We paired up to support Sustainable Merton this afternoon at the Greener Giving Pop-Up Market at Wimbledon Quarter. Tasked with a mission to direct passers by to the one day only event we were armed with leaflets and plenty of GoodGym smiles. A great way to get a few extra steps as we lured the footfall in from the outside. A simple but sometimes challenging job, but supporting a great local charity and some lovely independent stalls.

It initially looked like the wet weather had put off diners from attending FoodCycle, but slowly the room filled up and eventually 25 individuals were sitting down for dinner. In the kitchen it was organised chaos, peeling, chopping, mixing, boiling, piping and even a bit of whipping (of the egg whites, obviously) going on. Whilst we waited for the fruits of the labours in the kitchen to be delivered, out front we were serving drinks, distributing fresh produce and making the diners feel as comfortable and welcome as possible. Two hours later and it was all over, a delicious three course dinner enjoyed by all (including the volunteers), cleared up, washed up, and put away. So everyone left feeling fully satisfied.

This mission is quickly becoming a favourite, as it always offers more than just tidying up. While we were there to help with the essential heavy lifting and organisation, the session turned into a mutual exchange of skills!

We gained new knowledge about sewing and, utilising the tools at this Makers Space, and were able to level up, successfully learning how to create a French seam to repair a pair of torn lounging pants.

It's brilliant to see a @GoodGym opportunity contributing not just muscle, but also gaining new knowledge and sharing skills with the community.

Last night we tackled a mission at South Mitcham Community Association, to clear a large garden bed and prepare it for planting. With spotlights and all the right tools for the job we were in for a real treat as the rain held off and we got busy unearthing lots of weeds and roots, filling many bags, and salvaging a few potatoes! 🥔

With the bed cleared in just 30 minutes, the team took the initiative and set about tackling the rest of the garden area, then tidied up and went on our way. 

Most of us joined the group run back to base via the beautiful River Wandle. While it will undoubtedly be a stunning path in the spring and summer daylight, running it as a group at night provided an excellent fitness boost.

A big welcome to Ivo, on your first Merton task, and we hope to see you again soon. Well done team, we totally aced those spuds!

As ever, the regular volunteer day at the community garden was a hive of activity. We got stuck in loading wheelbarrows, mulching flower beds, digging over the compost and generally having a good workout in the mild weather. A mischief of mice, an armada (yes!) of newts and an inquisitive robin all livened up a very enjoyable session and meant we stayed well over the hour. We'll be back!

The team did well on another successful service! Despite a pretty uninspiring surplus of clementines, cabbages, unripe bananas, and spring onions, the kitchen magic was strong.

On the menu: miso cabbage, rice and beans with “plantain” chips, and a zesty clementine cake to round things off. All 24 guests left happy and well-fed, proof that a little creativity goes a long way!