Commuters, tourists, and (even) dog-walkers were all trying to get away from the rain at 6.15pm last night.

The same time as this lovely GoodGym group were trying to jump into the first splashes of Autumn!

Caitlin, Daisy, John, Steve, and I took temporary shelter under a Regent's Park tree before embarking on a steady run through the park, past the Abbey Rd zebra crossing that the tourists love, and the world's most bountiful rainbow!

Our destination was the West Hampstead Sherriff Centre — a home for community housed within a revamped church :)

Which was where we met Dan (on their first good deed — welcome!!), Imogen, Jackie, Siobhan, and Will, and we quickly grabbed pickers and bags to tackle the litter that accumulates...

...which was less than usual! Albeit 2-3 small bags of things that are better on their way to being recycled :)

Thank you, everyone! See you soon!

Before we arrived, three local members of the Kennistoun House and Willingham Close TRA were already busy working on their community garden - a green oasis tucked behind the back streets of Kentish Town

GoodGymers joined in dribs and drabs, until we'd tripled the number of people on-site! Welcome especially to Sophie, from the other side of the Borough, on her first ever good deed!

Caitlin joined us all the way from China, via a star turn on the BBC, while Alison's Dad's just been on telly in Canada! We were also joined by Imogen, sometimes known as Isobel, but only by stand-in task force members with a loose grasp of name recognition

Our task involved ripping out grass where it wasn't wanted - in the flower beds - removing weeds, and tidying the edge of the grass so it formed a nice border with the beds

After an hour's work,described as "transformative" by task owner Hilda, it only remained for us to tidy our tools and tickle a golden tummy!

Nine wonderful GoodGym folk make a difference in Camden Town!!

Tucked within Camden Town's bustle is an estate with a very special communal courtyard 👉 and this lovely group gifted 60 minutes to make this green space much healthier and nicer!

Emilie, Jackie, John, Steve, and I started out in Somers Town and we took a social conversation-filled run up and over to Camden 👉 where we met Christy (on their first good deed – a huge welcome!), Imogen, Michael, and Vic who had all made their own journeys by bike and foot :)

Welcomed by Dan, Vic, and other residents, this special team split into a bundle of good-deeding efficiency:

❤️ We targeted the raised decking 👉 pulling weeds, grabbing fallen leaves, and sweeping everything into a pristine shine!

❤️ We scraped the weed-filled gaps between the paving slabs 👉 leaving the courtyard a shining advert for block paving!

❤️ We shaped the larger bushes 👉 cutting back the dead wood, gifting freedom to the buds yet to come!

And over everything else, last night felt like a community coming together 👉 our lovely group and four local residents 👉 it was a special hour :)

Here's to next time!

7 GoodGymers visited Camden's secret community allotments for an impactful (nature-bound) workout!!!

GoodGym teamed up with the lovely folk at EarthFest for this special session.

Earthfest is London's ultimate festival of sustainability, and we spent yesterday making an active difference in one special spot of nature!

Steve, Abigail (on their first good deed – welcome!), and I met at a very wet Earthfest, and we quickly headed out into the rain for a gentle 2 mile run through Camden Town.

Arriving 30 minutes later at Adelaide Community Allotments in Primrose Hill, we met up with the lovely group of Imogen, Majid, Natalia, and Richard, and our brilliant host Jeff directed us to our task for the next hour.

The Adelaide Allotments have been serving the local community for 50 years, and they're a bountiful collection of budding plots, each growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Our mission was to empty one of Adelaide's four compost heaps, which month-by-month had been breaking down into healthy fertiliser.

Over the next 60 minutes, our active group turned a task into an efficient human chain – they paired up and rotated between shoveling, wheelbarrowing, and bagging – and all while sharing stories and connecting :)

This group of 7 made easy work of the heap, and they left over 20 bags of compost, all of which will head straight back into the allotments – sustainable recycling in action ☺️

Thank you, everyone, and here's to next time!!