What a night! A proud contingent of Merton GoodGymmers swapped their running shoes for their smartest trousers and skirts or dresses suitable for wearing under - whilst keeping their iconic red t-shirts front and centre, of course - to attend the glitzy Merton Civic Pride Awards.

As the awards ceremony continued post food, the suspense was building. When the Volunteer Team of the Year category came and went without our name being called, we collectively thought, "Ah well, we tried our best!" and prepared to just enjoy the rest of the evening cheering on other local heroes.

But Merton Connected had a brilliant surprise in store for us. As the the Health & Wellbeing Team of the Year category was announced... and GoodGym Merton scooped the Bronze Award!

We were absolutely over the moon. The award was presented to us by the Mayor of Merton, capping off an unforgettable evening. It is a fantastic recognition of all the miles run, the social visits made, and the community projects tackled to help boost the physical and mental wellbeing of residents across the borough.

Hopefully many more of the Merton residents have now heard of GoodGym in Merton which will only help us continue moving and thriving across the borough.

A massive congratulations to every single GoodGym volunteer - this award belongs to all of you. Keep shining, keep doing good, and let’s keep promoting wellbeing across Merton!

Ahead of the glitz and glamour of the Civic Pride Awards a few of the team donned their finest t-shirt to fly the flag (or new banner in this case) on our stand at the Merton Connected Volunteer Fair.

The room was buzzing, and we spent the hour chatting with local residents, sharing our favorite stories of shifting, sorting, and planting across the borough, and explaining how our unique mix of exercise and community action works. We met some potential new members as well as organisations looking for support - so a really worthwhile session.

A massive thank you to everyone who came along to man the stand, share their passion, and represent the group so brilliantly. The future of GoodGym Merton is looking bright!

Today two of the Taskforce team attended the Kingston & Merton EXPO25. It was a brilliant chance to get face-to-face with numerous businesses, organisations, and individuals to chat all things GoodGym in both Kingston and Merton. The energy was great, and we had so many positive conversations about how we Do Good and Get Fit.

It was great to see some familiar faces, but even better to meet a few people who had heard about us and some who had experienced the team helping with local jobs. Sharing first-hand stories about the difference our runners and volunteers have made reinforced the positive impact we have on the community. We are looking forward to doing more as there were lots of opportunities for follow up

We swapped our running shoes for a deep dive into a year's worth of GoodGym Merton video and photo evidence today. Sifting through hundreds of clips and images, it was a brilliant way to reminisce about everything we've achieved as a community of runners and do-gooders. From massive clean-up and painting sessions through numerous Parkruns to productive gardening efforts.

The resulting content will be used to mark our one-year anniversary date, and most importantly, encourage others to join our growing community.

Why not join us to mark 1 year of GoodGym Merton and you'll become part of the next great chapter?

Monday 27th - group session helping Friends of Raynes Park station: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/help-friends-of-raynes-park-station-with-various-jobs Followed by a social at Raynes Park Tavern (even if you can't make the task beforehand, please do join us - sign up so we have an idea of numbers to book the table/space): https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/october-goodgym-merton-social

Saturday 1st - Parkrun Morden: - Volunteer: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-merton-are-marking-1-year-by-helping-the-volunteer-team-at-morden-parkrun - Walk/run: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/join-goodgym-merton-on-a-walk-run-to-celebrate-our-1-year-anniversary-at-morden-parkrun - Join us for a coffee afterwards at Morden Leisure Centre.

This morning we attended tne Dons Local Action Group networking breakfast which was a great way to connect with some of the local community. We even had an impromptu moment on the mic, where we shared a brief few words about what we do.

We chatted with old contacts and made some great new connections, even picking up a couple of exciting potential requests for help! It was particularly encouraging to find that far more people have heard about GoodGym than when we attended last year.

Huge thanks to the Dons Local Action Group for hosting, it was a truly worthwhile start to the day!

We swapped our running shoes for networking shoes today and attended the Carers Information Event at Raynes Park Library to share more about Missions in Merton. With a guest appearance from an ex-Merton GoodGymmer (who had moved away) it was a great opportunity to catch up with other volunteers, organisations and meet a few new faces.

It was hugely encouraging to hear some positive feedback from those who have already referred an individual - proof that our practical support is making a real difference. We're hoping to get more GoodGym members 'mission verified' so we can continue lending a helping hand where it's needed most.