🌞 Sunshine, Squats & Strimming: Turnham Green Gets a Glow-Up! 🌳

On a gloriously sunny evening in the beautiful oasis that is Turnham Green, a gang of GoodGymers (including one who we hadn't seen in a long time - welcome back Jen!) assembled to support the local volunteer group. The park was buzzing, the birds were chirping, and Lucy turned up looking very fresh for someone who ran a marathon just two days ago. Not only had she made an amazing recovery, but she came bearing her medal for all to admire - well done Lucy!

This week’s task list had something for everyone - raking, watering, strimming, planting, and even a spot of litter-picking for good measure. We soon got to work, with the park users watching on (admiringly, I think).

Amid all this productivity, we paused to give a massive shoutout to Alan for his 300th Good Deed. That’s commitment, energy and impact of the highest degree. We celebrated the milestone by making him rake the whole of the common. And with plenty of planks (more on that later). Well done to the absolute superhero that is Alan!

Fitness Time!

We kicked off with a plank waterfall, which is not nearly as soothing as it sounds but definitely tested everyone’s abs. Then came a wonderfully chaotic relay where each person had their own distinctive leg to complete. Some ran, some skipped, some even grapevined. We closed with a squat challenge, which unbelievably Lucy aced, and finished with stretches.

To round off the evening, we hit the pub for a slice of Alan’s legendary carrot cake. 🎥 A video was made – we cannot vouch for its quality or artistic direction, but it will be out there soon. All in all, an evening full of sunshine, community, and a whole lot of celebration.

Next Tuesday there is a mission at Hounslow Foodbox and our group run will be back to Chiswick House - see you there!

Our job last night was back at a local favourite, a school we’ve visited more times than we can. As Tish pointed out, the place is looking really tidied up these days — and it’s not just magic. We’ve definitely left our muddy trainer-shaped mark over the years.

There was bit of a challenge to overcome to start — the caretaker had unfortunately forgotten to tool us up, but we soldiered on, armed with sheer determination and upper body strength.

Our main mission: finish the rockery we’ve been building in the carpark. As Maxime said, the end was in sight, and completing it would give us a proper sense of satisfaction. Armed with only two wheelbarrows — one of which moonlights as a haunted violin — we did what we do best: powered through with teamwork, elbow grease, and a slightly off-beat squeak.

And as always, no session is complete without uncovering some mysterious buried treasure. Previous finds have included Jon's old glove and a perfectly serviceable bike. This time? A tiny plastic duck, now our unofficial mascot.

We rounded things off with some litter picking and a spot of weeding, then it was time for a quick circuit session: cardio to get the heart racing, strength moves to build muscles, and enough lunges to trouble the glutes and hammies.

Before we sign off — a massive GOOD LUCK to all the GoodGym runners taking on the London Marathon this weekend. Go Lucy! 🏃‍♀️💨 If you fancy cheering her (and the rest of the runners) on, you can sign up to join the cheer squad here

See you next week for more fun, fitness, and possibly another random duck. 🦆✨ In the meantime, don't forget that we have a lovely task restoring the natural river habitat on Sunday, if you're free sign up here for a task with a big impact.

Easter Sunday and Goodgym had an egg-stra special Easter mission at Acton Junior Parkrun : all ran to the Park to welcome children between 4 to 14 years old. We had loads of Junior Parkrun eggs-pert today : Florian and Alan were on tokens, Chikako was a Guide runner, Jon and Steph Ducat were marshals. What an egg-citing day for the children as eggs were given out at the finish line.We had some fast runners today and some parents were just eggs-hausted trying to keep up with them. There was enough eggs for all the children, some parents and the volunteers : we now need to eggs-ercise off all this chocolate.Happy Easter everyone.

With the beautiful camelias of Chiswick House blooming in GoodGym red, it must have been time for our visit back to help out with jobs in the garden!

This week we were met by George with an emergency job - GoodGymers assemble! The Kitchen Garden is due to open today but the team has just discovered that there is a dangerous lintel by the normal entrance which means the public can't use it for the time being. There is an alternative pathway in, but it has been neglected over the winter and become clogged with weeds. That's where we came in!

Our task for the evening was to clear the path of weeds, grass and other undesirables. We were given a demonstration on the various roles.and told that it was imperative that rakers take the lead and must stay ahead of the pack. they were followed by hoers and forkers. The choreography was everything.

With the light rapidly dropping we worked worked hard, fueled by discussions of books, travel and weekend races. A massive well done to Michelle, Florian, Alan, Steph and Matt for taking on the Queen of the Suburbs in tough conditions and for some epic running!

After 45 minutes of effort we had reached the end of the road. You can see what the path looked like before our hard work, but I wish I had a decent after shot to show you. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was path perfection!

Next week Michelle will be leading the group to help with the new season of planting for Hounslow Foodbox at Chiswick allotments. You can find the details here and sign up. We also have anice litter picking task at Baron's ponds this Saturday if you're ale to help out.

Well, wasn’t last night a double whammy of excitement? Two tasks, double the fun, and a whole lot of running to get us there! We had two teams of GoodGymmers heading off in different directions, each with a unique mission.

Team Duke - clearing the pathways

Alan led the group on a run to Duke’s Meadow, a beautiful park offering a fantastic space for locals to enjoy. It’s a lovely community green hub which needs a lot of looking after. So, that’s exactly what Alan and his crew delivered.

Upon arrival, they were all ready to dive in, no problem locating brushes and tools, and soon enough, they were busy clearing the area of twigs, branches, and debris. The only challenge? The dark conditions. But armed with their tools and determination, they worked like absolute troopers, clearing out everything in sight. By the time they were done, the area looked much clearer, ready for people to enjoy without tripping over branches!

And as for the mileage, they definitely covered their fair share, with a small detour on the way back. Kudos on getting in some extra steps!

Team Chiswick Pier - sorting out the planters (or that was the plan...)

Meanwhile, Team Chiswick also had a slightly more interesting route to their task at Chiswick Pier Trust than originally intended. Chiswick Pier Trust is an incredible community project aimed at preserving the natural beauty of the Thames and offering locals a space to connect with nature. It’s a hub for educational events, boat tours, and environmental conservation. The Trust’s work not only helps keep the river clean but also gives people a reason to love and protect their environment, and GoodGym was there to lend a helping hand.

Upon arriving at the site, we met up by the river and waited for the tas owner to arrive. And waited. And then waited a little bit more. Eventually we took matters into our own hands! With scrubbers and steel wool in tow we tackled the algae and gave the planters a good old scrub-down. We also cleared weeds and litter, and Chris cracked the secret to eliminating the green scum - plenty of water. Thank you, Emily, for your emergency water bottle! By the time we finished, the planters were looking much clearer and more presentable and hopefully we stopped the beginning of rot.

Reunited at the Town Hall

After our respective tasks were done, we all regrouped by the Town Hall for a good stretch. Two tasks, plenty of running, cleaning, and good deeds done. Before we wrapped up,there were a few exciting things to mention. We’ve got a mission coming up helping out at Baron’s Ponds, and we need as many helping hands as possible! If you’re available, come join us!. Don’t forget about our regular Sunday task helping out at Junior Parkrun at Osterley. It’s always a blast and a great way to get involved in the community. There are also not one but two opportunities to help protect the Chiswick eyot this weekend.

Lastly, a huge good luck cheer to Alan, Michelle, and everyone else taking on the Queen of the Suburbs race this weekend. We know you’re going to smash it!