A group of us carried on the work from last week and continued to plant the hedging whips (who knew they were called that?!) in Morden Recreation Ground. We got into a great pattern of whipping and sticking and lots were planted! Congratulations to Alex who completed her 25th GoodGym session!

Stopping by to help with the Community Fridge cleanup was the perfect post-work activity to end the day, even with a little bit of chaos in the mix. Thankfully, Ben arrived for the final half-hour to give our efforts a massive boost, leaving us completely done, dusted, and tidy before we headed on our way.

This morning the early birds hit a double effort to kickstart the day! A pre-office workout, helping to pack away the winter night shelter and then setting up the Open Table and all before 9am 💪.

It’s a rewarding transition, moving from the quiet wrap-up of the night's shelter to the bustling preparation of a welcoming community lunch. Whether it was hauling mattresses, moving chairs or shifting tables, everything was handled with ease, well done team.

Tonight’s group session at Merton’s Community Fridge proved that no two missions are ever quite the same. We were originally tasked with moving and replacing shelving, which involved shifting a large number of items from the storage area - but the task list quickly grew as we gained more sign ups!

In true GoodGym style, we took it all in our stride. While some of us handled a decanting of pet food job, others tackled the opportunity to deep-clean the elusive spaces behind the fridges. Whilst of course the shelves were built, moved and dismantled. Fortunately, Ben had a toolbox on hand to provide that extra GG magic, ensuring the new shelves were securely fixed to the wall.

It was a fantastic productive night - what an amazing team effort. A big welcome to Atif and Ben for joining your first ever Merton group session. We really hope to have you join us again soon.

The threat of rain couldn't dampen our spirits at the Small Quarter community garden in Mitcham today. What started as a grey Saturday quickly brightened up, turning our mulching mission into a surprisingly warm workout.

As we racked up the mulch deliveries we found ourselves peeling off layers of clothing after each trip. It was the perfect way to support a beautiful local space while getting a full-body workout - who needs a gym when there are piles of woodchips to move?

We finished the session with a well-covered garden, a solid Saturday sweat, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

We joined the volunteer crew at Morden Parkrun this morning to take on the most prestigious roles in the pack as Park Walker and Tail Walker.

It’s a noble task - ensuring that no matter how much the hills (or the sludge) try to slow people down, nobody finishes last alone. There’s a certain artistry to navigating a 5k course when it’s 50% mud; it’s also a little bit slow and slippery requiring tactical balancing.

Still, we got the steps in, cheered on the runners, and successfully avoided any major face-plants. The park is beautiful in the muddy sunshine, the volunteers are legends, and we gained another credit for our efforts and had a nice walk and opportunity to get to know each other a little better 😀.