First of all let's all give a big GoodGym cheer for Kymm and Eric who both came along for their first GG Hounslow session. We're so happy to have you join us for all the weeding, painting and planting that lies ahead!

We were back for our regular visit to Chiswick House last night. Not only do we get to support a beautiful space to stay open for everybody, but our regular sessions there means we get to see just how much and how quickly it changes. The last time we were at the garden by the cafe we were tackling thistles and bind weed, and we were shocked to see when we arrived the growth of the super tall golden grass.

The war against weeds is unrelenting, so we wasted no time getting started on all those intruders. There were plenty of thistles to pull, plus huge green stems of something unidentifiable (by me), and that bind weed which just gets....everywhere.

As always we chatted while we worked and our discussions were varied and wide ranging. We covered the upcoming Olympics, changing hair colours, and even how, as Gus told us, gardeners are healthier as they breathe in a bit of the soil while they work which actually increases nutrients!

We finished up just as the rain started and Kash displayed her patented method of getting as many weeds as possible in the bag - check out X for the video evidence! We hot footed it back to Turnham Green where we were greeted by the most beautiful double rainbow. I hope you all made a wish!

There was just time to squeeze in some running drills where we tried to beat the clock back to our original starting point, and then saw the evening off with some stretches.

Great job everybody! Next week we are going to wash the Turnham Green mural, and we also have this litter pick you can do in your own time. This weekend there are not one but two sessions to choose from. Why not help set up this inclusive music event on Saturday or support junior parkrun in Osterley on Sunday? There's something for everyone!

A last minute change of task yesterday meant that rather than running to help open up a community garden which has been closed for years, we were down at Battersea Park's beautiful Thrive therapy garden. This amazing space is used to promote therapeutic horticultural skills to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or those who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable. At GoodGym we truly believe in the power of getting active outside so it was the perfect fit for us!

We started off the night by welcoming some new faces to our group - so great to have you along for your first session Ben, Mike and Helen. Give them a big cheer, GoodGym!

Thankfully it was a lovely warm night compared to last week's washout, so we did a brief warm up to get those muscles firing. Before we set off on our 2km run to the park, we also went round the group to find out what everyday item (aside from our phone) we couldn't live without. Coffee and delicious things to eat came very high up, as did our watches, beds and our trusty kettle!

We made our way into the park, trying not to notice all the picnics and cool drinks at the cafe, and headed into the therapy garden where we had a list of jobs waiting for us. There were plenty of tasks to choose from, from watering, litter picking, weeding and leaf raking. Everybody cracked on with their chosen task, and somehow it was Paul who ended up on the wrong end of the hose again - or perhaps given the warm weather the cooling off was welcome?

At the end of 40 minutes we had got loads done, including collecting a huge ton bag full of leaves and making sure all the plants (and some humans) got a good watering. It was a calm, regenerative place to spend the evening and easy to see what a great resource the garden is for local people. We'll be back across the park at the herb garden in a few weeks, so get those green fingers ready for more Thrive fun!

It was almost time to run back, but not before an intense plank challenge. For four minutes without a break we held various plank positions, working all those ab muscles. If that wasn't enough we finished off with a core triathlon before heading back to base for stretches. Great work everybody.

Next week we will be back at the Rose community centre to finish off a huge painting job. There are plenty of other sessions to get involved with too, from supporting junior parkrun to helping deliver food for vulnerable people.

As always, if you have any questions about any sessions or events coming up don't hesitate to let me know, and if you haven't joined already we have a busy whatsapp group full of all the GG and social news. Happy GoodGyming everybody!

Signal failures, holidays, and work commitments meant that we were a small group - but as always, a mighty one!

We have been helping support a new partnership between Hounslow FoodBox and the Chiswick allotments which aims to provide local families coping with the cost of living crisis with fresh, organic, locally grown fruit and vegetables.

Our main job so far has been the digging over and preparing the ground for planting, which, much to our delight started this week! The first herbs and tomatoes have gone in. Now just to protect them from the marauding slugs!

We grabbed gloves and forks and got straight to work. The person who owned the site before had favoured a 'no dig' approach to the plot, which meant that as we delved deeper into the soil we were treated to some rather unsavoury smells from previous manure. However, we were reassured to find the manure had come straight from the King's barracks - I'm not sure it smelled any sweeter, but it was royal poo we were shoveling!

We covered a lot of ground, and Kourosh treated us to a secret stash of blackberries. Next time we go they will be truly ripe and a fine reward for our efforts!

We ran and cycled back to base, where we challenged ourselves to a four minute plank - that's one more minute than we have done before. It was tough going, with lots of different versions of the king of core exercises, but we persevered. Well done Jon and Michelle, amazing endurance.

There is a nice musical themed community mission coming up on Saturday, and then next Wednesday we're back to Chiswick House. Hope to see you there!