around contemplating how to move a massive boulder."

GOOD WORK TEAM.

The rest of us went to Charleston House, a supported accommodation complex in Clapham. We'd been warned that a lot of the residents had gone out for the evening but fortunately, there were still four lovely gentlemen there who were very up for board games and chat. We split again so that half the group did some (actually quite intense, sorry/not sorry everyone...) festive fitness (aka The 12 squats of Christmas) while the other half chatted to the residents. Popular subjects included favourite types of champagne and what's on TV. And then we swapped so everyone got some good and some gym.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the base for some final stretches and then to the pub for the GoodGym Lambeth Christmas Social. We enjoyed an epic quiz courtesy of Steve and George, complete with a tad of controversy (what actually is the most common tree in London?!). We were then graced with a poem by our gracious leader Mark, with an added impersonation by Steve that was just sadly missing the hat.

No GG Lambeth Christmas Party would be complete without SPOTY (S*** Prize of the Year). This year, four excellent GoodGymmers were rewarded for their efforts to both the good and the gym:

• Sam has run a brilliant 1427.90km this year (over 100k every single month), as well as doing 60 good deeds this year and maintaining a 33-month group run streak.
• Michael has run an incredible 2434.64km this year (over 200k each month!), including running his first marathon in Liverpool in May and also racking up a 33-month group run streak (coincidence?!), bringing his total number of good deeds to 113!
• Charlotte has done a fantastic 69 good deeds this year, keeping her streaks at 13 months for both group runs and missions. She's also started coach running this year and is already on an 8-month coach running streak.
• Tim has done an epic 74 good deeds in 2019, maintaining a 15-month mission streak and a 30-month group run streak. He also draws the most incredible cartoons that are greatly enjoyed across the GoodGym community. What a talented chap.

SUPERB STUFF TEAM LAMBETH. What a year it's been - from being crowned GoodGym Olympic champions to welcoming a new trainer and many new additions to task force and GoodGym Lambeth to the huge amount of good we all do across Lambeth every week. I'll leave you with Mark's poem to summarise, and to say

See you next decade. Oh, and Merry Christmas!!!

As we come to the end of 2019,

Feel the bond we've shared as a unified team,

So many new faces and people of old,

Coming together within a shared goal.

From Liverpool and racing some bloody big horses,

To Katie departing and tasty kebab courses,

For every deed done and Olympics won,

Lambeth, I love you. Merry Christmas, have fun.

(Gilyead, 2019)