Last night, GoodGym Greenwich returned to the Memorial Hospital Woodland Walk, a peaceful haven tucked away in Oxleas Woods. The site has been greatly improved since our last visit, and it was lovely to see how much the woodland walk has developed.

We started by putting up some signage, including some lovely heart-shaped signs. Then came the slightly more strenuous work: we began creating a dead hedge, cutting down some of the holly and stripping the branches. With the sad passing of Dolly Parton in the news, there was really only one title for this task: Holly Parting. A fitting tribute as we gave the holly its final farewell and put it to good use as habitat for the woodland.

A big welcome back to Aidyn, joining us for his second good deed. He certainly put in the work and has definitely earned his red T-shirt!

Another great evening of running, walking, chatting and getting stuck into some worthwhile woodland work. The Memorial Hospital Woodland Walk is looking better with every visit and some point we’ll be back to continue.

Until next time!

Rachel

8 Greenwich Goodgym-ers met in Woolwich on a warm breezy Tuesday for a painting task at Pugin Hall, in need of a nice refresh to improve its appearance as host to several community groups using the hall on a regular basis.

It's a large hall, with several areas needing our attention, so we soon got to work dividing tasks up and down the room. Some of us joined the Ladder day Saints, cleaning & then glossing the window frames, with the more down to earth team painting the skirting boards - definitely not skirting the issue...!

There were doors & walls needing a splash of colour, cue long-handled contraptions and care to ensure an even layer was applied.

When the 10 minutes to task end was announced, we were at a gloss for words, as time had whizzed by to a mellow soundtrack from a local radio station.

Great progress made, with possibly another task here soon to continue this project. Thanks all & welcome Euan to GoodGym! ⭐️"

A beautiful sunday morning led me to Hornfair Juniors where I managed a decent job timekeeping, almost missing the first runner because I couldn't believe he was already coming in to finish in 7minutes! 💥

On Sunday afternoon, four GoodGym Greenwich runners got together for a community mission at Windrush Primary School in Thamesmead.

Our task was to give the playground fence a fresh coat of paint. We got stuck in, fuelled by Arthur's playlist and Ceci's chocolate and a short hour later one section of the fence looked considerably smarter. Good job team and a lovely sunday afternoon spent together. We'll be back to finish the job!

Until next time!

Just when you think it’s always the community that benefits from the time you give, I’ve realised that’s only half the story. Most of the time, I find that community tasks give me a real sense of purpose. I could easily have stayed in bed and slept until late, but knowing I’d signed up to help at Junior Eltham Junior parkrun gave me that little extra reason to get up and get going. And sometimes, that’s all the motivation you need! This morning, three fabulous GoodGymers joined the regular volunteers at Junior Eltham Junior parkrun. I only decided and signed up last night, so now I can proudly say: task completed! ✅ Purpose: ✅ Running to the venue as my personal training for the Big Half: ✅ Early morning sunshine — a natural dose of feel-good energy ✅ A lovely walk home surrounded by nature: ✅ And the parkrun and GoodGym credits? Well, those are just the bonus points! Know what I mean? 😉 I also really enjoyed trying a new role for the first time as Finish Token. Simon was one of the timekeepers, while Ivar was out marshalling. It was great to be part of the team and experience another side of parkrun volunteering. So, that’s my little reflection on this morning. It reminded me that sometimes when we give our time, we get something back too — a sense of purpose, some exercise, fresh air, good company and that warm feeling of knowing you’ve helped.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to join us one weekend. I really enjoyed it, and I’m pretty sure you will too! My only piece of advice? Don’t overthink it. Just give it a go. Everyone is welcoming, and you’ll soon find your own way to contribute. Who knows, you might even find that your weekend is looking a little parka-ly positive! 😄

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day.

Till next time — keep moving, keep helping, and keep spreading the GoodGym vibes! 💚 ~ Cecilia D🍀

Two GoodGymers signed up and turned up for a gardening session at Charlton House Garden. We were assigned to tidy up branches and dry plants, preparing them to become useful compost—so we were quite literally branching out! 🌱

Working along the pathway, our mission was to make the garden surroundings look neat, tidy and welcoming. We also worked near the gate, sweeping up dry leaves and tidying the edges leading into the garden. Everything was completed nicely, and the area was looking much better.

We left the watering to the others while we focused on our own little corner of the garden. After an hour of good, productive work, it was time for a well-earned cup of tea and some biscuits.

Another job completed, another garden made greener!

See you next time. ☺️