On a bright dry, but quite cold, Sunday morning, we joined the Friends of Mile End Park’s monthly litter pick. The task formed part of the January Challenge, giving runners a great opportunity to start the year with a positive impact on their local community and environment

We arrived one by one and joined volunteers from the Friends of Mile End Park, who organise regular clean-ups to help keep the park welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Once we were all gathered by the Art Pavilion, there was a brief introduction and safety briefing from John of the Friends, we were equipped with litter pickers, gloves, and bags before heading to our allotted areas of the park

Working together, the team collected a wide range of litter, including food packaging, cans, bottles, and general waste that had built up over the winter months. Despite the chilly conditions, spirits were high thanks to good teamwork and plenty of conversation. The park is known for great potted woodpeckers, parakeets, robins, pairs of blue tits and water fowl, as well as snowdrops

Joining this task as part of the January Challenge was a brilliant reminder of what GoodGym is all about: combining physical activity with practical help for local communities. After an hour and half, many bags of rubbish had been filled, leaving the park cleaner and more pleasant for residents, visitors, and wildlife alike

It only remained to squeeze ourselves into the Coffee Room (actually bigger inside than out) for a deserved hot coffee and cake