We were lucky with the weather today as the temperature improved and the rain stopped ahead of the start of the group run and task at Jubilee Square. In arrival we met with Danni and we're briefed on 3 new jobs as the mulch hadn't arrived.

Luke and Petra started on the bunting and signage, Megan and Ben got busy with the trellis construction, and Jade and Marcos took to the litter picking and general tidy up of the beds like pros.

The remainder of the team arrived to help and we were soon done, proving that many hands make light work.

With time for a quick workout session including a few star jumps and we were packed up and on our way before the cold could get us.

Some of the team will be back to help with the mulch when it arrives. Thanks to Danni for having us

On a crisp autumn morning, Jane, Helen, Petra, Jana, and Jana’s dad took on the daunting task of clearing the day centre terrace of its leafy blanket. The mission was made especially tricky as we discovered there wasn’t a broom or rake in sight. Armed only with bare hands, we dove in with determination and a good dose of humour.

Before long, our efforts were rewarded, and we cheered as two wheelie bins and three bin bags overflowed with evidence of our hard work. A well-earned tea break followed, where Petra and Jana’s dad kept us entertained with nostalgic stories of growing up in the Czech Republic. The camaraderie made the chilly task feel warm and lively.

However, just as we toasted our progress, a playful gust of wind arrived, scattering a fresh wave of leaves onto the terrace. Undeterred, the team switched gears and began tackling weeds lurking between the paving stones.

One final sweep (by hand, of course!), and we declared victory over the terrace. Huge thanks to the team for their energy, laughter, and hard work. Great job, everyone—until the next round of leaves falls!

Tonight's task was split in two - One team at the Canbury Gardens Community Garden and the other at Kingston GoodGym's plot just a couple of hundred metres away.

Claire, Julie, Marcos and Tom headed to our GoodGym flower bed where we found a big mound of woodchip waiting for us. After clearing away a few pesky weeds that had come up since our last visit, we spread bucketfuls of woodchip around the plants to keep them warm and cosy over winter. We even had some time left over to clear up the surrounding weeds. We left the bed looking lovely and tidy with lots the flowering plants still looking very colourful.

Meanwhile, Luke, Jane, Rachel, Helen & Dave cracked on helping the ever-lovely Marilyn with the Canbury Community Garden. The compost needed turning and a huge pile of vines and plant waste had to be chopped before making it viable for the compost heap. As always, many hands made light work with this task and we were on to the next - pruning some of the larger weeds around the area. It was during this task that we randomly found a massive bag of seafood mix - scallops, fish, octopus, shrimps... One packet, 'sole'ly on it's own - we were all shell-shocked! I'm clamming up about how good these puns are.

A HUGE congrats to Tom on achieving 100 good deeds. You ran with the cape and crown like a champ! King for the day :)

Today a litter pick happened, and weeds were cleaned and put on the compost bins ready to go back onto the earth to enrich it at a later date.

What an amazing night spent at Kingston Borough Sports Awards ceremony. We were very humbled being in the presence of such rising and established talent across Kingston Borough. GoodGym Kingston won an award for Volunteer Team 2024 and it was great to take stock of the last year.

This year we have, as a group, done 890 good deeds so far - what an amazing achievement and one we should all be proud of - whether it's one a year or one a week. We are all part of the same team and have impacted so many local charities and community groups in a positive way.

So thank you, Goodgym Kingston and let's see what the next year brings us.

Brought and dropped for food bank