This week's Goodgym mission took us to New Malden, Raleigh House, where Petra, Jana, Isabella, and Emily got stuck into some serious garden TLC for the elderly residents who use the day centre. Armed with brushes, rakes, and plenty of enthusiasm, we swept up piles of oak leaves, weeded the patio, and tidied the flowerbeds until they were looking neat and cheerful once again. The oak tree had clearly been feeling generous with its autumn drop, but we weren’t leafing until the job was done! We also planted colourful spring bulbs- little bursts of future sunshine to brighten the residents’ outlook in the months to come. Supervising our efforts was Purdey the dog, who kept a close eye on proceedings (and may have been scouting for cake crumbs). Speaking of which, Jana’s homemade carrot cake made for a perfect halftime treat - fueling us for the final push. Two hours later, the garden was looking spick, span, and splendid- ready to bring smiles to everyone at Raleigh House. A blooming brilliant effort from the whole team!

Busy bees at The Hive

What a cracking evening at The Hive in Kingston – GoodGymmers rolled up their sleeves and got to work on a task that had graffiti, cobwebs, and plenty of rubbish to tackle.

⭐️ A big cheer for our team: Lordi, Tenko, Anna, Emma, Jana, Jonathan, and Ken (and a very warm welcome to our new GoodGymmers, Lordi and Kento – great to have you with us!).

Jonathan and Ken wasted no time taking on the toilet walls – not the most glamorous job, but definitely a satisfying one. Buckets, rollers, and brushes in hand, they soon had the graffiti-covered walls and door looking fresh and clean with a smart coat of paint.

Meanwhile, Emma, Tenko, and Lordi took to the streets for some litter-picking action. Cobwebs didn’t stand a chance either – Emma took particular delight in banishing them from the lights. Before long, the trio had filled two whole bin bags of rubbish. Gold medal standard effort!

Over by the wooden wall, Anna and Jana led the charge against some seriously stubborn graffiti tags. Armed with sprays, brushes, and plenty of elbow grease, they scrubbed and scrubbed until reinforcements arrived. Soon the whole team was joining in, proving that many hands really do make light work.

By the end, the toilet walls were painted, the tags were scrubbed away, the cobwebs were gone, and the area looked so much better.

👏 Top job, team – a real hive of activity at The Hive!

Keeping cool at KVA

Dave, Rachel, Levita and Marcos met at KVA to move a fridge up the stairs. We took a dolly to do the hard work but didn't use it in the end as there was a n awkward corner. So Dave and Marcos flexed their muscles and carried it up the stairs. Lots of encouragement from Levita, Rachel and Sanja helped of course!

We stayed to chat with Sanja and then headed back to the Hive to help with the grafitti removal.

Four GoodGymmers – Jana, Emily, Charles, and Wani – gathered today to bring some extra cheer and colour to Staywell New Malden. We were lucky to have Charles (a volunteer at Staywell) and Wani (a full-time staff member) joining in, so it really felt like a team effort with both sides working together.

Armed with a list from Clair, the manager, we set to work:

• The tall sunflowers came down to make way for fresh, bright yellow plants to welcome visitors at the entrance.
• The hanging baskets were refreshed with a splash of colour.
• The front flower beds got some TLC, including a good feed for the beautiful white rose.
• Jana tackled some bindweed along the side passage.
• Emily and Wani used their eye for colour to coordinate the planting.
• And Charles even had time to mow the lawn, leaving everything looking neat and cared for.

This was no ordinary task-it was part of the Mayor’s Community Weekend! We joined in the celebrations by putting up bunting and flags, adding a festive touch that advertised the event to passers-by. In just two hours, everything was spruced up and looking welcoming. We left the bunting and flags up for the day centre users to enjoy during the week (weather permitting-fingers crossed the wind and rain play nicely!). A wonderful way to show how teamwork really makes Staywell stay well.

Nightmare on Elm Park

Eight GoodGymers took advantage of a break in the rain to join the Friends of Elm Road Recreation Ground for a tough but rewarding task.

A thick carpet of leaves – and an even thicker layer of compacted soil lurking beneath – has built up along the fences of the children’s playground. Armed with hoes and spades, we fought our way through the matted weeds and nettle roots. Once loosened, the debris was swept, brushed, and bagged up - a lot of squatting and shovelling was needed!

Great to see the pile of filled sacks and the difference at the end. The fences were freed and more space was reclaimed for children to enjoy – without the sting of nettles. A proper transformation.

Fashion Police, Winter Coats & Animal Hats – Another Fun Hour at Growbaby!

This evening, our team of GoodGymmers got stuck into an hour of sorting, organising, and laughing at the always-busy Growbaby charity.

Rachel led the charge and even arranged a donation drop-off from her friend—brilliant teamwork! Levita and Jana channelled their inner fashion critics as they tackled a mountain of baby sleepsuits and snuggle bags. Their keen eyes helped fill three bin bags with items that didn’t make the cut. Honestly, it's always surprising (and sometimes baffling!) what people donate...

Meanwhile, Clair was a whirlwind of productivity, zipping through the stock and making sense of the ever-growing piles of clothes.

There was a moment of light relief when we unearthed some truly fierce animal headgear—cue laughter and an impromptu photo session. We also managed to squeeze in a few stories from summer travels while sorting, proving once again that a bit of chat makes the time fly.

Great work all round, and a big thanks to Rachel for organising another fab task!