One of the best things about GoodGyming is the opportunity it gives us to discover new places, organisations and hidden gems that are doing good stuff all over our borough. Last night was no exception as we headed over to Larkhall Park for our first visit to this lovely little London park.We were treated with a welcome from a group of volunteers who manage the space, a task which quickly made a difference, and even sightings of bats and foxes. What more could we ask for?

We started the night on a high, welcoming Felix to his very first session - lovely to have you join us Felix!

We did our warm up and, in recognition of our task at a local park, our question for the evening was on theme. The first national park opened in 1872, but where is it? We had lots of great guesses but it was Jason and Adrian who nailed it in one - it was Yellowstone Park in the US. Good pub quiz practice!

We took a nice gentle run to Larkhall (little did we know we should have appreciated the downhill nature of the journey there as we only realised on the return leg!) to find The Friends of Larkhall Park waiting for us with loads of tools and instructions for us.

We divided up into teams, each taking on responsibility for one area. Gloves on we got cracking with the weeding, clearing, litter picking and general tidying up. Passers by stopped to admire the work we were doing, and its great to see how quickly people notice when our public areas are cared for. Hopefully it means there will be less litter dropped, creating a safer, more sustainable local space!

Job done, we returned the tools and moved over to the grass for a balance for runners session. we tested our skills (very impressive!) with an eyes shut challenge, before doing several drills that work on our coordination. Great job everybody.

Next week we're off to the GoodGym garden - so sign up here for another Monday of getting fun and active.

We also have a great community mission happening this Saturday helping clear out and clean up a nature reserve.

One task, double the impact! Tonight 12 GoodGymers carried bin bags of leaves from Christchurch Gardens to Doddington Roof Gardens, proving that one person's trash really is another person's treasure. GoodGym Wandsworth collected the leaves into bags at a previous task, to help keep the church garden, clean, safe and accessible. But rather than see those bags head to landfill, the quick thinking team arranged to carry them a mile down Battersea Park Road and hand deliver them to Chief Gardener Melissa at Doddington Roof Gardens. In their new home, the leaves will be tossed on the compost heap and turned into nutritious mulch to fuel another year of gorgeous garden growth.

We also welcomed Rosie to her first ever GoodGym session and the lovely late summer sun tempted Carol, Andy and Jamie back too! It was great to meet them and to share not one, but two of the local community spaces we have worked with in the past year.

After the task the team took on a 5 minute fitness relay, with two teams going head-to-head in sprints, jumping jacks, plank holds, squats and high knees, to get the heart rate up, test our strength and even have a bit of fun in the meantime. Then it was onto the pub quiz for our monthly social (delayed by one week). Not everyone could stick around this month, but the 6 Salt & Shakers who stayed came a respectable 3rd - no cash prizes for the garden this time, but a good time was had and we all left with a hankering for old-school crisps with names that alliterate (Hula-Hoops, French Fries, Monster Munch...)

It was so great to be back at Doddington Garden again after a few weeks away, and even in that time the garden has sprung up. Tucked away on a rooftop in Battersea, it is an oasis of green that we visit regularly to do lots of different tasks.A much-loved community garden it brings people together and produces some delicious fruit and veg.

It was a bit of a soggy evening, but a happy crew of GoodGymers were delighted to welcome Larisa, Annie and Renee to their first group run. Great to have you join us despite the drizzle!

Once we got there, we got stuck into all sorts of tasks, including getting new plants in the ground, sweeping up leaves to keep paths clear and create mulch, plus shifting compost bags to tidy up the space.

Great to see the garden flourish as the seasons change– and this time we were rewarded with freshly-picked plums straight from the tree. It was a perfect energy boost for the fitness session ahead!

The hard work didn’t stop at gardening - downstairs it was time for a seven-station upper-body blast – press-ups, dips, and a whole mix of arm-burners had us testing our biceps, triceps and traps. We just had time for a run back and some stretches to round off the evening.

Next week, Catherine will be leading the session with plenty of fun, doing good, and getting active guaranteed

Brilliant effort tonight, team!

Is it sunny? Is it raining? Is it stormy? Who knows? But one thing is for sure, that while the weather in Wandsworth was playing up last night, GoodGym had a job to do and wasn't going to let anything get in our way!

First up, we had the pleasure of welcoming Anne Marie and Amelia to their first session. Great to meet you and hope we'll see you again for more Goodgyming.

We did our warm up in 30 C heat, before discussing which band or singer either from history or present day, would we most like to see. Queen, Bowie, Oasis, Whitney, Britney, Cardi B and the Beatles all made the (eclectic) list.

Our task for the evening was at the Gwyneth Morgan day centre. This specialist centre for people over 60, adults with disabilities and adults with dementia is a safe space for leisure, recreation and wellbeing. They promote independence and social inclusion and everybody is treated with dignity and respect.

They needed a hand with their outside space, including planting a whole load of donated plants. The first job however was to dig up the old - and very stubborn - bushes there. The dry ground didn't help matters, and it took a lot of digging, puling and general coaxing to get them out. The area was then planted with roses and hydrangeas which will brighten up the space for the users.

Meanwhile there was plenty of planting going on at a different site, masses of watering, pots to empty and trimming to be done. It proved to be quite the workout, which was maybe why at first we didn't notice the skies darkening. It was just as we crossed over to Wandsworth common to do our fitness session that the rain started coming. We cracked on with a total body workout on super speed, working on three main muscles groups. There was a dash back, before stretches.

I'm just confirming the task for next Monday so watch this space - but guaranteed it'll involve a lot of doing good, plenty of fun and even more getting active!

Last night we celebrated nine glorious years of GoodGym Wandsworth – and we did it in classic GG style: with a run, a task at our own GG garden, a lot of laughs and even more potatoes.

We kicked things off with a warm-up and a guess at just how many good deeds have we racked up over the years. The answer? A huge 10,772. That’s a phenomenal amount of digging, weeding, painting, planting and moments of kindness.

We set off to the Omnibus Theatre, where we’ve been cultivating a garden space over the past year. This isn’t just any community garden — it’s one where the produce goes straight to charities supporting families facing food insecurity. With summer in full swing, everything had sprung up— and that includes the weeds! We rolled up our sleeves for a big clear-out. But amidst the weeds were some real treasures. The black gooseberries, figs, beans and chard were all looking lush and leafy, but the highlight was a huge haul of homegrown potatoes – check out the photos to see just what we have produced.

We then dashed over to the road for our traditional birthday fitness session, where last night everything was decided by the roll of a dice. There were squats, sprints and side planks as we battled it out. Even after nine years, the GG Wandsworth competitive spirit is strong– and we never miss a chance to make burpees "fun".

Celebrating what we’ve achieved together in nine years was pretty special. From community clean-ups to massive missions, planting gardens to growing friendships – it’s been a super fun ride powered by the energy and generosity every GoodGymer who’s ever pulled on that red tshirt.

To round off the evening, we returned to the theatre for our party which included double amazing cake courtesy of the legendary Jordan and Catherine, an amazing quiz crafted by ace Quizmaster Paul and of course a toast to the next nine years of doing good and getting fit together. Thanks to everyone who came, ran, weeded, rolled, quizzed, caked and celebrated. Here's to many more miles...

Happy Birthday, GoodGym Wandsworth! ❤️🥔