A dark and chilly Wednesday evening, with headtorches at the ready and lots to celebrate – it could only be a GoodGym Hounslow group run! 🎉🏃‍♀️

Before a single sapling had been wrestled or stake hammered into the ground, there was a roll call full of brilliant achievements. First up, a huge round of applause for Beth, fresh from conquering the Tokyo Marathon and jet lag. What a run! 🌏🏅 Lucy smashed a half marathon at the weekend – clearly the marathon training is going well. And then a massive cheer was for Ariane, who tonight completed an amazing 50 Good Deeds. That’s fifty times showing up, pitching in and making our local area better – a brilliant achievement and very well deserved 👏 Not only that, Jon quietly cruised past the 200 good deeds mark. What a serious amount of good done and a real contribution to the community.

If that wasn’t enough excitement for one evening, we also had a brand new group session location - Baron's Ponds. While some GoodGymers have visited the site before for tasks like planting daffs (and we could see the bright and beautiful results of that hard work tonight), this was the first time we’d descended on it as a full group on a Wednesday group run – and there was plenty to do.

The task list was long. It included clearing an area of willow saplings, hammering stakes firmly into the ground and the small matter of moving a four-metre dead hedge. With so much to do, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. It didn't help that it was dark, the ground was uneven, and there were plenty of brambles - but none of that slowed the team down. Headtorches flashed, saws were pressed into full use, branches were shifted, and gradually the transformation began to appear.

By the end of our 45-minute burst of effort, the area looked completely different. Mark and Pete, the volunteers who manage the site, told us it would have taken them at least half a day to achieve what the group managed tonight. A very satisfying result. 🙌

This weekend there’s another mission at Baron's Ponds, with plenty to get stuck into if you fancy more muddy fun. And next week we’re either back helping out at Chiswick House or teaming up with Wild Chiswick for more community impact.

There’s no stopping GoodGym Hounslow! 💚🏃‍♂️

Last night GoodGym Westminster gathered at the Bayswater TRAID shop, where runners and walkers were ready to roll up their sleeves to tackle a very generous delivery of blue bags bursting with donated clothes.

A huge welcome to Francesca and to Delphine who both came to their first mission - great to meet you!

For anyone new to the world of TRAID, the work they do is very impactful. The charity collects unwanted clothing and redistributes it through their shops, raising funds for projects that improve working conditions and sustainability in the fashion industry. By giving clothes a second life, they help reduce textile waste and challenge the throwaway culture of fast fashion. They also contribute to other sustainable projects across the globe. Every sorted bag is a small but meaningful step toward a more circular wardrobe. And there were a lot of bags!

We quickly formed a system—opening, inspecting, hanging, and sorting into categories. We know from past tasks it’s part organisation, part detective work to figure out where everything belonged.

Delphine came armed with an excellent hanger-saving trick to keep larger items from sliding straight off which instantly improved everyone’s efficiency. Francesca brought serious credentials to the operation, drawing on her past volunteering in charity shops. Meanwhile David tapped into his early experiences in Camden Market, demonstrating an expert eye for clothing types around the rails.

There was plenty of hanging, plenty of sorting, and we even uncovered the occasional hidden treasure that appeared from the depths of a blue bag. After an hour of focused teamwork, the pile had shrunk dramatically and the rails were looking much more manageable.

By the end of the session we’d made a noticeable dent in the delivery, and the store manager told us how helpful it had been to get through so many of the many bags that had arrived. A big difference in just an hour’s work.

Next week we’ll be back again—this time to help remove unsold clothing ahead of the sale. You can sign up here

Great work, team. 👕💪

It was another lively evening with the GoodGym Wandsworth crew yesterday— and a warm welcome was in order as we celebrated Chris's first session with the group. Great to have you along, Chris! 🎉

After a quick warm up and a quiz question that was far too easy for you clever lot, we set off through the evening streets towards Larkhall Park. Our mission: help prepare the ground for a flower delivery by tackling weeding, chipping and sweeping around the beds so the new plants will have the best possible start.

When we arrived, the park was buzzing with activity. Music drifted across from people working out nearby, and the cheers and shouts from football matches rang out across the pitches. Dodging the occasional flying ball certainly kept us on our toes ⚽! It was a great reminder of just how loved and well-used this space is, and why it’s so important to keep the park safe, tidy and welcoming for everyone who uses it.

There was plenty to do. A huge pile of woodchip needed shifting alongside the weeding and sweeping. Gloves on, tools in hand, the group spread out and got to work. Bit by bit the weeds disappeared, paths were cleared, and the massive woodchip pile started to shrink. With lots of helping hands, the transformation happened quickly. 🌱

There was so much to do that we had just enough time for a short but spicy fitness session before heading home. The format: speed circuits — 30 seconds on, no rest. High effort, high intensity and high impact. 💪

Fitness done, we ran back to base for some stretches and cool down, rounding off another productive night of doing good and getting fit.

Next week we’re heading to Paradise Cooperative Garden where a massive log challenge awaits. Are you up for it 🌳🔥