Tonight’s Masbro volunteering task turned into a full-on shelving showdown 😂 We had 2 shelving units to build and decided the only fair way was to compete.

Team 1: Cheski + Lillie Team 2: Matthew + Maria

Matthew and Maria came in hot with a mallet ready to go — serious head start energy. Team Cheski/Lillie had to go hunting for a hammer first, but once we were set up we were a dream team. Laid out all the pieces, followed the questionable instructions, and clicked everything together piece by piece 🛠️

Meanwhile Matthew + Maria were stuck on step 1. We offered help... they declined. Classic. Turns out the piece was upside down 👀

Lillie and I were flying and nearly done, just the wooden shelves left. Then we made our fatal mistake: we got distracted talking about weddings 💍 And that’s when Matthew and Maria steamed ahead. There was even some sneaky shelf-stealing tactics involved.

It came down to a last-minute race to get the tops on... and surprise, surprise, Matthew and Maria beat us!

Well done to all 4 flat-pack champions. Masbro has 2 brand new shelves and we have a new rivalry 🏆

What do you get when you mix 32°C heat ☀️, Google Maps having an absolute mare 🤦, a community garden, cake 🍰 and a brilliant bunch of GoodGymers? Last night's adventure, of course!

We met outside Shepherd's Bush Station before setting off into the evening sunshine. On the way we spotted Maria, who thankfully recognised us as the red-shirted crew just as we were setting off. Good job she did, because what happened next was... less "elite navigation" and more "mystery tour of Hammersmith."

Google Maps completely lost the plot. I had a go. Matthew had a go. Google continued to insist we were apparently somewhere else entirely. In the end, Maria took charge and heroically guided us safely to the task. We officially nominate her as GoodGym's new Head of Navigation- ¡Muchas gracias, María! 🧭👏

When we arrived, Beverly was there to welcome us and point us in the right direction, where Lillie, joining her very first GoodGym session 🎉, and Jalal had already got stuck into transforming the community garden. A huge welcome to Lillie—we hope this is the first of many good deeds in red! ❤️

This lovely shared green space is enjoyed by local residents, so we wasted no time getting to work. Leaves were raked, weeds were pulled, bags were filled, and before long the garden was looking fresh, tidy and ready for everyone to enjoy again. 🌱🍂💪

Just when the heat was starting to catch up with us, local resident Linda appeared with the ultimate surprise: cake and juice! 🍰🧃 Safe to say they disappeared pretty quickly and were exactly what we needed after working in 32-degree heat. Thank you so much, Linda—you were an absolute star! ⭐

With the garden looking fantastic, we headed home... this time taking the correct route! Somehow the journey back was much smoother than the outward leg (funny that), and we made it back with no unexpected sightseeing required.

Huge thanks to everyone who came along and survived the heat, the horticulture and the hilarious navigation. Another brilliant evening of doing good, getting fit and proving that sometimes the scenic route just gives you a better story to tell. ❤️🌿