My first visit to Mr G for several weeks and he was on sparkling form. Looking well and stylishly dressed, his highly amusing worldview was to the fore as soon as I arrived. As well as the usual topics, he told stories about some (sometimes notorious) celebrities who are his distant relatives or old acquaintances.

He showed me a photo of himself in the early 1980s which to my mind bore a striking resemblance to the vocalist in a famous Mancunian band. Sheepishly acknowledging the similarity, Mr G insisted that he himself had pioneered the distinctive hairstyle.

Shopping was straightforward: nothing had changed in the list or moved location in the store. Securing the last paninis on the shelf added to the satisfaction of an enjoyable mission.

I thought this morning’s tea session was busy and it carried on over lunchtime! The clients enjoyed pumpkin and lentil soup with bread, chicken casserole with pasta and vegetables or vegetarian option. Followed by apple strudel and custard. I was helping to serve and it was pretty rushed for the first hour. The clients loved the meal and there were lots of compliments to the chef. I really enjoy being in the dining area, chatting to the regular clients and meeting the new ones.

It was very busy at this morning’s tea/coffee station. A lot of the clients were happy to be in a warm space with a hot cup of tea or coffee - and cake or biscuits. It seemed we were constantly running to the kitchen for refills. But things quietened down eventually - just before lunchtime!
Afshin joined Doreen and the clothes team to help set up the clothes donations and was also kept busy this morning.

How many GoodGymers do you need to fill two tonne bags with compost, move them, and stack them? Well, depends on how many you’ve got! Even as a small team, the GoodGymers can work magic. Ash, Harvey, Sevan, Steph, and Kash have proven that’s true on a cool Tuesday night, when they ran to Walpole Park to help the ranger and volunteer gardeners move the leftover compost from the community giveaway into the Walled Garden.

After picking up the tools and thoroughly checking that there was no one under the tarp covering the compost pile (it looked very convincing as a homeless person's refuge), the team stuck their shovels into the compost and started loading tonne bags, wheelbarrows, and a trolley. It took three trips to the Walled Garden to deliver nearly two tonnes of compost in bags and top up a raised bed, while carefully avoiding burying the strawberries in it. The team avoided the temptation to split up and do the job even quicker - it’s always better to stick together, as it's safer and more fun!

After a successful session, the GoodGymers locked up the bagged compost, the tools, and even the park, as it was past the time it should be closed for the night. Next week, we give dark parks a break and venture to Acton for a leafletting session to promote free health and fitness activities for women hosted at St Mary’s Church. Sign up now!

It felt like a full harvest festival at the South Ealing Food Cupboard this week. Stef, Beata, Martin and Iram were on hand to help unload the van and stack the shelves for what turned out to be a bumper haul.

Crates arrived stacked with fresh produce, including cabbages genuinely bigger than our heads, heaps of carrots, plenty of green cabbages and mountains of potatoes. Mixed in with the veg were some more unusual arrivals: caramel popcorn, fruit-cake slices and bottles of fruity sparkling water - an eclectic combination that kept things interesting. A large delivery of loose green grapes needed portioning, so Stef, Beata, and Iram jumped straight into action, filling reused shopping bags to create generous, ready-to-hand-out servings.

Just as the weather got a bit cooler after a mild Saturday, Gabi, Maria, and Simon were bright and early at Pitshanger Park to join Kash for a quick warm-up before volunteering at the junior parkrun.

This month's theme was an upper body workout - without any weights! Who needs gym equipment if you have your own bodyweight, bike racks, and café benches to hit all key muscle groups: chest, biceps, triceps, shoulders, traps, and delts?

After a brief warm-up to get the hearts pumping and the joints ready to move, the GoodGymers did a couple of circuits of six exercises:

• Incline wide grip push-ups
• Incline diamond push-ups
• Pike push-ups
• Bodyweight skull crushers
• Australian pull-ups
• Tricep dips

Finishing with a set of arm stretches, the team was ready to go, full of good energy to start the day!

Despite the days will inevitably get cooler, that won't stop us next month. Quite the opposite - we'll be back for a light cardio session in December to get everyone motivated to get active outdoors in good company! Sign up now!