WOW what a mission!

We might have slightly over run but it was totally worth it to see the job done. 10 tons of crushed concrete shovelled into bags and carried up four flights of stairs.

Well deserved ice cream treat at the end thanks to the Southbank centre made it even more worth it.

Over the last couple of months Good Gym have been supporting Grounded Ecotherapy volunteers to get the garden ready to reopen after 20 months of closure. The work has really paid off and the garden opens next week and is looking stunning!

Huge thank you everyone for making it happen.

What a better way than to spend a sunny afternoon than on the roof top of the South Bank Center over looking the Thames. We moved a huge amount of logs ready to be taken out of the garden to get it safe for opening again next month.

We’re back here on Saturday to lay the new lawn!

37 Goodgymers ran 7km and helped Grounded Ecotherapy at the Southbank Centre

Spring has sprung and last night was set to be a task to remember, our second visit to the Southbank Centre this month!

Welcome along to newbies Simeon and Alysson - lovely to have you along.

In the news this week:

1. Next Wednesday we are meeting at the Somers Town Coffee House instead of the Living Centre as it's closed for Easter.
2. The date for the GoodGym Olympics has been announced - 30th June. Camden won last year and we'll be looking to retain the trophy - get signed up!
3. Don't forget we are having our 5th birthday party at Skip Garden on 12th April - pizza, bake off and BYOB. Sign up ASAP please :)

Onto to what we actually did last night, after a quick warm up we headed south - through Russell Square, Holborn, passed Somerset House and across Waterloo Bridge to the Southbank Centre. The Thames looked beautiful as the sun was setting over it.

We were helping the fantastic charity Grounded Ecotherapy who say this about themselves: We offer recovery for people and places. We create thriving green spaces from neglected urban environments. Our members have extensive knowledge and skills in horticulture. Joining Grounded Ecotherapy helps members who have suffered mental health, substance misuse issues or experience of homelessness, to get back on their feet.

Once we'd all arrived, we climbed the yellow stairs of the Southbank Centre and got the task going, splitting into groups we covered the following:

• Moved a big and small spikey ball!
• We laid top soil over the ground where turf will be rolled out later this week.
• A team of four raked the laid out soil - smoothing it over
• Pickers collected up rocks, sticks and debris from the laid soil.
• Over the other side of the rooftop a team laid a base of pebbles and covering in some planters before filling them with soil

Tough Mudder

As the sun set our paced quickened and we got tons done. Finishing off with a rush to fill the planters all hands were on it!

After a group picture and a thanks to the Grounded Ecotherapy team we headed into the night back home. Check out Grounded's thank you message for last night's work to us here

Sign up for next week here when we'll be off to help Scope Charity Shop in Camden for a NEW TASK!

PB out.

A massive 54 people ran 8km and shifted 16 tonnes of crushed concrete for Grounded Ecotherapy at Southbank!

Wow that was amazing! What a night! Welcome to newbies Ludovica, Becca and Jane - what a night to come for your first time!

In the news this week:

1. Well done to everyone who ran, raced and cheered the Big Half on Sunday - GoodGym even made the official video!
2. It's the GG Monthly Drinks at the Greenwich Tavern TODAY, come along for puns, fun and Pritesh shouting haha!

It was a cracking evening to be a GoodGymer as 54 of us descended upon the Thames for our annual trip to help Grounded Ecotherapy at the Southbank Centre and escape Camden, through Westminster and into Lambeth - hehe. The lights of the river and central was beautiful - a rare sight seeing so many red shirts bouncing over Waterloo Bridge.

16 tonnes!

Grounded Ecotherapy is an amazing organisation, and they are one of London's most unique horticultural therapy projects - they help their members who have suffered mental health, substance misuse issues or experience of homelessness, to get back on their feet.

Our task for the evening was to shift 16 tonnes of crushed concrete into the Queen Elizabeth Hall to help create a a newly commissioned Atrium in the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Getting into pairs, we shovelled 6 spades worth of concrete into each bag and followed a route set by the wonderful Paul (bigger beard) before emptying the contents into a pile that will be spread to create the piece opening at the end of March.

50 minutes x 54 GGers = day's worth of work!

It took 50 minutes and 54 GG Camden runners but we got the job done. It was hard, it was physical but man you guys did well. It was pretty non-stop with lots of pulling, lifting and emptying.

Upon hearing all the amazing work Grounded are doing at Southbank we headed home for a well earnt stretch and pint.

Well done everyone - what a night!

Next week we have 3 tasks helping 4 charities in CAMDEN - sign up here.

PB out.