A good sized group of us got stuck in at Martin Way Methodist church this evening for our weekly group session.

I’d never seen the garden, so it was a joy to see the oasis out the back of the church.

Abby told us what was what and we divided ourselves into weeding, watering, composting, pruning and moving things! A lot was achieved (including removing a whole bush!) and a lovely evening was had by all.

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!

Ahead of the glitz and glamour of the Civic Pride Awards a few of the team donned their finest t-shirt to fly the flag (or new banner in this case) on our stand at the Merton Connected Volunteer Fair.

The room was buzzing, and we spent the hour chatting with local residents, sharing our favorite stories of shifting, sorting, and planting across the borough, and explaining how our unique mix of exercise and community action works. We met some potential new members as well as organisations looking for support - so a really worthwhile session.

A massive thank you to everyone who came along to man the stand, share their passion, and represent the group so brilliantly. The future of GoodGym Merton is looking bright!

It was a full house for tonight's group session as 14 GoodGymers descended upon Little ARK to help. With a varied list of tasks including shifting furniture and folding reels of fabric, the main challenge was navigating the bags and boxes across three rooms and a hallway!

We tackled the space like true professionals, working mostly in smaller groups to ensure everything was moved safely and the fabric was folded to perfection. It was a masterclass in logistics and teamwork.

A huge welcome to our two newest members, Ahsan and Lisa - we hope to see you again soon. We were also joined by Rob, a seasoned GoodGym veteran - welcome back.

The little ARK space had been transformed. Well done, team!

Seven of us made our way to an industrial estate in Mitcham on a dark and drizzly night. As ever, it was well worth it to help out the brilliant charity Critical Support. This time some of the team were sorting crates of bread, fruit and other food, while others carried out an amazing transformation to the upstairs room, categorising clothes donations, tidying and even hoovering. James was as appreciative as always and amazed by what we'd achieved in such a short time. We look forward to returning.

We had a fantastic turnout to help clean and organise the storage area at Merton's Community Fridge for tonight's group session. After a briefing, we emptied the entire room and then split up into 3 teams; 2 groups on labelling and sorting all the food and other items and then the other team tackled the deep cleaning. Everyone got stuck in and a lot was achieved - well done team!

A big welcome to Jo and congratulations on your first GoodGym task, we hope to see you again soon.