Here to help do good for the community
0 Month Streak
1 Month Streak
Tue 8th Apr at 6:30pm
Westminster Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Talk about reasons to be cheerful! We not only had a warm spring evening and a loop around beautiful St James to enjoy pre task, but we also got to welcome Sebastian and Jesse to their first ever GoodGYm session. So great to have you join us!
And things just kept getting better. With news of a new Greenwich parkrun from Khai, a brief pause to inspect the stunning flowers at Buck Pal, and no sneak attacks from the pelicans, we arrived at St Andrews - a busy youth centre in central London which gives kids opportunities to learn all sorts of skills.
That was when the next bit of GG good fortune hit. Adrian, who manages the centre, offered us a free yoga session courtesy of the visiting teacher. We wasted no time slipping off our shoes, and slipping into a higher state of consciousness (or unconsciousness for some...)
A brief session later, fully stretched and on a higher plane, we drifted out of the class and back outside to complete our task for the evening. Our job was to give a good clean to the transport buses which the kids use to get to various activities. Gloves on, dusters out, we got cracking.
Not long after, buses newly sparkling, we thought we might be done for the evening. And that's where our last bit of good fortune struck - the chance for double the good deeds! Turns out the centre had loads of fresh food donated, but as it was half term and the kids weren't there, it wasn't going to be used. So, a quick call to the amazing charity Under One Sky who were handing out food to rough sleepers, followed by a shared live location, and we were hot on the trail of the team handing out food. It wasn't long before we found them and handed over the goods.
The last little lucky moment of the night was just at the end of the task when we we were standing on the busy streets of Westminster and we heard somebody say 'excuse me, are you GoodGym?'. Why, yes we are! Hello to Gill from GG Luton who had come up to London for the evening.
So there you have it, a night of good fortune, good fun and doing good. Next week we'll have more of the same please! We'll be meeting up once again with Under One Sky to pick up surplus food to be handed out - see you there!
Tue 8th Apr at 6:30pm
Do good for this community space - and get a workout thrown in too!
Read moreSat 5th Apr at 9:45am
Southwark Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
What a glorious day for a run! The sun was out, the birds were singing, and it seemed like everyone’s mood was lifted. With a spring in our step, we were eager to get started. There was much chatter about Friday night's Festival of Running, when Battersea park will be alive with colourful lights and energetic runners. If you haven’t heard of it yet, be sure to check it out! It's a fun mix of light running and vibes and ggers even get free entry when they sign up to help out - more about that later.
Unfortunately our planned task got cancelled last minute. No problem though, we were not going to let all that positive GoodGym energy go to waste! We quickly pivoted, and instead of refilling planters we started last session, we were to go the Ecogarden to give the whole place a good clean up. The idea is that this urban space is being converted to increase biodiversity and to create more places of well being in the city. So its no good having loads of trash strewn around among dirty benches. Enter Goodgym!
A big shout-out to Sevgi who joined us for her very first GoodGym session today. Welcome to the crew! We hope you enjoyed it and will be back for many more fun-filled missions. Also, huge kudos to Richard, who's just about to hit his 50th Good Deed! Richard has been doing so much good, net time you see him he'll be in a black GG tshirt, so give him a cheer! A special shout out goes to Anna for back-marking today, making sure we all I kept everyone going and no one got left behind in a busy tourist area.
Today's task involved heading over to the Grounded Eco Garden, a place we've helped out at before. For those who haven’t been before, it's a community garden focusing on eco-friendly practices, and it's the perfect spot to get your hands dirty and make a positive impact on the environment. We’d been there before, helping get it ready for the community, and today was all about cleaning up the surrounding area.
With the magnificent Tower Bridge as our backdrop, we met up with Alicia and got to work collecting rubbish. At first glance there wasn't loads, but when we really started to look we found an impressive haul, including a surprising number of bottles cig butts (which take 60 years to biodegrade!), and, most curiously, an old car key. If anyone has lost a car key lately... well, now you know where it went!
As we ran, we discussed all sorts of random facts inspired by our surroundings. Did you know that every Wetherspoons pub has its own unique carpet pattern? Yup, it's true! And apparently, there are over 900 Wetherspoons pubs across the UK, each with its own distinctly designed carpet. Who knew there could be so many different patterns?
There was more chat about the Friday Night Lights Festival of Running (where GoodGym volunteers get free entry!) - here’s the link for more info on how to get involved - there's a morning and an afternoon session to join in with. It's a great opportunity to get your run in while enjoying festival vibes.
Lastly, don’t forget about our Monday run in Wandsworth, which will feature our monthly pub quiz after the run. All are welcome, whether you're a regular or a newbie! It's always a blast, and we can’t wait to see you there.
Thanks to everyone for being such an amazing crew today despite he last minute change, and we hope to see you out there next time for the next stage of the transformation of Tower Bridge community garden!
Sat 5th Apr at 9:45am
Be part of a massive eco-renovation project
Read moreSat 3rd Aug 2024 at 12:00pm
Southwark Report written by Sam Lefevre (he/him)
Richard and Sam met up with Simon to tackle the bindweed that had overtaken the Kitchen Garden.
The hour and a half was concentrated on the area by the fence on either side as Simon believed the mother/source was around this area. We managed to get a wheelbarrow and black bin filled with these pesky bindweed ivy.
More to do next Saturday!
Sat 3rd Aug 2024 at 12:00pm
Will allow the community garden to flourish and for local residents to enjoy the natural space and food that is grow there
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