The Route: A Berry Good Adventure! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

This week our fantastic crew of do-gooders embarked on another mission to spread joy and burn calories in equal measure! We ran to Holy Trinity to meet the lovely Adam, taking the scenic route through the park where we couldn’t resist a spontaneous 50-yard dash. Because apparently regular running isn’t challenging enough - we needed to add some competitive spirit to really get those heart rates pumping!

Well done Fi!! Perdie sorry about the misbehaving bicycle...:0(

Mission: Operation Bramble Trouble

Once we arrived at the vicarage, it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty (and thorny) business of garden warfare:

Blackberry Bramble Battle Royale - Armed with secateurs and sheer determination, we took on some seriously aggressive brambles that had clearly been plotting garden domination. These weren’t just any old thorns - they were the kind that fight back! Several volunteers emerged looking like they’d been wrestling with a particularly grumpy hedgehog, but victory (and a kilo of berries) was ours!

Path Clearing Champions - We declared all-out war on weeds and moss, transforming a slightly shabby path into something so pristine it practically sparkled. The weeds didn’t stand a chance against our green-fingered army of destruction!

Weeding Warriors - No dandelion was safe as our volunteers pulled, tugged, and uprooted with the enthusiasm of people who genuinely enjoy making things tidy (which, let’s face it, is slightly concerning but utterly admirable).

🌟 LEGEND ALERT: Michael Hits the Big 3-0-0! 🌟

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have a genuine superhero in our midst! Tonight we’re celebrating our absolute legend Michael, who has just recorded his 300th good deed with GoodGym!

That’s right - THREE HUNDRED acts of community kindness since he started back in 2017. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly one good deed for every cup of tea consumed during a typical British crisis meeting, or about the same number of times we’ve all said “this year will definitely be different” since 2017.

Michael, you absolute weapon of community spirit, you’ve been smashing it for seven years and show no signs of slowing down. From bramble battles to litter picking adventures, from community garden chaos to whatever weird and wonderful tasks we’ll inevitably stumble into next week - you’ve been there through it all!

Here’s to Michael: proving that being a legend isn’t just about what you achieve, but about showing up week after week with a smile, a pair of running shoes, and an inexplicable willingness to wrestle with hostile vegetation! 🏆

The Verdict

Another week, another successful mission accomplished! The vicarage is looking absolutely mint (pun intended), our step counters are very happy with us, and somewhere in Lambeth, a group of defeated brambles is probably plotting their revenge for next season.

Until next week, keep running, keep laughing, and keep being the kind of people who think spending their evening pulling weeds is actually a pretty decent way to spend time!

Remember: We’re not just working out - we’re working wonders in our community, one terrible pun at a time!

🏃‍♀️💪

Mission accomplished at Loughborough Farm!

Tonight’s fantastic six-strong crew descended upon Heather’s domain at Loughborough Farm like a well-oiled (and slightly soggy) machine. Armed with determination, our heroes tackled the great ballast adventure of 2025!

The MOT Spreading Squad 🚛

Our fearless volunteers channeled their inner road builders, spreading MOT ballast by the plant room with the precision of seasoned professionals. Who knew that “getting your steps in” could involve so much actual construction work? The ballast didn’t stand a chance against our collective enthusiasm and surprising upper body strength!

Timber Titans & Concrete Champions 🪵🏗️

Not content with just one heroic feat, the team also:

• Relocated ancient timber with the grace of furniture movers (but with more dirt under their fingernails)
• Conquered the concrete mountain - because nothing says “cardio” like hauling chunks of old concrete to their final resting place

Welcome Back Celebrations! 🎉

The evening was made even more special with some brilliant returnees:

• Jordan graced us with their presence after what felt like forever away - we missed those legendary lifting skills!
• Jo made a triumphant comeback after becoming a superhero parent to a beautiful baby boy! From Task Force hero to actual life-creating hero - now that’s an upgrade!

Tonight’s Dream Team 🌟

A massive shout-out to our incredible volunteers: Michael, Ben, Tilly, Jordan, Jo, and Adam - you absolute legends! Six people, countless wheelbarrows, and one very satisfied Heather at Loughborough Farm.

Remember: We don’t just run for fitness, we run for purpose! Next week, who knows what adventures await… but we guarantee it’ll involve getting pleasantly grubby while making a real difference in our community.

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Keep being amazing, GoodGym Lambeth! 🏃‍♂️🌱

Last night's group run was truly the root of all good things! Our dedicated runners (Manos, Michael and AA) set off from Papa's Park and made tracks to Windmill allotments, where we dug deep to support Annick and our local growing community.

Mission Accomplished! Our fantastic volunteers really grew into their roles, tackling essential maintenance tasks that will help the allotment flourish. The team split the work beautifully, ensuring no stone was left unturned:

Weed Clearance: Our runners showed they weren't afraid to get down and dirty, pulling up unwanted plants with determination. They really weeded out the competition when it came to thoroughness!

Skip Filling: The wheelbarrow brigade worked tirelessly, wheeling and dealing their way through piles of garden waste. Talk about moving mountains one barrow at a time!

Manure Transport: Our soil-diers demonstrated that when it comes to community service, they're not afraid of the dirty work. They really knew how to spread the love around the allotment!

Every single runner deserves recognition for their outstanding performance. From start to finish, the group showed they have the right stuff when it comes to putting down roots in the community. Their efforts will help ensure the allotment continues to be a place where great things can grow.

A massive thank you to all our incredible volunteers who proved that when we work together, we can really make something beautiful bloom. Your hard work and positive attitudes made the evening truly ground-breaking. You've shown that GoodGym Lambeth runners are always ready to turn over a new leaf for their community!

Until our next mission, keep growing strong!

On the run back to base Charlotte put it perfectly, these were the best conditions for our group run so far in 2025, lovely temperature and the sun setting as we made our way back - you could feel the positive vibes all around.

Let's not get into the fact that yet another GGer had just returned from amazing travels in Central America making the rest of us feel greener than Sticky Willy with envy (!) and focus on the awesome run and task of the evening. Charlotte, Dan and AA Yianny met at Papa's and set off on a secret flat route through Brockwell Park even being able to rock t-shirt and shorts for the first time!

On arrival we were met by our host Nicole who presented us with our tasks, Ben who made his way directly to the task, Ellie who arrived straight from work (don't worry Ellie we can sort that for you ;0) and we were delighted to see Adam again - sporting a new mark of bravery but looking well so great to have you back with us!

Over the next 45 mins we finished off the final load of barkchip to lay in the upper garden and then started the never ending task of clearing the circular path's weeds which no sooner do we get to one end seem to grow back at the other.

Not to worry GG are great at repetitive but valuable tasks and so it was that we put another lovely evening to bed and all left HT in high spirits.

We move on to next week and so I wish everyone a lovely week and look forward to seeing you next time.

As AA Yianny had to travel unexpectedly the GG team stepped in and Fi kindly covered the group run this Tuesday.

Feedback from the team was that it was all fine and dandy. Fi and Ben ran together from Papas and met Paul, Adam and Michael at the task.

The group chopped 6 big holly bushes right back (with some secateurs) which took up the whole time available Helping to not block the windows and provide a bit more light ahead of spring.

Big thank you to Fi and the whole group for stepping in / up and delivering another excellent task.

See you all next time!