This morning, in the blistering heat, Manasa and myself removed graffiti, picked up litter around the square, alongside a chat and making a mental note of future items that needed to be done to make the best of outlook for this well used space.

9 goodgymers spent time clearing out their wardrobes and bookcases to make more space in their castles and go towards providing much needed funding for their local charities via their shops.

Spent an hour chatting with Mrs D

Tuesday’s group run took us to Hestia’s Good Energy Club, a fantastic community space supporting people experiencing mental health challenges. Their mission is to improve physical wellbeing, support mental health and reduce social isolation - values very much aligned with GoodGym’s own.

We arrived in force and were welcomed by John, who gave us a tour before offering the ultimate volunteer incentive: snacks in exchange for our cleaning efforts. Armed with hoovers, cloths, spray bottles and plastic gloves, we got straight to work.

We were also joined by special guests Ivo and Hannah. Rather than rolling out the red carpet, we rolled out the hoovers and put them straight to work alongside the rest of the team. After deciding who was tackling which room, John put on a soundtrack of 90s classics that kept spirits high and energy levels up throughout the evening.

The hour flew by, and before long it was time for a final snack break and the journey home. John was hugely appreciative of the help, explaining that the club doesn’t have a dedicated cleaning budget and that maintaining such a large space can be a real challenge.

It was lovely to meet Hannah on her first task, and congratulations again on your new role as CEO of GoodGym.

This morning three of us went to do a variety of jobs at Jubilee Square. We cleared weeds and did a litter pick. Also some of the buddleias were given a trim to get rid of the dying bits to allow for fresh new growth, this was then placed on the dead hedge.

A lovely Sunday morning spent at the scout hut. Three GoodGymers turned up to help out and get the hut looking well-loved. Rachel and Raquel weeded the front of the building and spent time lifting the drains to empty out the compost that had formed there. The kids loved exploring the worms and bugs that had taken up residence. Dave got the power tools out and strimmed the outside to clear the vegetation that was hanging on the pavement.

Great work! We definitely earned the sausage and bacon rolls that they very kindly provided for lunch.