Running good deeds since 2016
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62 Month Streak
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Mon 13th Oct at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Last night we visited a very special place in the middle of Battersea Park to help support a local legend!
Battersea Park's peace pagoda is an iconic part of London's riverside, and was constructed in 1984 by a group of volunteers, including The Reverend Gyoro Nagase. It is a symbol of peace and unity and a spiritual place for many. Today the Reverend is the sole caretaker of the pagoda, and lives in a small building nearby.
It is a lot of work for one person, so we were asked to come and lend a hand. It's a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the small temple and to be part of this amazing part of Battersea history!
So after meeting for a warm up and to take a guess at which were the least known European capitals (according to Pointless it is Podgorica, Ljubljana and Bratislava!) we ran down to Battersea Park. Our first stop was the Thrive herb garden where we grabbed tools then split up into two groups.
The first party stayed at the garden to free some tiles from the brambles that had grown over them. These weren't just any tiles though - they were tiles that had been blessed by the Reverend Buddhist monk so they can be used to fix the Pagoda. This definitely means that Chris, Becca, Felix and Pritesh are forever more a part of Battersea history!
Meanwhile the rest of the group headed off to the small house and temple a short walk away to help clear the garden there. We were greeted by The Reverend Gyoro Nagase himself, and got straight on with the main jobs. Tasks included cutting a walkway in the hedge for the Reverend to get access to the back of the garden, and collecting up the masses of leaves that had collected and were making getting around the space tricky.
It was an amazing spot to work in, right by the famous fountains, and in the middle of a very quiet, very dark Battersea Park. It almost felt like we had the place to ourselves until we emerged from the area and back into the main carriageway which was buzzing with other running groups and cyclists.
We reunited to find that the tile group had done a very efficient job, and packed everything away. Join us next week as we head over to the scout hall for a tidy up! Dib, dib, do good and get fit!
Mon 13th Oct at 6:30pm
Discover something amazing in the middle of Battersea Park
Read moreMon 6th Oct at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Last night our trip to Doddington community garden happened by the bright light of a full supermoon, an event which is said to have some peculiar effects on our behaviour...
With the moon at its closest point to us earthlings in its orbit, it is much bigger and brighter than normal - very handy for tasks happening as the nights draw in. It meant that we could strip away the bindweed, cut back the willow tree, prune the roses, sweep the maze of leaves and dig in several plants much more easily as the light faded.
Apparently the proximity of the moon and its increased lunar energy also means that we are more active. That explains the high levels of power and strength on display during our glute based fitness session. With record speed we knocked out split squat pulses, high knees, fast feet and plie squats.
The energy levels did not stop there as we channeled this heightened alertness into our monthly post task pub quiz, where Team GGW ran home with the silver. A tre-moon-dous session all round!
This weekend we have several community missions to choose from, including two session to help set up and close down a celebration of Africa market in Battersea.
If you're available tonight, we are still looking for some help at the oldest youth club in the world, be great if you could help make it happen!
Next week we have a very special new task - find out more right here.
Mon 6th Oct at 6:30pm
Come and join us for a great session in a thriving community space
Read moreMon 29th Sep at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
After a summer of hard work at the GoodGym garden it was time to reap the rewards! We have been carefully maintaining the space at the back of the Omnibus theatre for over a year now, planting, weeding, sowing and digging whenever we had the opportunity. The idea is that we grow fresh, organic fruit and vegetables to donate to the Trinity hospice just a few doors up the road. Last night we went to harvest what we had produced - and I think we surprised ourselves!
We gathered at the BAC for our warm up and for the weekly brain teaser. This week is was Adrian who nailed the answer to the question - which is the longest tube line? At 46 miles long, and founded in 1900, it was the central line. Good knowledge!
We took a nice run up to the garden in the fading light, and wasted no time getting our hands dirty. First up was the chard, the biggest success of the season. It was leafy, green and very prolific, and Sophie and Adrian got a whole crate of it! The beans had also done really well, with Kamil harvesting a big tub. There were a few tomatoes, and lovely zucchini flowers, and the fig and pear tree were flourishing. Well done team!
There was time to fit in a good core session across the road, and Jordan even requested a squat challenge finisher which was the perfect way to end! With our crates of goodies, we walked up to the hospice and dropped off the produce for the chef there to use. It's great to see that all that investment in the garden resulted in something really positive.
Next week we're back at Doddington for our monthly session at the community garden followed by the pub quiz. Hope to see you there!
If you're up for a post work task in central London tonight, why not join us at this bulb planting session at a community centre in Victoria - we're looking for a few more pairs of helping hands!
Mon 29th Sep at 6:30pm
Let's pick the produce we're going to donate to the local hospice
Read moreMon 8th Sep at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Catherine Moore
One task, double the impact! Tonight 12 GoodGymers carried bin bags of leaves from Christchurch Gardens to Doddington Roof Gardens, proving that one person's trash really is another person's treasure. GoodGym Wandsworth collected the leaves into bags at a previous task, to help keep the church garden, clean, safe and accessible. But rather than see those bags head to landfill, the quick thinking team arranged to carry them a mile down Battersea Park Road and hand deliver them to Chief Gardener Melissa at Doddington Roof Gardens. In their new home, the leaves will be tossed on the compost heap and turned into nutritious mulch to fuel another year of gorgeous garden growth.
We also welcomed Rosie to her first ever GoodGym session and the lovely late summer sun tempted Carol, Andy and Jamie back too! It was great to meet them and to share not one, but two of the local community spaces we have worked with in the past year.
After the task the team took on a 5 minute fitness relay, with two teams going head-to-head in sprints, jumping jacks, plank holds, squats and high knees, to get the heart rate up, test our strength and even have a bit of fun in the meantime. Then it was onto the pub quiz for our monthly social (delayed by one week). Not everyone could stick around this month, but the 6 Salt & Shakers who stayed came a respectable 3rd - no cash prizes for the garden this time, but a good time was had and we all left with a hankering for old-school crisps with names that alliterate (Hula-Hoops, French Fries, Monster Munch...)
Mon 8th Sep at 6:30pm
Support not one but two community gardens!
Read moreMon 1st Sep at 6:30pm
Wandsworth Report written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
It was so great to be back at Doddington Garden again after a few weeks away, and even in that time the garden has sprung up. Tucked away on a rooftop in Battersea, it is an oasis of green that we visit regularly to do lots of different tasks.A much-loved community garden it brings people together and produces some delicious fruit and veg.
It was a bit of a soggy evening, but a happy crew of GoodGymers were delighted to welcome Larisa, Annie and Renee to their first group run. Great to have you join us despite the drizzle!
Once we got there, we got stuck into all sorts of tasks, including getting new plants in the ground, sweeping up leaves to keep paths clear and create mulch, plus shifting compost bags to tidy up the space.
Great to see the garden flourish as the seasons change– and this time we were rewarded with freshly-picked plums straight from the tree. It was a perfect energy boost for the fitness session ahead!
The hard work didn’t stop at gardening - downstairs it was time for a seven-station upper-body blast – press-ups, dips, and a whole mix of arm-burners had us testing our biceps, triceps and traps. We just had time for a run back and some stretches to round off the evening.
Next week, Catherine will be leading the session with plenty of fun, doing good, and getting active guaranteed
Brilliant effort tonight, team!
Mon 1st Sep at 6:30pm
Come and join us for a great session in a thriving community space
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