Last night's task was a firm favourite as we returned to find Doddington community garden in full bloom and looking glorious. It's always rewarding to see how much the space changes through the seasons, and even more satisfying to know that the work we've put in over many visits has played a small part in helping it flourish.

It was also fantastic to welcome two new faces to GoodGym Wandsworth. A big hello to Katia and Adam – brilliant to have you along and we hope you enjoyed your first task with us!

Before setting off, it was time for our warm up and our controversial question of the week - which country invented the French fry? Adam and Veronica came up with the correct answer of Belgium, and we headed off towards the garden, where a few GGers were already there and well stuck into the raspberry canes.

Once everyone had arrived, we split into teams and tackled a whole range of jobs. There was soil to be transported up the stairs, which turned out to be quite the workout. Another group set about digging over a badly trampled flower bed (apparently the work of a visiting corporate group – we'll say no more!). Elsewhere, we were busy raking up swathes of yellow grass, composting, pruning and generally doing helpful tasks. We even put some found rubble to good use, stabilising a wonky orange planter and giving it a new lease of life. There was certainly no shortage of jobs to keep us occupied.

With the gardening complete and the tools packed away, we headed down to the square for our fitness session which quickly revealed itself to be a rather intense lower-body blast. Three levels of effort, 45 seconds at a time, and plenty of squats, lunges and pulses later, there were some well worked muscles all round.

After that it was time to choose your own adventure: back home for stretches or onwards to the pub quiz. At the time of writing, no reports of victory have come through on the wires, so the question remains: did GoodGym Wandsworth claim the pub quiz crown? We await news...

Next week we're heading to one of Battersea's most beautiful and oldest churches for another evening of doing good. We'd love to have you join us!

GoodGym Wandsworth returned to the petanque court at Lark Hall Gardens this morning to tackle the overgrown bushes and weeds. Armed with spades and secateurs Joanna and Veronica hacked away at nettles and ivy and successfully cleared a large patch around the edge of the court. It was a satisfying task and easy to see the progress made - a group task is booked in to finish clearing weeds (Mon 8th June) but you can already see what a great space it's going to be for the local community! After an hour and with two big tonne bags full of leaves and brambles, it was time to pack up and hit the local cafe for well earned iced matchas and coffee.

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

Yesterday’s session was a bank holiday special. A brilliant crew of runners giving up their time and potential long lunches to do good and create community spirit. Nice one!

We met, as always, at Battersea Arts Centre, where things kicked off with not one but two questions to get the brain firing—covering the unlikely pairing of cricket and the human skeleton. A true test of both sporting and anatomical knowledge before we even set off.

From there, we headed out to Doddington Community Garden, ready to get stuck in. Tasks included pulling out stubborn dry grass, giving the space a tidy-up, planting valerian root—known for its calming properties and often used to aid sleep—and, of course, plenty of watering to keep everything thriving. Solid teamwork all round.

Next stop: the square for a proper legs session. Lunges in all their forms, squat variations to keep things interesting, and step-ups to really finish things off. It was intense, but the group rose to it—serious effort from everyone.

All in all, a bank holiday well spent. Next week we’re heading to Balham Nursery. Hope you can join us

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 👏