Three brilliant Hounslow GoodGymmers made the journey over to Westminster last night to help transform a hidden little space tucked away in the middle of a maze-like estate. It definitely took some finding but once we arrived there was plenty waiting for us.

One local resident had invested in an impressive collection of herbs and flowers ready to plant - all very much fitting into the purple theme. After some careful positioning, it was time to get everything into the ground.

It wouldn’t be a community gardening task without the usual challenges: hard soil, a selection of “interesting” tools, the puzzle of making the planting plan work, and some particularly persistent allergenics floating around. But the team powered through and managed to get all the lavender, sage and thyme planted.

The result looked fantastic by the end of the evening, and the task owner was delighted — confirmed by a lovely message from him this morning. With a bit of rain over the next few days, the space is going to be flourishing before long: sweet scents, more flowers, better biodiversity, and extra forage for the nearby bee hives. All the good things.

Great work team!

What a week for GoodGym Hounslow — so many celebrations, achievements and adventures to catch up on!

Fresh off the back of the London Marathon, the good things just kept coming. Florian was busy acting as a guide runner at the Hamburg Half Marathon, while Steph completed a double-header, topping things off with a marathon in Milton Keynes. Add in Will racing in Copenhagen this weekend, plus some adventurous international parkrunning tourism, and it’s safe to say there’s absolutely no stopping you all! We love to see it.

Last night our group run headed out to Dukes Meadow via what we'll call the scenic route. On arrival, we found a few GGers had already beaten us to the task and got stuck in early.

We were joining forces with Abundance London to tackle a huge mound of mulch that had been fly-tipped across several parking spaces. Task organiser Jen greeted us with a cautious, “Just do what you can — I don’t expect you to finish it all…”

But this was her first encounter with GG Hounslow...

Armed with rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows, we got to work. Barrow-load by barrow-load, the mountain steadily disappeared until the hidden parking spaces were finally revealed once more. Great to see some brilliant teamwork in action.

Meanwhile, Emily and Lucy headed over to the beautiful riverside garden, where they took care of some much-needed weeding and tidying, helping the space look its very best for passers-by.

With the sun out, the river alongside us and plenty of heavy lifting involved, it turned into a stunning evening and an unexpectedly thorough fitness session too.

Don’t forget — there’s a mission happening this Saturday at Watermans Park. Can you make it?

Great work everybody!

Last night three GGers gathered to tackle a big task at St Andrew's Youth Club. This place is so much more than a youth club; it’s a safe haven where young people can connect, learn, and grow. It empowers youth from diverse backgrounds to learn life skills, build friendships and so much more.

Our mission was to empty and restock a sizeable cupboard that will soon transform into a changing area for the upcoming BBC's Children in Need. The centre will feature, with several celebs coming to film its various activities.

We sorted through an array of resources, including hulhoops, boxing gear and the iconic Operation game, lifted heavy tables, and got rid of unwanted items. Together, we transformed chaos into order, creating a beautifully organized space. Hopefully our work will help raise significant funds to continue the vital work they do. And we might even see our hard work on TV!

Next week, we’re off to a new community garden within a central London estate. We'll be planting up a green space that will blossom into something beautiful for the community. Sign up here to add purpose to your workout!

Yesterday’s session was a bank holiday special. A brilliant crew of runners giving up their time and potential long lunches to do good and create community spirit. Nice one!

We met, as always, at Battersea Arts Centre, where things kicked off with not one but two questions to get the brain firing—covering the unlikely pairing of cricket and the human skeleton. A true test of both sporting and anatomical knowledge before we even set off.

From there, we headed out to Doddington Community Garden, ready to get stuck in. Tasks included pulling out stubborn dry grass, giving the space a tidy-up, planting valerian root—known for its calming properties and often used to aid sleep—and, of course, plenty of watering to keep everything thriving. Solid teamwork all round.

Next stop: the square for a proper legs session. Lunges in all their forms, squat variations to keep things interesting, and step-ups to really finish things off. It was intense, but the group rose to it—serious effort from everyone.

All in all, a bank holiday well spent. Next week we’re heading to Balham Nursery. Hope you can join us