As usual we started our day at Lydiard parkrun with other GoodGym friends before hot footing it over to the Swindon MS and Neuro Therapy Centre. They needed our help at their annual Handmade Christmas Fair. The aim was to raise vital funds for the roof as well as raising awareness for the centre and the therapies provided.

There was a lovely selection of stalls selling handmade crafts and cider as well as other fundraising stalls including a raffle. I’d be surprised if we didn’t win something between us given the number of tickets we bought! Helping the fundraising in more ways than one!

Our job was to greet people as they came in, collect any entrance donations, say goodbye as people left – into monsoon conditions! - and the unplanned but vital job of pressing the button to open the doors. There was a certain amount of skill involved in judging speed and distance so the button was pressed and doors opened just in time for people to reach them!

In need of refreshments, Stuart got a round of tea in. Lovely! There may also have been some post parkrun cake. Well, we had worked hard and this was even more help towards the fundraising!

After a couple of hours, with the fair wrapped up and the collection buckets a bit heavier than when we started, it was time to head home. On Tuesday 12th November, we are going back to where it all began for GoodGym Swindon. We’re returning to the location of our very first group run, the Swindon Athletics Track, to help with a painting task! We’ll be painting the cycle storage containers for them as they need freshening up. It is now dark in the evenings and while some lighting will be available thanks to the floodlights on the track, it would be great if you can still bring your head and body torches just in case! See you there, sign up here