With the temperatures a little kinder than last week's heatwave, we gathered in Hyde Park before setting off on our run to the Abbey Centre. The route was a familiar Westminster obstacle course of tourists, bikes and the occasional unexpected change of direction, but everyone made it safely to Smith Street.

The Abbey Centre is a real community hub in the heart of Westminster, providing activities, support and services for local people of all ages. From youth programmes and wellbeing activities to advice services and community events, it plays an important role in bringing people together and creating opportunities for local residents.

We met Brenda and Khai, and got to work in the community garden. There was no shortage of jobs to get stuck into: weeding beds, sweeping paths, shifting an impressive collection of pots to create a bit more room for the elderly users, and finishing off with a well-earned hose-down for the plants.

We identified a errant banana palm, wondering whether it would survive outdoors in London - or would it be happier inside? After some research Caitlin planted one in a nicely protected pot, so we'll be keeping a close eye on it over the coming weeks. Watch this space to see how our new plant mascot fares!

Despite wrestling with a rather leaky hose, Brenda somehow managed to give the garden a thorough soaking while avoiding soaking the other GGers. Although, after last week's weather, a surprise drenching might actually have been quite welcome!

Next Tuesday we're heading to St Andrew's Youth Club for another evening of community action. We'd love to see you there!

I couldn't help smiling when I noticed the only available asparagus at Tesco this afternoon was from Peru...bearing in mind I was shopping just a short distance away from Paddington...(the location, not the bear in this particular case). I did try and ring Mr R to check if he'd be fine with the Peruvian version, noting his prior request for only the English version, and when I got back he said that meant the spear season had ended - thankfully he was fine with the ones from darkest Peru, especially as they were still on the 3 for 2 offer.

GoodGym volunteer Brenda delivered for Mr Z by picking up some milk and really milking a moment of appreciation from him. 🍶

Ring, drop, no spilt milk, keeping it fresh , smooth and udderly on point. 🍶

A different day to usual, but the same familiar routine for Mr R, who was, as always, extremely grateful for the shopping assistance this afternoon from his local Tesco, and the fact he got a pocketful of change back too!

This mission involved helping Ms S, an elderly woman whose recent mobility difficulties and severe water retention had made everyday life at home much harder, especially with narrow stairways. She now relies on walking sticks to move around, so the aim of the task was to begin clearing and decluttering the house to help set her up safely on one level and make space for a hospital bed in part of the room.

The room was extremely cluttered, so the session involved both decluttering and dusting, with items carefully sorted into donation piles, clean clothes, dirty laundry, rubbish, paperwork, plates, belongings to be collected later by her son and daughter-in-law, and toys left behind by her grandson. As part of making space for the bed, 12 heavy boxes were also moved. It was a practical but meaningful task, helping bring some order to a room that had been understandably neglected while Ms S was managing her own health and acting as the sole carer for her husband.

It was also lovely to spend time chatting with Ms S and hearing more about her life, especially her time in fashion design. Her gratitude was clear throughout, and she kept offering kind blessings, which made the whole visit feel especially warm! 🫶🏻