With temperatures on the brink of soaring, a welcome breeze kept conditions comfortable as the GoodGym Wandsworth crew gathered for another Monday night run.

After meeting up for a warm-up, we were delighted to welcome Robyn for a very first GoodGym session. Great to have you with us, Robyn!

Before setting off, it was time for the Quiz Question of the Week: Which country holds the record for the highest peak temperature ever recorded? A tricky one this week, but the answer was Kuwait, where temperatures have reached a blistering 54°C. A bit like the Victoria line this week...

Our destination was Balham Nursery School, where a long list of jobs awaited us. This state nursery plays a vital role in providing early years education and support for local children and families, making it a fantastic community asset where we love to help out.

On arrival we found Annabel already hard at work so we followed her example and quickly split into teams.

Robyn, Chris, Hazel and Matthew rgot busy tackling the gardening and weeding. Meanwhile, Adam and Felix took on the tree trimming, with Caroline bagging up the cuttings as they worked. Over on bunting duty, Pritesh, Beth and Jack were tasked with decorating for the nursery's upcoming open day and party. Faced with a breezy evening, they came up with the ingenious solution of tying spoons to the ends of the strings to stop them flying away. So simple, so effective, soGoodGym.

It was hard work - but the result?

• Beautifully tidy gardens
• Freshly painted windows
• Cheerful bunting ready for next week's open day and celebrations
• Neatly trimmed trees creating a smart welcome outside the nursery

And then came the reward. We were introduced to the nursery's newly hatched ducklings. Tiny, fluffy, chirpy balls of yellow cuteness that had only recently entered the world. It just goes to show that no two GoodGym tasks are ever quite the same.

We've got a mission coming up this weekend in Southfields, and next Monday we'll be helping to spread the word about the Battersea Children's Centre scheme by stuffing envelopes. Hope you can make it!

Last night we were back at Balham Nursery following the amazing work the team did last Monday – and this time it was all about painting!

After a warm up and a Eurovision-themed quiz question (where the team impressively remembered all five UK Eurovision winners: Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Brotherhood of Man, Bucks Fizz and Katrina and the Waves), we headed off on our run to the nursery.

Natasha, the headteacher, was ready and waiting for us with a perfectly prepped painting area, so it was straight into action grabbing brushes and rollers. Within minutes the place was already looking brighter and fresher. A few of the team also tackled the windows, giving them a much-needed wash down and making an immediate difference.

Natasha was absolutely delighted with the transformation and told us we had saved the nursery a “small fortune” – a good reminder of the impact a Monday night GoodGym session can have.

With the painting complete and the rollers downed, we headed over to Clapham Common via the “scenic route” for fitness. And by fitness, we were staring down the barrel of a FIVE MINUTE plank challenge. Yes. Five whole minutes.

The variations included military planks, diamond planks, side planks, reverse planks, shoulder taps and plank jumps. Who knew there were so many ways to suffer in a horizontal plank position?

Very impressively everybody managed the full five minutes. What an incredible effort.

Next week we’ve got a special lunchtime Bank Holiday session helping clean up a pétanque court at Larkhall Park – come along! We'll follow with coffee/ice cream (delete as appropriate depending on bank holiday weather...) You can sign up here

The weather cheered up just in time for Goodgym Wandsworth to assemble! Brilliant to see so many friendly faces. We checked in on Eurovision plans and tested our knowledge of the most successful nations (Ireland and Sweden joint top in terms of previous wins for those who missed it).

We were off to help at a local nursery today with some fantastic jobs lined up. An empty sandpit awaited which was swiftly filled at record speed with fifty fresh bags ready for the kids to enjoy tomorrow. Elsewhere there was some energetic hosing and scrubbing from Jordan and Ali to ensure the cover looked as fresh as the pit itself. The rest of the team got stuck into freshening up some planters with cardboard bases, twigs and then compost. Bags galore and all ready for the children to do some planting.

The team were so quick that they even fitted in a quick spot of weeding out the front to finish the session. It was back to Clapham common for some exercises spelling out Balham (spot a very happy Felix doing his high knees!) and making the most of the glorious light evenings. We even spotted a pony being walked. When in Clapham! Well done all and hope to see you soon.

A big Monday night in Wandsworth after a huge weekend in London! There was still a buzz in the air after incredible atmosphere at the London Marathon on Sunday—crowds out in force, sunshine, four world records and thousands of inspiring performances. If it got you thinking 'maybe next year', why not go for it? You can enter the ballot here: https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/ballot

Massive congratulations to GG OG Jack who smashed it on Sunday—what a legend 💥

*Mission alert *

We’re looking for a helping hand tonight to transport food from Streatham Hill to Clapham Common. If you’re around and can lend your legs (or wheels), we’d love your help! Sign up here

*Last night’s run *

We headed down to the Scout Hall in Battersea to get stuck into a pre-election spruce-up. With voting day around the corner, the place needed to be looking its best—and we delivered.

Jobs included:

• Mopping floors
• Hoovering throughout
• Deep-cleaning the kitchens
• Wiping windows
• Weeding outside areas
• General tidying and making everything shine

Everyone pitched in and we got through the list in no time, so it was on to the fitness part of the evening! We headed outside for a session focused on stability, conditioning, and strength. There was lots of controlled movements, core work, and a bit of coordination—all while keeping an eye out for reversing buses.

At that was left was a run back to base for stretches before heading to the pub to celebrate marathon triumphs 🏅, recent weddings 💍, the return of familiar faces 🙌 and the exciting challenges ahead (both land and water based).

We’ve got two brilliant weekend missions on the horizon—the perfect start to the weekend. Fancy cleaning up and clearing out a greenhouse at a local nursery school? or making a petanque court accessible for everybody?? Course you do! Hope to see you there 👏

A big Wandsworth welcome to Anna, Honor and Charles who joined us for the first time last night — great to have you at your very first session!

We kicked things off with a run down to the Falcon Road Estate, where an organisation of local residents works hard to keep the area safe, welcoming and clean. We arrived ready to plant bulbs… but unfortunately the bulbs hadn’t quite made it in time. No problem — plans pivoted, gloves went on, and we got stuck into litter picking and weeding instead.

One knowledgeable team took charge of the raised beds, clearing, weeding and pulling, while the rest of us spread out far and wide on a mission to find every stray crisp packet and forgotten bit of rubbish. The transformation was swift and satisfying with a positive impact. We even had a special visit from a local councillor, who dropped by to be part of the action.

With the task wrapped up in record time, we headed over to Banana Park for a punchy fitness session. Partners at the ready, it was game on: who could rack up the most squats, press-ups, and sit-ups solo, before finishing strong with burpees together? There was real effort, sweat and laughs from everyone, but there was one standout team - drum roll for ... Jason and Veronica, who powered their way to victory.

Then it was time to run back to base, tackle that last hill and make even more connections.We wrapped up with stretches and more plans, such as

• Next Monday when we’ll be heading to the Scout Hall to help get things ready for the local elections

• Being part of the GoodGym cheering station at Sunday's London marathon

Hopefully see you there!