5 good gymmers ran to Kelly Avenue Park to help Tracey prep the area for a big delivery of mulch. Digging 2 pits was quite the work out but Tracey kept us energised by generously handing out biscuits! We'll be back in June for part 2!

This week is Mental Health Awareness week, and to celebrate members from two special partners came together for their first ever GoodGym session.

First we have Zurich, GoodGym's partner for the Movement For Change program which will be bringing thousands of young people into GoodGym over the next few years.

Next, we have Shout, a free, confidential, 24/7 crisis text support service for anyone in the UK. Since launching in 2019, Shout's trained volunteers, supported by experienced clinicians, have taken more than three million conversations!

We started the day at the Zurich office where we ran 3.5km to the Galleywell Nature Reserve, an amazing oasis of natural habitat in Central London. The reserve allows nature to thrive, and is a vital resource for the local community and adjacent school who can visit to learn about the environment.

After a quick intro from the head of the nature reserve Paul, we got straight to work. One corner of the reserve had become a dumping ground for discarded items over the years and it was blocking a safe path to the tap, as well as causing numerous hazards for everyone visiting. This was a real arm workout as moved heavy wooded sleepers, fences and other form of debris as we cleared a path to the water tap.

A shed also needed moving so Paul and his team has attached makeshift bars to the side of the shed enabling the whole structure to be lifted off the ground. It was a giant game of Tetris as the group shifted and wiggled the shed into its new home.

Special shout out to Benisha who complete her longest run, and to Joel and William for their exceptional help with the heavy lifting. Emily and Laura showed great initiative in regards to starting the task and Jihane and Timotej showed great fitness today during the run.

After the task, we ran back with some of the Zurich team back to their office, with a total distance of 7km and all fit into an extended lunch break. The work done today will have a real impact on local residents. Galleywell is a vital green spaces in the borough with a invertebrate habitat wall, made out of recycled materials and gradually being built by volunteers. The site is currently well used by the adjacent school, and raised beds, native climbers and a bee hive are proposed to encourage more public interest in the garden.

Everyone did amazing today and I hope you all enjoyed your first GoodGym Session.

Today was classic british weather, storming then sun then storming again in the space of a hour. Luckily the sun was shining by the time the mission started, but it wouldn’t continue that way.

Mr S is not very mobile but enjoys his garden. He had planted some wall growing plants, and to keep them in place needed some wire ran along the wall.

To do this, he needed some hooks set in the wall for the wire to connect to.

I firstly had to measure the points on the wall to attach the hooks. Mr S had obviously thought this through a lot as he was able to give me very precise instructions for where he wanted them.

Using a manual drill I drilled 6 holes into the concrete, used a hammer to knock in wall plugs and then screwed in the hooks. This required squatting down into a bush just as the rain started to come back, keeping shoulder pressure on the drill and cranking the handle.

Once the hooks were in, I then attached the wire to them, ran it along the wall - connecting through some hooks hung off the trellises - and then tightened them at both ends.

I tested the strength of the wire, as it would have to hold back a growing plant, and tightened if needed.

Now Mr S can enjoy his plants growing the way he wants, celebrating the job done with a coke zero and a packet of crisps :)

The Spring Fair at Surrey Docks Farm was powered by a tiny but determined team of three volunteers- luckily, we teamed up with other amazing volunteers from the farm, gym, and local groups to get everything ready.

Together, we borrowed tables from the church neighbours, prepared spaces for the animals, put up a lot of gazebos, sorted the BBQ area, and moved hay bale seating into place for activities and visitors. The weather was amazing, the teamwork was strong, and even the animals seemed happy with the setup. Somehow, everything came together just in time for a fantastic spring fair that everyone enjoyed.

Really enjoyed spending time on the farm, getting a sweat on carrying bags of manure and digging the fields. Bonus was getting to hang out with the goats afterwards!

Moving heavy pots and deadheading. Plus tea and cake! 🍰