A good sized group of us were put to work picking up all the rubbish dropped by visitors around the perimeter of Deen City Farm. We split up into groups for maximum coverage and over the hour managed to pretty much fill our bin bags. Well done one and all!

With the new school year just around the corner, we were called in for an urgent collaborative mission to support a Wandsworth Council initiative alongside Donate to Educate and The Scrubbery - with Dons Local Action Group stepping in to drive the garments over to Merton.

A massive haul of surplus school uniforms acquired from supermarkets was due for delivery, so our mission was all about pure organisation: counting, sorting, and carefully packing ready-to-collect bundles into cages.

Working batch by batch through piles of trousers and shirts, our energy was uniformly utilised from start to finish!

It was a brilliant effort that will make a huge difference to local children stepping back into the classroom across Merton, Wandsworth, and Southwark. A huge well done to the team for making the trip slightly outside our usual Merton and Kingston boundaries - the extra hands and longer session were greatly appreciated!

It was a welcome treat to return to Ms S’s garden in the warm summer sunshine after a previous frosty winter visit!

Despite running solo today and being a pair of hands short, the mission was a complete success. The overgrown weeds werecleared, and both the roses and jasmine got some much-needed care and attention. Another green space left neat, tidy, and looking better.

Forget the classic jazz song "What a difference a DAY made" - our 16 strong team of Goodgymers did the same in just 1 HOUR!

I can only imagine the startled look on the faces of Mitcham's Citizens Advice Bureau employees as they return to work in the morning to find their garden has been transformed from near jungle to a beautiful clean and tidy oasis in which they can enjoy their lunch breaks.

Everyone got stuck in from the word go and the result was plain to see. We also tackled the front clearing weeds, litter and sweeping leaves.

A huge welcome to Sophie and Laura - congratulations on your first GoodGym session, hopefully see you again soon!

Next week we are at Martin Way Methodist church community garden and it's likely there will be some outdoor jobs 😉. There's also a group run beforehand so sign up here if you are joining us.

With our usual task leader Jo away this week, three GoodGymmers stepped up to help the Friends of John Innes Park with some critical watering. The ongoing heatwave has been hard on the gardens, and with a new hosepipe ban in force, there was no choice but to do it the old-fashioned way!

Armed with nothing but watering cans, we set about watering the key plants and trees (and discovered geraniums are amazingly hardy, even in drought). The GoodGym team also filled and refilled the park's 150L bowser numerous times, towing it to the watering can brigade as a mobile tap.

So no Jo, but we moved plenty of H2O and made sure the park can continue to grow!

Whether lured by the promise of our monthly social or simply powered by pure dedication, we had a fantastic turnout for our group session at Raynes Park Station tonight!

After the team gathered ready for action, a trio peeled off to support the Merton Garden Streets team with some nearby weeding. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew split into two squads to tackle the station grounds.

We got plenty done across three main tasks:

• Watering: Kept the embankment hydrated using a smooth relay system of metal trolleys, heavy buckets, and watering cans.

• Pruning: Wielded secateurs to chop back thick brambles poking through the fence and encroaching on the pathway.

• Weeding: Cleared growth along the pavement to help support the local opt-out-of-spraying (chemical-free) initiative.

The visual difference was huge, but the best part was the immediate community feedback. We received non-stop thanks from passers-by, including a mobility scooter user who pointed out where the brambles used to catch on people, and was thrilled to navigate a wide, clear path again.

With the area looking pristine and the tasks ticked off, we wrapped up and headed straight to the pub for our monthly social to celebrate another job complete and a couple of birthdays - well done team!