The GoodGym services of Jade, Caroline, Mike, Rachael and Rufu arrived promptly at Raynes Park Station for their induction journey.

First stop: orientation around the embankment. Next stop: a very warm welcome by the station master including a guided tour of the site, where important protocols were delivered with first-class clarity. Safety briefing highlights included a firm reminder: do not cross the yellow line and tracks are strictly off-limits!

With minds focused and spirits on track, we mapped out our future route for moving compost/soil which will hopefully go some way towards choo-choosing the best plan of action for our upcoming return visit.

GoodGym Merton once again stepped in to assist at Jubilee Square as Goodgym Kingston's schedule is fairly packed.

After a bit of litter picking Anna and Jade worked on the sticky situation with weed-ridden beds whilst Rachael, Emily and Rufu teamed up with shovels and rakes to spread woodchippings over the area.

There was also time to put up the new notice boards and head to the pub for an impromptu drink and chat about all things Goodgym. Congratulations to Rufu on your 10th task and we will see you in the Taskforce team very soon 🤞.

Four GoodGymmers joined Dons Local Action Group (DLAG) with the setup for their 5th anniversary, transforming the venue with vibrant yellow and blue decorations. The challenge was to ensure there were enough chairs for the 200 attendees with spaces to move around. Once that was sorted, we embraced the opportunity for creative expression, arranging plates, napkins, and the classic afternoon tea pairing of clotted cream and jam.

A brilliant task for a Sunday afternoon and it was great to meet Keith.

Our third group run was from Raynes Park along the C31 cycle path to New Malden. Once there we headed to Jubilee Square, a great little outdoor community space, to help litter pick and cover the flower beds with woodchip. This was a physical workout that reminded us why we are called Good GYM. Shovelling, wheeling barrows, raking, we took it all in our stride and by the end of the hour the area looked transformed. And it was really nice when passers-by stopped to appreciate our efforts. All that remained was to help project leader Danielle to fit two large wheelbarrows into the boot of her car - so a bit of Krypton Factor to round off the evening. It was great to meet Amy from Kingston and we hope to see her again.