When we arrived at Holy Trinity Lamorbey Primary School, Jane, the vice principal, had two fun challenges waiting for us in the school hall.

Johnny, Alice and Martin got stuck into some serious recycling activity. They carefully removed the legs from a collection of old blue plastic chairs and then screwed the seats onto reclaimed pallets, transforming the unlikely collection of materials into colourful little ‘buses’ for the children to enjoy in the playground. Who knew old chairs and pallets could have such an exciting second life?

Meanwhile, Sarah and Lisa took on a completely different task: assembling a flat-pack canopy to shelter the entrance to the school’s reception area. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, not quite! The instructions were less than helpful, and at several points we decided that what we really needed was an octopus with at least eight arms to hold all the various bits and pieces in place while we tried to screw everything together!

Despite the questionable instructions and our distinct lack of tentacles, the time absolutely flew by. Before we knew it, both jobs were done and it was time to take a couple of team photos to show off the fruits of our labour.

We never quite know what Jane has up her sleeve for our monthly visits — a spot of DIY, a creative challenge, or perhaps another job that requires more arms than we have! Why not come along next time and join the fun? Who knows what will be waiting for us when we arrive!

Using a work volunteering day, I joined regular GoodGym volunteers Caroline and Simon for a morning helping at the Community Hospice shop and warehouse in Welling.

As a first-timer, I was welcomed by Andrew, the warehouse manager, who gave me a tour and explained how the sorting process works. Donations are checked and separated into different categories including men's, women's and children's clothing, bric-a-brac and textiles. We also learned how to identify items suitable for sale and which should go into the "rags" collection, where they can still be put to good use.

Thankfully Caroline and Simon already knew exactly what they were doing, so I was able to learn the ropes quickly and get stuck in. Together we worked our way through a full cage of donations before moving on to help with some more.

It was great to see the generosity of local people, with plenty of good quality items coming through the warehouse. There always seemed to be another bag waiting to be opened, and you never quite knew what you were going to find next.

One of the highlights was discovering a set of four donated teddy bears, who kindly joined us for a team photo, along with a few interesting clothing choices that gave us a laugh while we worked.

A big thank you to Andrew and the hospice team for making me feel so welcome. It was a really enjoyable way to spend a volunteering day and a reminder of how much work goes on behind the scenes to help raise funds for such an important local charity.

Another Saturday, and another volunteering credit for Peter who is GoodGym Bexley's regular hi-vis hero at Avery Hill parkrun.

Well done Peter for being so generous with your time in our community.

A rewarding morning volunteering at Crossness Pumping Station, polishing brass, dusting the magnificent ironwork and sweeping the floors of the historic engine room.

We learnt more about the fascinating history of London’s sewers from our volunteer leader, Tom, who brought the story of this remarkable Victorian engineering achievement to life.

After all our hard work, we were very well looked after with hot drinks and biscuits — a lovely way to round off the session!

It was great to have Shirley with us - we hope you enjoyed your first GoodGym good deed!

We'll be back at Crossness Pumping Station next month. Why not join us?

Sunday morning, regular as clockwork, you'll find Peter on timekeeper duties at Eltham junior parkrun.

Recording the finishing time of every single young runner and walker as they cross the line, he's a vital part of the volunteering team that makes parkrun tick.

Peter's clocked up loads of parkrun and GoodGym credits over the years - his dedication is second to none.

But you don't have to be an experienced hand to help out at parkrun, Perhaps now's the time for you to give it a try!

The GoodGym team joined the Friends of Danson Park today for a rewarding session of litter picking, shrubbery trimming and woodchip transporting. 💪🌳

Ten journeys from one end of the park to the other gave everyone a great workout while helping to renew the path at the entrance of the Woodland Walk.

Afterwards, we headed to The Stables which kindly provided teas and coffees, while we chatted with the other friendly volunteers.

A fantastic team effort for the local community and nature! 🌿👏

Next month's session in the park will be tree planting as part of National Tree Week. Hope to see you there!