What a night! A proud contingent of Merton GoodGymmers swapped their running shoes for their smartest trousers and skirts or dresses suitable for wearing under - whilst keeping their iconic red t-shirts front and centre, of course - to attend the glitzy Merton Civic Pride Awards.

As the awards ceremony continued post food, the suspense was building. When the Volunteer Team of the Year category came and went without our name being called, we collectively thought, "Ah well, we tried our best!" and prepared to just enjoy the rest of the evening cheering on other local heroes.

But Merton Connected had a brilliant surprise in store for us. As the the Health & Wellbeing Team of the Year category was announced... and GoodGym Merton scooped the Bronze Award!

We were absolutely over the moon. The award was presented to us by the Mayor of Merton, capping off an unforgettable evening. It is a fantastic recognition of all the miles run, the social visits made, and the community projects tackled to help boost the physical and mental wellbeing of residents across the borough.

Hopefully many more of the Merton residents have now heard of GoodGym in Merton which will only help us continue moving and thriving across the borough.

A massive congratulations to every single GoodGym volunteer - this award belongs to all of you. Keep shining, keep doing good, and let’s keep promoting wellbeing across Merton!

Rain was forecast for our group session at Beverley Park but luckily the deluge held off until just after we'd finished. The roses are looking blooming gorgeous at the moment but the beds needed some GoodGym muscle to help dig out the prickly thistles and clear the weeds that seem to spread like triffids. The team got stuck in and did an amazing job with no thorn-related injuries this time. It was great to welcome Catherine to her first session with us and to celebrate Ben reaching his 10th task. Go Ben 10, it's hero time!

I had the delightful opportunity to lend a hand to Friends of Morley Park. I had never been to Morley Park, so it was a joy to discover another green space in Merton. My jobs consisted of bagging up gravel in an area that is hopefully going to be able to be planted in soon, cutting back stinging nettles under benches (to avoid sore bottoms!) and plucking weeds from the grass. I hope to be back soon