It was a gloriously sunny afternoon when I knocked on Ms C's door. And also when I said goodbye. In between was a different story as a rain and hail storm was an unwelcome accompaniment for much of my time out in the garden. Fortunately I'd come equipped with good waterproofs and AirPods + a podcast blocked out the sound of thunder.

The back garden was quite large and very overgrown so in the time available, I was only able to do a first pass at weeding it. Nevertheless I managed to fill 12 bags, and Ms C was grateful to see some progress.

Last night at TRAID’s Hammersmith shop, we had a super productive (and slightly sweaty 😅) evening packing up after their big summer sale! There were mountains of clothes 🏔️ to get through, and we kicked off by taking all the hangers off to speed things up. Once we found our flow, we switched things up—keeping the hangers on and neatly packing everything into crates 📦. By the time the delivery team arrived, the big boxes were ready to roll. Job done! 🙌

A big warm welcome to our newbie Chau👋—you jumped straight in and smashed it! It was great having your energy on the team, and we hope to see you again soon. Speaking of which… our next mission is coming up next Thursday at the Kathy Dolan community centre 🏢. We’ll be lending a hand with cleaning and some gardening. Come along, bring your smiles, and let’s keep the good vibes rolling! 🌟

Great to always return to the food bank with a lovely energetic team and run stock in and out to customers

A garden that hadn't been maintained since 2020 sounded like a dream mission. An overgrown jungle awaited that would need to be hacked back. As it turned out, Michelle had gotten there first though, so the jungle that Kash and Sevan found had been partly tamed already.

Ms E hadn't been able to look after her garden since 2021 and still needed some GoodGym help to get the garden back to how it was when Ms E cared for it herself. There were branches growing over from a neighbour smothering her roses and the other bushes needed to be trimmed back to give the roses room to breathe. After raiding the well stocked tool shed, Kash and Sevan got chopping.

Ms E was very chatty about her situation and her life, keeping the GoodGymers entertained while they snipped away. The smell of basil filled the air from one of the bushes that they couldn't identify and it lingered throughout the mission. Half way through, it was time for a coffee break, then onto collecting the cuttings. The clean up operation took longer than cutting the branches and eventually 7 big bags were filled, including 2 extra large ones.

Ms E was impressed with the results, saying

"It's so bright now! I don't feel so hemmed in."

On a wonderfully sunny Wednesday evening, a team of Goodgymer's descended upon the enchanting Tiny Forest, ready to lend a hand. The day had started with torrential rain, but luckily, the skies cleared just in time for our session. As we began, the sun shone brightly overhead, and we were even treated to a stunning double rainbow – a perfect accompaniment to our efforts.

Our mission was to tackle the overgrown weeds that had taken over parts of the Tiny forest. The rain had made the soil softer, making it easier to remove the stubborn plants. With determination and teamwork, we made significant progress, leaving the forest looking loved and cared for.

After a productive weeding session, we got moving with a fun fitness session. We ended with a jumping lunges competition! With smiles and laughter, we wrapped up the session and made our way back to the station, feeling invigorated and fulfilled.

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us for an unforgettable evening at Tiny Forest. Your energy and enthusiasm made a real difference, and we're grateful for your time and effort.

The rain very kindly stopped as soon as I arrived at Mr R's home for my very first mission! After introductions and some chat about the "Goodgymers of Ealing" who had previously visited, I got to work. After selecting tools from a beautifully organised shed, I tentatively started with some gentle weed pulling in the patio, but Mr R's instructions to "just chop it all back" were ringing in my ears. I soon had my eye in and set to work hacking back lots of new growth, and a mighty bramble patch. Despite being a newbie gardener, I was encouraged by a robbin who decided I was good enough to follow around for worm snacks.

After 90 minutes and many trips to the compost heap I was feeling pleased with the progress, but could quite happily have ploughed on for some time. Mr R kindly showed me some photos of his garden from its glory days - magazine worthy! I cleaned the mud off my tools and toddled back out into the drizzle.