With Saturday's fête fast approaching, three GoodGymers joined forces with a group of dedicated church volunteers to help spruce up the grounds of Emmanuel Church.

The weather wasn't quite as kind as the forecast had suggested. What was supposed to be a light drizzle turned into something a little more persistent, but that didn't stop anyone getting stuck in. Armed with brooms, rakes and plenty of determination, we set about sweeping leaves and tidying the churchyard to make sure it was looking its best for the weekend's visitors.

Working alongside friends of the church, we cleared paths, gathered piles of fallen leaves and generally gave the outdoor spaces a much-needed autumn refresh. Despite the damp conditions, spirits stayed high and it was great to see everyone pitching in to help prepare for an important community event.

As with many successful GoodGym tasks, there was a reward waiting at the end. Once the work was done, we were welcomed inside for a generous spread of sandwiches, providing the perfect opportunity to warm up, chat and admire the results of our efforts.

A huge thank you to everyone who braved the rain to help out. Here's hoping the churchyard stays looking tidy and the fête enjoys much drier weather than we did! 🍂🥪☔

Four happy Goodgymmers (Anh, Ros, Sarah and Xiaoru) attended our monthly task at the Walthamstow Toy Library, and this month the time had come to clean and organise the toy store. Many hands made light work, and much hoovering, cobweb busting, toy cleaning and furniture rearranging was done. Toys were sorted, and some of the very generous excess toy donations received were set aside for a forthcoming toy sale to raise funds for the Library. The Toy Library, as always, continues to do wonderful work for our community, providing a wealth of resources for local families, far beyond the rental of toys and games. Toy Library CEO Helen was, as ever, very happy to have our help. A big shoutout to Anh and Xiaoru who were both attending their first Goodgym sessions!

Our next Toy Library mission will be on 12 November, when we'll be getting into the seasonal spirit wrapping presents for Father Christmas, whose annual visit to the Toy Library will be forthcoming. His elves are extremely busy, so it's only right that Goodgym should lend a hand. If you fancy coming along and getting an early taste of Christmas cheer, do come and join us!