Monday 22nd June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
With temperatures on the brink of soaring, a welcome breeze kept conditions comfortable as the GoodGym Wandsworth crew gathered for another Monday night run.
After meeting up for a warm-up, we were delighted to welcome Robyn for a very first GoodGym session. Great to have you with us, Robyn!
Before setting off, it was time for the Quiz Question of the Week: Which country holds the record for the highest peak temperature ever recorded? A tricky one this week, but the answer was Kuwait, where temperatures have reached a blistering 54°C. A bit like the Victoria line this week...
Our destination was Balham Nursery School, where a long list of jobs awaited us. This state nursery plays a vital role in providing early years education and support for local children and families, making it a fantastic community asset where we love to help out.
On arrival we found Annabel already hard at work so we followed her example and quickly split into teams.
Robyn, Chris, Hazel and Matthew rgot busy tackling the gardening and weeding. Meanwhile, Adam and Felix took on the tree trimming, with Caroline bagging up the cuttings as they worked. Over on bunting duty, Pritesh, Beth and Jack were tasked with decorating for the nursery's upcoming open day and party. Faced with a breezy evening, they came up with the ingenious solution of tying spoons to the ends of the strings to stop them flying away. So simple, so effective, soGoodGym.
It was hard work - but the result?
And then came the reward. We were introduced to the nursery's newly hatched ducklings. Tiny, fluffy, chirpy balls of yellow cuteness that had only recently entered the world. It just goes to show that no two GoodGym tasks are ever quite the same.
We've got a mission coming up this weekend in Southfields, and next Monday we'll be helping to spread the word about the Battersea Children's Centre scheme by stuffing envelopes. Hope you can make it!
Monday 15th June
Written by Soph Stern
It was a first time for me, and a first time for Mrs H on Monday evening. I set out to Tooting for my first ever mission which involved clearing and tidying Mrs H's garden. Mrs H had heard about GoodGym through her local church and was very happy to receive some assistance.
Monday 15th June
Written by Sophie Humphrey
It was back to Larkhall park tonight to continue to tackle the petanque court. It has sadly become overgrown and so it was us vs the weeds (and the ants it turned out!). A beautiful timelapse created by Jason shows just how hard the team worked to clear it out and help to get this space back in shape.
We did test our world cup knowledge before we went and ended up with some freestyle fitness. Good work Wandsworth!
Monday 8th June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Last night we headed back to St Mary's Church, the oldest church in Battersea and quite possibly the most beautiful too. Sitting right on the Thames, St Mary's is famous not only for its stunning riverside setting but also for its links to William Blake, who was married there in 1782, and to the artist Turner.
Before setting off, we got warmed up and kicked things off with a World Cup-themed question. Judging by how quickly everyone got it, it may have been slightly too easy. I'll think of something more challenging next time!
A huge congratulations also to Jack and Hazel, who smashed the Blenheim Triathlon at the weekend, racing alongside one of the famous Olympic Brownlee brothers. An amazing achievement.
We then set off, running through the beautiful Battersea Square, which felt like we were on holiday, before arriving at the church. We were greeted by a little and large dog duo featuring the vicar's Great Dane (or was that pony?).
Our task was to help the volunteer gardening team who work to keep the church grounds looking fantastic and welcoming. There was plenty to get stuck into: weeding along the church walls and around the perimeter, sweeping paths, strimming overgrown areas and raking up the results.
As we worked, the church bells rang out across the grounds, the Thames flowed beside us and a family of geese wandered past inspecting our efforts. It was one of those evenings that reminds you why outdoor tasks in summer are hard to beat. Especially when we were rewarded with so many snacks! Eventually prising Felix away from the strimmer and everybody else from the haribo, we headed back towards base, breaking up the run with a series of fitness stations. Single-leg squats, planks and tricep dips were all on the route, and there was also supposed to be one final exercise station, which I forgot and strangely nobody reminded me....
Thanks to everyone who came along and made it such a lovely evening. Next week we're off to rescue the pétanque court at Lark Hall Park. Hope you can make it!
Saturday 6th June
Written by Beth (She/her)
Two GoodGymers joined forces with Beautify Balham for a litter-picking mission around Sainsbury’s and the surrounding streets.
After donning our hi-vis vests and grabbing our litter pickers, we set to work. An hour later, and after collecting countless cigarette butts and other discarded rubbish, we had filled several bags and made a visible difference to the local area.
This task was one of many taking place across the UK as part of The Great Big Green Week, organised by The Climate Coalition. We were also joined by a representative from the organisation, who shared more about the campaign and its aims to inspire positive environmental action.
A special welcome to Laura, who completed their very first GoodGym mission today! Thank you so much for all your hard work—we hope to see you at many more missions in the future
Friday 5th June
Written by Nick Moore
Ms J's flat was on the 19th floor, so was glad the lift was working - pretty sure this is the highest I've gone for a shopping mission, although sadly I didn't get to enjoy the view. She asked if I'd mind going to the Lidl near Clapham Junction which was fine - she'd marked most of the items on her list by weight, which made choosing the right products so much easier, and was glad I'd bought my backpack for the heavy lifting. I was soon back with full bag in hand with all that she'd requested - Ms J was very grateful for the assistance.
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