A classic flat-pack mission today: helping Ms V assemble some under-bed drawers so that family are more easily able to visit her. A straightforward task on paper, though any seasoned GoodGymmer knows that furniture assembly has a habit of introducing plot twists just when you’re feeling confident.

Happily, Nick and I were spared any dramatic turns. All parts present, instructions broadly logical, and within the hour the completed drawers were sliding neatly into place under the bed without even a spare screw in sight.

Ms V’s home is no stranger to flat-pack arrivals — and as we gathered the packaging for recycling, we couldn’t help but notice there’s still space on the other side of the bed for another set of drawers. So the possibility of a further sequel remains…

For now though, mission accomplished — and a home made more welcoming.

Today GoodGym Newham were back at CleanGreen E15 - an area in Maryland that the local community are working hard to brighten up and add planting to discourage fly tipping.

After our first mission in January, clearing old soil and weeds from two of the planters and adding new compost, today we planted two cherry trees in there along several spring bulbs. We had to experiment a bit with the tent rope style system, designed to protect the new trees from strong winds, but got the hang of it in the end and even added them to a couple of the existing trees!

Thanks to everyone who came along today, shout out to Ash and Rob for their first ever GoodGym mission, hope to see you both back soon!

We’ll be back at CleanGreen in mid-March, so look out for the next listing 💪🌳

First up, a big welcome to Amy, who joined us for her first GoodGym task — great to have you along. And welcome back to Fuad for the second time in as many weeks. Brilliant to have you with us again, and great to share the task with you both.

We were back helping Care4Calais, this time at their new location just off Wick Lane. A group of four of us jogged over from the Aquatics Centre, meeting Amy at the gate to the storage building. On first impressions, this felt less like a task and more like an escape room in reverse, with a series of entry codes, room numbers to find and combination locks standing between us and the mission. Thankfully, only a small amount of wandering aimlessly was required before finding the right place, where Nick was ready and waiting for us.

Once inside, we had clear instructions: sorting baby and toddlers' clothes into age brackets. Simple, focused, we got stuck in - with the occasional query over significant differences in Australian vs UK or European sizes, whether ages were expressed in months or years, and taking delight in high-quality pieces originating in Bangladesh. Several boxes were sorted in around 40 minutes, and then we were on our way, now escaping in the correct order.

We’ll be back there again in about a month to help out some more.

What else is coming up?

This Saturday we’ve got our second visit to help Clean Green E15, revitalising some planters in Maryland. Join us there — and/or come along to parkrun first. It’s likely to be local, either Hackney Marshes or Wanstead; we’ll update the listing page once confirmed.

London Fields Junior parkrun - there are GoodGym volunteers here most Sundays and it's always great fun.

No Newham task lined up for next Tuesday, but Tower Hamlets are at Ocean Youth Connexions on Monday if you need a weekday GoodGym fix. Otherwise, we’re expecting to be back the following week (17th) at Hackney Marshes Adventure Playground. Keep an eye on the listings for updates.

See you soon 👋

A rare twist to our usual routine this week: we kicked things off at 18:30 instead of 19:00, and clearly the earlier start suited everyone because we had a brilliant turnout. Even better, we were joined by Ivo, the founder of GoodGym! Thanks for your help Ivo!

Our mission for the night was to give a tidy-up to the alleyway near Colegrave primary school. The plan was a full sweep: litter picking, weeding, and general sprucing. But in a plot twist, it turned out the council had finally swept through the area just a few days earlier (after locals had been chasing for some time!).

So instead of a major overhaul, we found ourselves polishing around the edges, tackling the bits they missed and giving the space a bit of a shine.

A huge thanks to Chris, who smashed it as a first‑time task host. He came fully prepared with gloves, tabards, litter‑pickers, and a pooper scooper — truly the mark of someone who understands the unpredictable nature of alleyway adventures. Thanks for making everything run smoothly.

A warm welcome to the new GoodGymers who joined us — great to have you with us — and well done to everyone who came along, mucked in, and made the most of a task that turned out a little different from expected.

Another good deed done, another alleyway improved, and another reminder that even when the job is smaller than planned, the company and the effort always make it worthwhile.

Last night, GoodGym Newham took on another epic task—this time at Hackney Marshes Adventure Playground, where we helped dig out soil to create an access area for some new planters (at least, we think so… it was a bit dark to be sure!).

Most of us enjoyed a scenic run up the River Lea, while Martin met us there, ready to get stuck in. As we shoveled away, we were treated to some Whitney Houston belters, which naturally led to a chat about our favourite karaoke songs.

Among the classics mentioned*:

• I Wanna Dance With Somebody
• I Believe in a Thing Called Love
• Daydream Believer
• Smooth Operator
• Wannabe
• And the intriguing choice of "Anything Instrumental"...

A huge well done to everyone who took part! Next week, we’re back at Care4Calais—see you there for another feel-good mission! 💪🔥

*With apologies if I (very likely) mis-remembered any of these - more than happy to edit in the interests of accuracy!

...or in this case our hands, but Sam and I both commented when we met outside Ms V's front door on how today's welcome appearance by the sunshine improved our moods enormously. The ever cheery Ms V was also pleased to see us when she opened the front door, and we quickly had her mattress moved from the spare room onto the bed frame as requested. Smiles all round.