Today’s first session at Windrush Primary School in Thamesmead saw a fantastic team effort with eleven of us focused on transforming an overgrown and be-littered area into a future space for children to enjoy.

The task for the day was twofold: clearing accumulated rubbish and cutting back foliage and branches, preventing child eye injuries! This work is the first step in an exciting plan to make the space into a forest school area for the juniors. At present, the woodland is very much a no-go zone, with significant litter dumped from the nearby footpath.

We made great progress, removing large amounts of waste and opening up sightlines through careful trimming. Plenty more to do so we will be back throughout spring and summer to get the whole space cleared and also finish off a half painted fence.

Among the more unusual finds today: a little Mr Tickle which sparked particular joy for Sarah and Johnny! Proof that treasure can be found among the trash if you look hard enough 🧐🥳

A huge welcome to Alex and Lisa, who joined their very first GoodGym session today, great to have you both on board!

Celebrations were also in order:

🎉 Congratulations to Iyabo on completing your 10th good deed, double digits and going strong since joining in January. Amazing work and you're already part of our much loved furniture!

🎉 And huge well done to Johnny for an incredible 600 good deeds, an inspiring milestone and testament to long-term dedication.

Until next time!

Rachel

I headed down to Thames Path parkrun for this week’s course check, where a light mist was adding a bit of “atmosphere”.

A steady run along the route to check for hazards, and some bollard wrangling to keep it interesting. Gate unlocked, bollards lowered: the course made significantly less impale-y for the morning’s runners with only some light knuckle grazing along the way.

With half an hour to spare, I headed west for more running along the Thames. And when I reached Greenwich Peninsula parkrun, the mist was lifting and the morning beginning to look much brighter.

Which made me wonder — maybe by the time parkrunners at Thames Path had summitted the Curly Wurly, they’d have seen a better view than I did!

Every day brings a bit more light into our lives this time of year, so evening was only just falling when 13 GoodGymers met in Woolwich for an uphill run to one of our regular task venues, Glyndon Community Centre.

Our tasks this evening included making a dent in the sorting project of the centre's big shed. We found several bags of clothing left over from previous donations, which meant an impromptu adventure to the nearby clothing recycling bank. ♻️ (Big thanks to new recruit Laura and her local area knowledge for showing us where to find this!) Other team members did some moonlit foraging for weeds in the back garden area, something I'm sure we'll be doing on a more regular basis as spring approaches. (Get those Glove puns ready). Some litterpicking & sweeping of the car park concluded our mission for the day.

Job done, it was downhill all the way for a quick intervals training session & au revoir, and very warm welcome to GoodGym Greenwich, to newcomers Hashir and Laura!

*Coming up *

Saturday 21st March: Gardening at Oxleas Woods

Sunday 22nd March: Painting at Windrush Primary School

Wednesday 25th March: Inclusive fitness session

Until next time! 👋🏼

Remember that bright and shiny thing in the sky that we haven’t seen in a while? Sun, I think it was called? It was out today, greeting Felicity, Ivar, and the rest of the volunteers at Oxleas woods, showing the area from the best possible side halfway through March.

Today’s task was to resuscitate an old dead hedge, and for the Goodgymers that meant taking shovels and removing all the leaves and mud that had gathered on the road next to the old hedge. As in an archeological dig, we excavated and found the ruins of the old hedge, and the mud was thrown over the ruins and into the brambles on the other side. Many a worm got a ride on Spade Airways* as we flung the mud over, and once we were done we had made a neat line for the new hedge, and regained quite a lot of the road.

*no worms were harmed in the writing of this report.

The wind wasn’t going to stop the Goodgymers from turning up at Shrewsbury House. We gathered here today tasked with cleaning a room in preparation for a wedding. We got brooms and mops, to have and to hold, and before long we had mopped, swept, dusted and wiped every inch, until we finally pronouncing the room spotless.

When the happy couple arrives for their wedding they will find the hall not just clean, but Goodgym clean. Before disappearing into the windy night for our clean getaway, we’d like send our best wishes to the happy couple, and suggest one of the following songs for the first dance:

Something about the way you mop tonight

We will mop you

Another one sweeps the dust

Mopping really matters

Dusting in the dark

Mop it like it’s hot

I love you dust the way you are

Sweep me baby one more time

Should I spray or should I go

Oops!… I cleaned it again

Dancing Clean

Dusting on the ceiling

Don’t mop me now!

Mopping Compares 2 U

Clean on me

Smells like clean spirit

Moptown girl

Dustpan and wife

Participants gathered at the meeting point for a brief orientation. Gloves, waste bags, and basic cleaning tools were distributed and we all walked to the task point. The activity focused on removing litter, debris, and waste materials from the designated area.Litter, plastics, bottles, papers, and other waste materials were collected. All waste was properly bagged and disposed of at the designated collection point. The dirt‑picking exercise contributes to improve cleanliness, and create a safer environment for residents.