With the core volunteer roster running dangerously low, GoodGym Merton stepped in to ensure Morden parkrun could safely go ahead, by boosting their numbers!

It was a gorgeous morning to be out in high-vis. Our pair of GG volunteers chipped in right from the start, helping with the early morning course set-up, taking on parkwalking duties, and doubling up at a key marshal spot to keep the runners cheered on and on course.

Thanks to a great team effort, everything ran like clockwork. A huge well done to the whole Morden parkrun team and everyone who took part! 👟🏃‍♂️🌳

On arrival, Ms S suggested we might be a day early and perhaps even completely different people expected too! But early or not, we weren't going to let that stop us from tackling the overgrown garden.

Armed with a strimmer and mower, we cut back the long grass, kicking up quite the dust storm from the sun-dried clumps as we worked. We raked up every last bit and gave the grapevines a little trim, finishing the full transformation just as the grey clouds rolled in overhead!

To celebrate Love Parks Week over the weekend, GoodGymmers across Merton and Kingston headed out to give our cherished local green spaces some well-deserved TLC!

Equipped with litter pickers and bin bags, we scoured local parks to ensure our community spaces remain safe, clean, and welcoming for everyone (and the local wildlife!).

What a difference 60 minutes can make with 12 GoodGymmers joining forces with dedicated local volunteers at Ridgway Community Garden!

With so many hands on deck, everyone got thoroughly stuck in from the moment we arrived, turning the space around in record time. We covered off a bunch of jobs:

• Alkanet & Weed Attack: Cleared out thick patches of stubborn alkanet and invasive weeds that had taken over the pocket park bed.

• The Wood Chip & Cardboard Combo: Shifted old wood chips, laid down cardboard barriers to suppress future growth, and topped everything up with fresh wood chips and nutrient-rich soil around the plants.

• Hydration Heroics: Gave all the newly mulched beds and plants a deep, well-deserved watering (no hosepipe allowed!) to settle them in.

It is always incredible to see the transformation possible when a group rolls up their sleeves and gets stuck in together. In just one hour, the garden was left looking tidy, revitalised, and ready to thrive for the rest of the summer.

A massive well done to everyone for bringing the energy and muscle to make light work of a big job - especially during such a warm evening!

With local residents opting out of council glyphosate spraying, keeping the pavement edges and tree pits tidy purely by hand is a big task. The GoodGym Merton team is often called upon to join a SWAT team and armed with gloves, bags and hoes we were happy to help!

What started as a simple mission to move a stack of logs at a community allotment quickly escalated into one of those productive missions where finishing the original task just opens the door to three more. Our brief was to clear a log pile so that Lisa could get to a fence, eventually to remove it and install a gate. With four GoodGymmers on the case, we made such short work of the logs that the various creepy-crawlies suddenly finding themselves exposed to daylight barely had time to lodge a complaint! With the logjam thoroughly broken, we moved on to taking down the fence itself, clearing a patch of weeds, and generally making ourselves useful around the plot.

Along the way, Lisa’s thorough plant knowledge kept us entertained and educated. Highlights included discovering that magnolia flowers are edible and that bindweed - usually the villain of the allotment world - can be woven into baskets. As if that wasn't enough, Lisa made each volunteer a personalised rustic bouquet from a wonderfully varied selection of plants growing on the site, including lavender, yarrow and rosemary. The final reward came in the form of a bumper blackberry harvest, with enough gorgeously ripe fruit to spark serious conversations about jam-making as well as bramble crumble. We left with bouquets in hand, tubs full of blackberries, and the unmistakable scent of pure summer in our nostrils. A berry successful task indeed!