🌼 Last night's GoodGym Wandsworth session was a very special one, as we came together to plant daffodils in memory of our GoodGym friend David.

We met at the BAC before heading out for a run to the church, where we had last enjoyed a GoodGym session with David. There we were joined by his family, and David's sister Kate shared some beautiful words about all the good he'd done with GoodGym over the years helping our local community organisations, shopping and doing practical tasks for elderly people as well as the limitless energy he had in our green spaces. He had a smile on his face after gardening in the sunshine at the church last time, so it felt like the right place to come together and create a lasting tribute.

With 1,000 daffodil bulbs to plant and three planters to build, there was plenty to keep everyone busy and we all got busy digging, drilling and sharing memories. Come spring, around David's birthday, the church grounds will be filled with not just a splash, but a whole wave of his favourite colour. The new planters will also bring some joy to people passing by the river and it will be a beautiful spot that we can all return to and enjoy.

We finished the evening with some amazing cake lovingly made by Kate, hot chocolate, biscuits and, most importantly, plenty of time to chat and spend time together. There was even a real moment of remembering our very first birthday at GoodGym Wandsworth as we spotted the badge Kate was wearing - the very same we handed out nine years ago to mark the occasion! It means a lot that David had kept it all this time.

Community means so many things. For us it can be meeting up every week to shift soil at Doddington, to make up beds at the rough sleepers hub, or to paint the nursery at Balham. It includes enjoying our regular pub quiz together and celebrating birthdays, races and milestones. It also means showing up for one another, remembering those who have touched our lives and creating something meaningful and lasting.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and played a part in making something so beautiful. The bulbs you planted will improve biodiversity at St Mary's and bring joy to local people. It is a colourful tribute to somebody who gave so much to people in Wandsworth and beyond, and who will be remembered every spring when they bloom. 💛

Today was a small team with a productive and satisfying task!

Upon arrival, we discovered that the original plans for tree planting and construction had been postponed... But still with plenty to be done here, we chose to prepare the ground for the new polytunnel to be constructed soon.

We got stuck with uprooting brambles, using super rakes and more, decluttering and leaving the ground bare for the next phase. As sunset began to loom, we could see our achievement, wrapped it in a huge tarp, and finished with some much-appreciated hot tea and biscuits!

There will be plenty more tasks here soon.. Watch this space...

It was lovely seeing Mrs J again, her health hasn't been the best so she was happy to have some company. we spent a bit of time going through her phone settings, learning how to use email, telephone, text messages and a search engine. She has promised to spend more time practicing and not being afraid to make messages as she now knows she can just click 'back' and everything will be fine. Lovely session.

I was greeted by Mrs A with her usual bright smile and her well written shopping list, popped over to the supermarket, got the goods walked back uphill (harder than it looks with a 6 pack of water) and fit in a quick spot of tea and chat before heading off.

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What a fantastic evening of collaboration, community spirit and a fair bit of friendly competition at GoodGym Wandsworth last night!

We were delighted to welcome the team from Enable to join us. Enable is a charitable organisation working in partnership with Wandsworth Council to deliver health, leisure and community services across the borough. From looking after parks and green spaces to providing sports, wellbeing and community programmes, they're all about making Wandsworth a better place to live. A perfect partner for an evening of GoodGyming!

We kicked things off with a warm-up and a suitably seasonal question to get everyone thinking: How many noses does a slug have? Well done to Gabriel and Anais for getting that particularly niche question right!

Then it was off to Doddington Community Garden, a wonderful community green space where local people can come together to grow, garden and enjoy a little oasis of green.

There was plenty to get stuck into, with a variety of jobs to keep our green-fingered team busy:

• Taming and tying back the raspberry canes.

• Pulling up grass and clearing space.

• Creating new no-dig layered beds – otherwise known as delicious-sounding 'trifle beds'!

• Getting strawberries planted and ready for spring.

There was no shortage of jobs to do - the only slight hitch was that the lights were temporarily out of commission. It made things a little trickier, but that didn't stop us. By the end of the session, we'd made a really good dent in the jobs and Malissa was delighted with what we'd achieved. Great work, everyone!

Next, it was down the stairs for some fitness . We started off with a game of head or tails which had us running laps of the square, or if you were lucky, doing the conditioning option. We then moved onto a sprint-hold challenge, before finishing with a full minute of planking with some serious core strength on display!

But the evening wasn't over yet. We headed off to the pub for the eagerly anticipated GoodGym v GoodGym v Enable pub quiz. There was some impressive quizzing all round, with everyone doing very respectably. One of the GoodGym teams even won the jackpot! 🎉 That means our Christmas party fund has just had a very welcome boost. So, make sure you put 14th December in your diary for our Christmas celebrations.

A huge thank you to Enable for joining us for a brilliant evening of collaboration, community action, fitness and fun.

Coming up next: We've got more missions on Wednesday to help support a food growing and sharing initiative in Roehampton. You can sign up here - these sessions will be happening throughout the day.

Next week we have a very special group run where we will be planting no fewer than 1000 daffodil bulbs . Hope to see you there💚

🌸Saturday morning saw GoodGym Wandsworth heading to the neurodisability hospital to help create something special – a therapy garden for patients and their families.

A garden like this can make a huge difference. Having access to a peaceful outdoor space, surrounded by nature and greenery, can support wellbeing, reduce stress and anxiety, aid recovery and provide a welcome place for patients and loved ones to spend time together away from the clinical environment. A little green space can go a long way! 💚

A special welcome to Charlotte, who joined us for her very first GoodGym session. What a lovely morning to make your debut!

It was a morning of digging, planting and a fair bit of battling, as we discovered that the ground was rock hard! Undeterred, Charlotte set about getting a donated camellia into the ground, determined to give it a happy new home.

Meanwhile, Letizia and I got busy building a brand-new no-dig flower bed. Layer by layer, we added soil, twigs and topsoil to create the foundations for a beautiful new growing space.

We even had a visit from a pair of curious robins, hoping we'd unearth a few tasty treats along the way! 🐦

The sun was shining, the company was lovely and there was a sense that we were helping to create something meaningful.

A beautiful morning, a special project and hopefully the beginnings of a garden that will bring plant based therapy, joy and a little bit of nature to many people for years to come. 🌱