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!

A large group of Goodgymers gathered for our first November task in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. We started with introductions, biscuit preferences and a brief history of the park. Then it was time to get our gloves, tools and head torches and we headed off into the darkness.

Our task was to plant over 400 snowdrop and daffodil bulbs along the side of a rediscovered footpath among the graves. We planted randomly to add to the wild, natural feel of the park which is a managed nature reserve. Come back early next year to see these beautiful flowers in bloom!

Many hands made light work of the planting and a fun time was had by all. Conversations flourished and new friendships were formed. Ken also imparted his knowledge of cemetery celebrities (including William Perkin who invented an affordable mauve dye and has family buried there) and natural wonders such as the picturesque purple fungus on the stump of a horse chestnut tree.

A big shout out to Iona and Peter for completing their first ever Goodgym tasks. It was great to have you and we hope you’ll join us again soon. Also, a big hello to our visitors to the borough including Hannah!

As usual, the GoodGym Red T-Shirt Team volunteered at Acton Junior Parkrun, helping to make the event a success. We were fortunate to enjoy a lovely, crisp Sunday morning, with the beautiful autumn colours beginning to appear on the trees around the park.

Our team was wonderfully diverse, with Michelle and Alan joining from Hounslow, and Sevan, Kash and Maria from Ealing.We were also joined by John, who ran 11 km from Camden to Acton Junior Parkrun just to help us volunteer, showing remarkable dedication and commitment to supporting the local community. It was great to have volunteers from different areas working together to support the event.

We welcomed 61 young runners on the day and, as always, it was wonderful to see so many children taking part and enjoying themselves.

One memorable moment involved a determined 3½-year-old runner who was unfortunately disqualified as the minimum age for participation is four years old. Despite that, the young runner certainly made an impression, even leaving Michelle waiting for a high five at the finish!

There were also a few challenges at the finish area. Some children missed the clearly signposted finish funnel, either running past it or not wanting to separate from their parents. Among the final finishers were a young brother and sister whose enthusiasm never faded. Their mother described them perfectly, saying:

"They were like dragons flying."

Comments like these remind us how much joy and confidence junior parkrun brings to children and their families.

I am always happy to see the positive impact we have at Acton Junior Parkrun. The volunteer team consistently shows how much they appreciate our support, and that appreciation is one of the reasons we are always delighted to return and help whenever we can.