Last night a small but perfectly formed group gathered in Hounslow for an evening of riverside litter-picking. We were especially happy to welcome Thaty to her very first Hounslow run – hopefully the first of many!

After a quick briefing, we headed down towards the riverside to find litter pickers waiting for us. Once equipped, we got straight to work.

The haul was sadly familiar: plastic bottles, food wrappers, crisp packets and assorted bits of everyday rubbish. Most frustrating of all was the microplastic – those tiny fragments that seem to be everywhere . They're fiddly to collect and impossible to completely eradicate, but every piece removed is one less piece making its way through the ecosystem.

The scale of the challenge is huge. Research has found microplastics in every major UK river tested, while studies on the Thames have shown that small plastic fragments and films make up the vast majority of plastic pollution found in the water. Plastic bottles remain one of the most common items found in waterways, with food wrappers not far behind.

There's always a moment during a litter pick when you realise there is far more rubbish than you'll ever clear in a single session. But that's not really the point. We can only do so much in an hour, yet every bag filled improves the area, protects wildlife and makes the riverside a little bit better than we found it. Small actions, repeated often, add up.

With our bags collected and our good deed done, it was time to get back to base - with a little extra competition of course. We finished with stretches before several headed to the pub to catch the football and enjoy a well-earned post-task snack.

Looking ahead, this weekend is absolutely packed with community mission opportunities. There are too many to mention individually, but do check out the missions page where you can help marshal WLQP's annual walk, lend a hand at the canal festival, or get stuck into some balsam bashing on Chiswick Eyot. So much choice, and something for everyone.

Last night we headed off for one of those classic GoodGym tasks: lots to do, not many tools to do it with.

Our mission was simple enough on paper — empty the contents of a compost bin into a nearby raised bed. What we had available was... well, a couple of spades. Wheelbarrow,bags, buckets? Nope.

Undeterred, we got stuck in and began the laborious process of moving compost one shovelful at a time. Progress was steady rather than speedy, but perseverance is one of GoodGym's core strengths.

Then Dan had a bright idea and went exploring to see whether there might be anything useful nearby. Success! He returned with a plastic storage box, which immediately was pressed into action and sped things up considerably.

With our upgraded equipment, we made progress and managed to get through most of the compost bin by the end of the session.

We were helped along the way by visits from two enthusiastic dogs, who provided both moral support and a welcome excuse to pause for a few minutes and throw some sticks.

A great effort proved again that determination can make up for a surprising lack of equipment. Next week we'll be heading to the Abbey Centre for another evening of doing good. Hope to see you there!