Our 13 strong team descended upon Critical Support Mitcham to help manager Puja with the running of this great support charity.

We soon split into small groups to maximise our effectiveness. A team of 5 headed upstairs to sort clothing donations and wrap Christmas toys and games kindly donated by local businesses.

Meanwhile on the ground floor, cardboard boxes were being flattened, a large consignment of bread was sorted and repacked ready for distribution, fire extinguishers replaced and stairs dusted and cleaned.

Back in the kitchen and perishable food store, the rest of the team rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in quality checking fruit, veg and yogurt. A messy job but someone has to do it!

Finishing off with a well deserved cup of tea, we left the unit in great shape, ready to start a new day.

What a way to celebrate two whole years of GoodGym Merton! To mark our 2nd birthday this November, we doubled down on the fun with two action-packed sessions in creative spaces at Revive Wandle Roots and Little ARK heading off to enjoy a well-earned birthday drink.

It was incredible to see such a brilliant turnout and reflect on just how much our community has grown over the last two years.

Admittedly, we got so caught up in the catch-ups and celebrations that we completely forgot to snap a group photo! Luckily, John Shirley saved the day and grabbed a quick picture with a few of the team before heading off. We hope to see you back in Merton again soon, and definitely well before our next birthday!

A massive thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far. Cheers to two years of doing good and keeping fit, and to many more to come!

Six GoodGymmers headed to Little ARK's new makerspace next to South Wimbledon station, where the plan had been to help Syebvonne settle into the recently acquired space. However, before any serious unpacking could begin, it became clear that years of station life and subsequent disuse had left a little more cleaning to do than expected.

The space's previous life as a Tube station office was still very much on display. Alongside sinks, taps and other operational relics, one old London Underground rule book had even found a second career as a doorstop! But while the history was charming, decades of accumulated grime was a bit less so.

Five GoodGymmers attacked the doors, windows, frames and handrails downstairs and up, scrubbing away decades of grime and scuffs. Meanwhile Lisa took on the particularly intricate challenge of cleaning a donated industrial sewing machine - working from foot pedal to thread spools and every nook and cranny in between, she painstakingly transformed it from grotty to gleaming.

By the end of the evening, the space was noticeably cleaner, neater and one stop closer to its new life as a community makerspace. All change for this former Underground office. This grime terminates here!

Tonight was a magical session - with no sign of gardening or cleaning in sight, we descended upon the Enchanted Autumnfest to support the bright sparks at That Event Works CIC!

After a quick stop by the wellbeing tent, we shone a light on wayfinding duties and kept a squash-buckling guard over the pumpkin patch 🎃.

We promise we took our duties grave-ly seriously, but with so much creativity along the route, it was impossible not to be bewitched as we guided visitors through. 🌟

At the end of our shift, we reconvened under a spooky tree to leaf all work behind and celebrate Rachael reaching her 100th good deed! 🎉 An un-boo-lievable achievement and a great excuse to mul-led the evening over with a warm cup of wine!

Tonight’s challenge called for seamless coordination, serious pedal power, and plenty of footwork.

The action kicked off with bulbs being delivered by bike to three strategic rendezvous points across the borough, packaged and ready for distribution.

As darkness fell and the evening drizzle set in, the hardy volunteers split into smaller teams. Armed with map pins/addresses, and bags loaded with brown paper packages, we set off on foot to make the drops.

This mammoth logistical feat may only happen once a year, but it’s always a firm favourite for clocking up extra steps while covering plenty of ground. Despite the murky weather, spirits stayed high, every delivery was completed along with a bunch of good deeds.

Well done, team - Merton is going to look fantastic come spring!