A very pleasant Saturday morning saw 6 GGers make their way to the Ham Lands for our monthly mission helping to preserve the natural habitat for all the good plant life and beasties that live there.

We were back in the same spot as last month, working to clear the undergrowth and overgrown areas and tackling the many troublesome roots which were riddled through the soil.

We set to work with choppers and loppers and picks and mattocks. The sun started to shine and we were visited by some very friendly dogs, including Pickle who won everyone’s hearts as she wanted to play ball with us all.

After some hard, satisfying work we finally downed tools and went for a coffee (and some treats) at the Swiss Bakery 🙂

Next time at the Ham Lands will be Saturday 8th November: sign up here https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/helping-the-happy-ham-landers-5177c674-7330-4205-9be1-1294fa928609

A long-awaited return to Heatham House this evening, a vibrant youth club in Twickenham. This evening they wanted help moving large panels of plywood that had been used in the skate park but have now gone rotten. The group worked hard to handle them and get them into the massive skip container, using every muscle to carry, lift and shift!

My first mission took me the other side of Richmond to Barnes and the lovely Ms J.

Ms J started by proudly showing me the brilliant work she had already done with fellow Goodgymer Alan a couple of weeks ago, and how much she had valued his time getting her comfortable getting out in the garden. But her overgrown garden was continuing to cause her some anxiety.

We ended up doing some weeding down the side, including a big budlia that had snuck under the fence from next door, mixing some compost that had been sitting around and causing Ms J stress, and repotting and tidying up the pots that Ms J wanted to get back into taking care of. This included creating a herb pot of parsley, mint and oregano that were scattered in different areas, and repotting some fruit trees that Ms J had planted herself from seed a couple of years ago.

Ms J was really happy to have the compost mixed and ready to use, and enjoyed the worms and wildlife she was encouraging in her garden.

What a happy afternoon running around East Twickenham and St Margaret's to solve the clues and track down amazing treasure hunt creators Susannah, Beth and Monika!

Congratulations to winning team Anita, Adam and John who even put in a sprint finish, despite the lack of anyone else even being near the finish line! And a special mention to Rowan who joined in for the first time at GoodGym, right in at the deep end!

Thank you so much Monika, Suze and Beth, what a wonderful way to wrap up a summer of doing good in Richmond ❤️

On a blustery Saturday morning, one GoodGymer set out to promote Richmond CVS’s upcoming trustee recruitment event for local charities in the borough.

Armed with a stack full of trust-worthy leaflets, Adam went from door to door to raise awareness, the event takes place on Wednesday 15th October between 5-8pm for those of a trust-worthy nature.

https://www.rhacc.ac.uk/events/richmond-cvs-trustee-recruitment-evening

The Three Pigeons Plot in Buccleuch Gardens, Richmond got an extra pigeon. And a cockerel.