We got properly stuck in at tonight’s task at The Kingston Pantry—a vital community foodbank based in Tolworth Recreation Centre.

Four of us ran there, two cycled, and others came on foot — everyone enthusiastic to be there, including first time GoodGymer Petra.

The Pantry had been restocked earlier in the day, so our usual deep clean wasn’t needed. But Susan, ever prepared, whipped out her trusty spiral notebook packed with 'one-day' tasks—the little jobs that never quite make it to the top of the to-do list… until now.

Here’s what we tackled: • Emma and Petra deep-cleaned and organised the cupboard under the sink, and gave all the food baskets a good wash. • Claire and Jacqui took on the fridges, clearing out spills (including a sticky raspberry juice situation). • Jana sorted out the vegetable racks • Dave got into the nooks and crannies, scrubbing those corners the mop usually misses. • Luke restocked and cleaned the pet food area • Rachel and Emma gave the stationery cupboard a long-overdue tidy. • Jacqui got the hoover out and • Petra followed up with a thorough mop for a gleaming finish.

Teamwork and elbow grease, and the job list was fully ticked off!

The Kingston Pantry plays a crucial role in supporting individuals and families on low incomes trying to cope in a time of rising costs. It was a pleasure to lend a hand, free up the volunteers’ time, so that those that run it can give their clients the best experience which includes a very high environmental health status.

This week’s task saw us making the most of the lighter evenings with a lovely outdoor gardening session. Some of us ran, others walked or cycled, but we all met for a productive evening in two local green spaces: Canbury Community Garden and our nearby GoodGym garden.

With a big group on hand, we got loads done. One of the main jobs was reinforcing the sides of some well-worn raised beds that were bursting with growing vegetables - Marie-Noelle and Emily took on this key task.

With water levels in the Community Garden’s rain butts already dropping, Luke, Dave, Yana, Sabir and Emma wheeled barrels over to the Thames, collecting water in buckets to fill the barrels which were then wheeled back and stored in the flower beds for future use.

Meanwhile, Ana, Emily and Jana tackled the massive compost heap, giving it a good turning over. Sabir, Yana and Dave got stuck into weeding duties.

Over at the GoodGym garden, Claire, Luke and Emma checked on this flourishing space—full of tulips, daffodils, and established shrubs—taking care of deadheading, weeding, and with Claire making plans for future planting.

This was a Workout for Nature, a physical volunteering task supporting local green spaces in celebration of Earth Day, as part of a collaboration with WWF.

Great work, team!

It was a last-minute change of plans, but that didn’t stop this dedicated GoodGym crew from getting out and spreading the word about Kingston’s newest community initiative—Park Play!

With the Albany session cancelled, we quickly regrouped and set our sights on Fairfield Recreation Ground, ready to let the locals know that Saturday mornings were about to get a whole lot more fun.

Splitting into teams, we tackled the nearby streets, armed with flyers and boundless enthusiasm. Jana, Rachel, and Raquel formed one squad, Luke, Anna, and Martel took on another route, while Dave, Emma, and Clare covered even more ground. The mission? Get those flyers through as many letterboxes as possible—without losing any fingers to enthusiastic canine guardians!

Top tip of the night? Use a wooden spoon to safely post through letterboxes. Unfortunately, we had none. So, with a mix of courage and caution, we did it the old-fashioned way.

Despite the clear skies, a sharp chill in the air had us all working at double speed. But nothing warms a GoodGym session like teamwork, good vibes, and a post-flyering trip to the pub! Drinks were raised, food was enjoyed, and plans were made for the next adventure.

Park Play is set to bring people together for fun and games every Saturday—so spread the word, and we’ll see you there!