With nearly a decade of doing good while getting fit, GoodGym Ealing has accumulated lots of history along the way. In a run-up to our GoodGym's 10th birthday, our run leaders are hosting anniversary runs and walks celebrating the history of GoodGym Ealing.

The first session of the series, led by Kash, began at Bodyline Studios - the starting point of the very first Ealing group run on 9th August 2026. The location served as the meeting point for almost every Tuesday group run until 2026, when we admitted that we've lost the links with the fitness studio and swapped the starting location to Ealing Broadway Station - hopefully, more convenient and easier to find for the new joiners.

Richard, Sevan and Steph followed Kash for the 5km hilly fun to Horsenden Hill, stopping on the way to listen about the connection of different places to our GoodGym.

Castlebar Road - the location is on the route of the Ealing Half Marathon, a race GoodGym Ealing had supported as early as 2018, with leafletting task. When it comes to the road itself, our team, each September since 2021, helped with putting up the advance signage ahead of the event.

Pitshanger Lane - the home of the Christmas-themed Light Up the Lane event, sadly discontinued, but supported by GoodGym in years 2018, 2019 and 2023. We have also stopped in front of Oscars125 café, where we used to gather for coffee after Pitshanger junior parkrun.

Pitshanger Park - while the park doesn't host an adult parkrun (at least on the official one), it features the 2km junior parkrun course for children. Between 2022 and 2026, 30 different GoodGymers have supported that junior parkrun with 59 tasks. While we're still fond of that event and our support is never turned down, the run leaders built a really strong volunteer base. We decided to step down from overfilling the volunteer roster, and redirected our tasks to different junior parkruns.

River Brent - the youngest of today's connections we've explored. The river served as a reminder of our partnership with Clean Up River Brent, an organisation created in 2021 and connected with us since 2023. Through 14 tasks, 17 different GoodGymers have supported litter picking in waders, removing invasive species from riverbanks, and, recently, planting native water species along the river.

IMPACT Theatre - an art centre whose aim is to promote a positive image of disability, while helping adults with learning difficulties develop communication and self-confidence, through participation in performing and creative arts. We've partnered with them since 2020 and across 14 tasks, helped with sanding and painting walls and moving equipment. 45 different GoodGymers have been in IMPACT Theatre to complete a task.

Finally, our running group arrived at Horsenden Farm - one of our absolute favourites for both GoodGymers and corporate volunteer groups led by GoodGym run leaders in the past. The rich history of the farm and Horsenden Hill itself, together with its many connections to GoodGym, could easily fill a storytelling session of its own.

GoodGymers took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
Elsa saw them and GoodGymers looked good.

Elsa, from Friends of Horsenden Hill, knew the fearless 14 GoodGymers who arrived at Horsenden Farm on a sunny Saturday were the only team large and brave enough to work so close to where the Gruffalo lurked in the woods behind the farmhouse.

First, she asked Gus, Steph Ducat and Richard to gather the timber stacked beside the farmhouse and reinforce the dead hedge. A sturdy barrier against the hungry Gruffalo, perhaps?

Next, Elsa sent Afshin, Iram and Kash to wheelbarrow a mountain of green waste - rotting onion tops, spoiled peppers, pattypan squash and potatoes - to a spot near the canoe club. Was this a cunning plan to tempt the Gruffalo towards the canal instead of the farm?

Finally, Elsa recruited Andrew, Breda, Emma, Harvey, Melissa, Penny, Scott and Sevan for an enormous weeding job, hoeing and scraping the grass and weeds from the path leading to the Gruffalo's lair. Surely she wasn't making it easier to spot the monster's turned-out toes? Not at all. By clearing away the soft carpet of greenery, she'd ensured that if the Gruffalo sneaked in to steal the pigs, the scrape of his terrible claws against the hard, dry ground would give him away long before he reached the farm.

With the farm secured from its fearsome woodland neighbour, the GoodGymers, led by Elsa's trusty dog Archie, headed through the deep dark wood, following the heavenly aroma of Horsenden's famous pizza. Then, suddenly, they stumbled upon... the Gruffalo!

"Here's my favourite food!" the Gruffalo said. '"GoodGymer crumble!"

But one sniff of the pizza wafting through the woods changed his mind. By the time he reached the farm, there wasn't a slice left. The well-fed GoodGymers simply strolled past the Gruffalo's lair on their way to their second task at the top of Horsenden Hill, leaving the poor monster to rummage through the pile of green waste by the canal in search of a few scraps of rotten onion.

August is the start of harvesting season at Feeding Ealing. Gathering organic produce is a daily activity as food that's not ripe one day can be perfectly ripe the next and spoiled 2 days after that. Today, task owner Joseph gave the group a tour of the flourishing raised beds outside and polytunnel inside (which was toasty warm), then he set everyone a sight test.

Some okra had been harvested on Friday and today, the GoodGymers were again looking for any that were ripe and ready to pick. The okra was great at hiding itself, so good eyes were needed to spot the green fingers between the equally green leaves and identically green stems. Everything on the plant was surprisingly prickly too, leaving everyone a bit itchy after filling their baskets. Tomatoes and karela, which Delphine thought looked reptilian, were also picked to be donated.

With all of the ripe produce gathered, the next most important task was watering. The recent hot weather meant that twice daily watering was needed, especially in the polytunnel where temperatures can hit 50C. With only 3 hoses, Gus, Delphine and Harvey grabbed their spray guns and soaked all of the plants from top to bottom. Some of the team regressed back to their childhoods and skooshed each other as well as the plants with their Super S-okras, claiming that they were keeping everyone cool, which they kind of were.

There are plenty more fruit and vegetables that are still growing on Feeding Ealing's trees, bushes and plants. Honeydew melons, peppers, tomatoes and ginger to name a few. As they become ready to harvest too, we'll be back with another session at Feeding Ealing to help them collect their crop to donate to local good causes. Keep and eye out for new sessions as they're listed.

Visit of my 2nd coach Mr T today - cooler weather but still hot in his flat. An hour chat - time flies.

On the menu today was coronation chicken with potatoes and salad or vegetable frittata. I can vouch for the tastiness of the latter but most of the clients today loved the chicken dish. I was serving tables and we can tell whether a meal is popular by how clean the plates are! It was regular client Geeta’s birthday, we all sang happy birthday and presented her with a cake and candle. As always it was hard work but truly a privilege to be a small part of this wonderful organisation.

Another Friday morning and another tea/coffee/cereal session at Ealing Soup Kitchen. The cereal table was started last year and is a great success - although I have to remember not to get the packets mixed up! This week’s favourite was Coco Pops 😊