6 GoodGymers caught some good deeding vibes amidst London’s festive fare!

Settled in the heart of Piccadilly sits St James’s Church.

At this time of year, it is a favourite of tourists and Londoners alike (arriving for carols and services aplenty), and we had to bustle our way through the crowds to arrive on time last night.

Yet we were soon off and away to a peaceful garden, where this special group — of Alex, Charlie, Imogen, Kush (new to GoodGym — a huge welcome!), and Steve — made a wonderful difference.

Huge and bountiful trees border this green space, and they’ve been shedding their summer coats since October. Our task was to rake the lawns and sweep the paths, clearing the leaves for good for another year.

The brilliant Catherine from Green City Projects was our host, and alongside her we turned a leaf strewn garden into a clear, safe, and tidy spot in just 60 minutes.

Thank you, everyone! Here’s to next time!

12 GoodGymers dodged the rain and helped a Central London winter shelter!

Our friendly group visit the American International Church every winter to help out at their wonderfully important winter shelter.

Coordinated by C4WS, homeless people can get access to at least a month of shelter and support. Warm, safe, and supportive spaces.

And last night was our first trip back this season.

This brilliant group — of Caitlin, Chandrima (on their first good deed — welcome!!), Danny, Emily, Helen, Imogen, Jacqui, John, Loz, Sarah, and Steve — made a healthy difference in the swiftest time.

Beds upon beds were dressed and made, a dining room was brought to life, and gifted toiletries were set out ready for using.

Thank you, everyone! Here's to next time!

5 GoodGymers caught late autumn vibes this Wednesday!

A clear day gave way to a clear (and chilly) night in bustling Camden on Wednesday.

Jackie, John, Loz (on their first good deed — a huge welcome!!), and I kicked off our evening with a chatter-filled run over to Cecil Sharp House.

There and still chatting we met Steve and Susannah and quickly got down to our task for the evening.

We've been collecting and clearing the falling leaves at Cecil Sharp since September and there was still plenty to keep our busy bodies busy.

60 minutes later and with 10+ bags filled, we called it a night and looked forward to 17th December, when we'll be back for our final task of 2025 :)

Thank you, everyone! Here is to next time!

6 GoodGymers braved the chill in Camden last night!

While most Londoners huddled in thick coats one special group were busy with wheelbarrows and shovels and hedge trimmers too.

Assembling at Charlie Ratchford Court alongside the lovely Catherine from Green City Projects, Hannah, Jackie, John, Siobhan, and Steve didn't look cold at all!

No task was too much effort for this crew! Together we:

✅ Removed a tarpaulin sheet from a soon-to-be-planted flower bed

✅ Emptied a GIANT sack of sand into endless wheelbarrows for safe depositing

✅ Emptied another GIANT sack of soil into fresh planters

✅ Cut tens (maybe hundreds..!) of overhanging branches

✅ And more!

It is wonderful seeing what 6 pairs of hands can achieve ❤️

Thank you so much, everyone! Here's to next time!

7 GoodGymers added good deeding and coffee to their Saturday mix!

There are three flower beds on Camden Square that are now cared for by the local community.

Two are already filled with rich colour while one is getting ready for shaping.

And it was this latter bed that caught our focus this morning.

Hannah joined us on their second good deed (welcome!) and Maria traveled over from West London (welcome!), and they joined our regular Camden crew of Imogen, Helen, Jackie, and John.

We grabbed spades and forks and dug deep into the earth to lift a hefty pile of weeds and roots.

After 60 minutes of work and conversation, we left a tidy space and headed out for coffee :)

Thank you, everyone! Here's to next time!

8 GoodGymers made a wonderful difference in Kentish Town!

We took a visit to one of our usual haunts last night.

Nestled in a corner of a cul de sac — away from the usual bustle of Kentish Town — is a very special sheltered housing scheme.

With a winding garden full of seasonal delights, this group got to quick work yesterday evening!

❤️ Alex, Sam (on their first good deed — welcome!), and Steve transformed a weed strewn vegetable patch into a perfect image of fresh soil ripe and ready for next year's planting :)

❤️ Gary and John started off by weeding one flower bed... then two... then three! And then they turned their quick hands to raking and sweeping, making everything better by the minute :)

❤️ Caitlin and Jackie visited a resident's garden and made the swiftest and most efficient work of the fallen leaves, gifting this space back to the very grateful resident :)

Thank you, everyone! Here's to next time!