On a gloriously sunny Monday evening, a merry band of GoodGym Wandsworth legends laced up their trainers and headed skyward—well, eventually—towards the leafy heights of Doddington Rooftop Gardens.

Joining us for their very first GoodGym escapade were the fabulous Mariella, Samand Karen! We can confirm they passed the initiation test with flying colours (and only mild compost-related trauma). Welcome to the gang—you’ve officially earned your sweat badges. 🌟

After a breezy run that had us all feeling deceptively fresh and full of sunshine-fuelled optimism, we arrived at the gardens… and were immediately greeted by many, many bags of compost. They weren’t going to carry themselves up several flights of stairs, so with military precision (and a good amount of giggling), a human chain was formed. Efficiency levels were high. Biceps were engaged. By the end, we were wearing more compost than clothes.

Meanwhile, an elite fridge-hunting squad was dispatched to a mysterious building nearby to retrieve a rogue refrigerator that was apparently playing hide and seek. Rumours of fridge-related riddles and mazes are still unconfirmed, but huge props to Dave and Caroline, who found the elusive appliance and to Sam who heroically hauled it up the stairs and into position like an absolute legend.

Back at base camp, composting dreams came true: leaves were swept, a giant compost patch was lovingly sculpted, and weeds were decisively evicted. Shoutout to Mariella, who took on one particularly stubborn root system with the determination of someone trying to cancel a gym membership—no weed stood a chance.

Just when we thought our upper bodies might revolt, it was time for a partnered HIIT session—but with a twist: we paired up with people we hadn’t chatted to yet. Lunges, squats, and a bit of mid-squat small talk ensued. Apparently, nothing says “let’s get to know each other” like high knees and mutual breathlessness.

To round off a Monday evening well spent, we made our way to The Latchmere for our much-loved monthly pub quiz, where compost facts were (probably) not part of the trivia, but team spirit was sky-high.

It was all anyone was talking about all day, but on the hottest day of the year so far, our intrepid GoodGym crew forewent the air con and dark rooms and braved the blazing sunshine for a brand new task – heading over to Balham Nursery to help create a beautiful garden space for their under-fives.

We took a gentle jog to the site where we were warmly met by headteacher Natasha and immediately offered ice-cold water, which was very gratefully received. After a quick briefing, we got to work clearing and transforming the space.

The area needed a bit of TLC to become the safe, vibrant spot the nursery envisions – a place where the children can play, sit, and learn among wildflowers. We raked, weeded, and cleared debris to make it safe and welcoming. Along the way, we unearthed a number of long-lost treasures: colourful balls, plastic spades, and even a lion – along with a few other wild animals! Naturally, all creatures great and small were carefully returned to their rightful home.

The heat at 7:30 wasn't conducive to pushing ourselves further so fitness was shevled - but only until next week! So after a satisfying tidy-up, a bit more water, and a final look at our progress, we called it a success and made our way home.

Next week we’re heading back to Doddington for our regular monthly visit – and then on to a pub quiz. Come along and join the fun – we’d love to see you there! Here's the sign up page

Last night saw us heading back to a firm GoodGym favourite – St Mary's Primary School – for another rewarding evening of digging, running, and even a bit of sliding.

We kicked things off with a warm-up and a chat about our favourite school trips. From Paris to the Isle of Wight and even the sensory delights of Eden Camp – complete with the authentic sounds, sights, and smells of WWII – there were plenty of nostalgic stories to share before we set off.

The run to St Mary's was breezy, and the reward at the end was worth it: a stunning rooftop terrace view over Battersea and beyond. Lucky kids!

Before getting stuck in, we took a moment to admire an area we’d previously cleared, now flourishing as a climate garden. All that hard work shifting compost on a dark winter's night was worth it!

This time, our mission was to tackle a massive raised bed in preparation for a new wetland wildlife area. Tools in hand, we set to work digging, bagging, raking and generally making light work of a heavy job. The transformation was soon complete!

And then… the moment we’d all been waiting for: The Slide. A mixed bag of dismounts, but credit where it’s due – former pro gymnast Jason delivered a textbook landing. Gold stars all round.

We wrapped things up with a quick fitness session – think running drills, high fives, and arm burners – before heading off on the return run.

Next week we’re onto a brand new task at a local nursery, helping to create an exciting garden space for the under-fives. Sign up here!

Last night, a small but sweet GoodGym Wandsworth team took to the streets for a successful session supporting Youth Battersea – an organisation doing brilliant work in the community. Their mission? Creating a safe, supportive space for local young people to build confidence, skills, and friendships and giving them access to trips, experiences and visits outside of London.

We met John and Charles, who gave us a great overview of what Youth Battersea is all about, and why getting the word out is so vital. One of the main ways they raise money is through a ball in November, so it was our job to get news of the event out there. Just before we set off we did a warm up, discovering the mathematicians among us and discussing the ultimate debate: night in, night out, or night out-out? The out-out crew just edged it… which can only mean one thing – GG Wandsworth social coming soon!

With over 50 envelopes each and a trusty map, it was time for the off. We quickly formed a very efficient human chain to cover nearly two miles of letterboxes in no time. Cheski, showing her flyer finesse, even managed to find a way into a block of flats and smashed through a big bundle in one go – extra points for elite flyering!

Halfway through, we stopped for a mini strength and conditioning session – complete with some very impressive press-ups and excellent plank form. We discussed dinner plans and even a post-task picnic but there were still flyers to deliver and we were not going to shirk our responsibility for a sun drenched evening on the common...however tempting it sounded!

With our job nearly done, we powered through the final streets, stretched it out at base, and wrapped up another purposeful and positive evening. Next week we're off to a local school for a task involving slides. Yup, you read that right. Sign up here to join the fun and find out more!.

A Night of Heroes, Horticulture & Happy Endings at Doddington!

Last night was a special one as we celebrated a big achievement: Paul completed his 400th Good Deed! To mark this milestone for a real-life hero, we had a well-deserved stash of chocolate heroes to fuel our efforts and congratulate Paul on his unwavering dedication.

Our session took us down to the Doddington Community Garden, a vibrant green hub that always benefits the community. We tackled a variety of tasks, including:

Battling the bindweed - an ongoing effort to remove this persistent weed to give the raspberries a chance to flourish. Clearing areas for trees- Annabel and Paul got busy ensuring the ash and apple have the space and light they need Transporting hay and tiles - a true team effort, moving (heavy) items around the garden. Removing dead leaves and sweeping up - Pritesh, Sophie and Jason got rid of all those yellow leaves cluttering up the place

It wasalso great to admire the onions we planted some time ago, now flourishing – a testament to the long-term impact of our GoodGym efforts!

After a productive gardening session, we headed downstairs for a competitive fitness session which saw Sophie and Dave crowned tricep dip royalty!

The run back to base took an unexpected turn as we became embroiled in a missing dog drama. Thankfully, Catherine and Jordan stepped in swiftly and contacted the council, providing crucial assistance. We were all delighted to find out later that evening that the dog was successfully reunited with its owner! A truly happy ending to what was already a very productive night.

A huge well done to everyone, especially to Paul on his amazing 400th good deed!

Join us for our next mission this Saturday: moving mulch! Your help would be greatly appreciated. You can sign up here

On a blustery, rainy bank holiday six GGers fulled by coffee and bananas ran down to Bramford community garden to plant a goji berry bush, do a massive litter pick and do battle with an ailing raised bed. Several brackets and rusty screws later we think we emerged victorious but time will tell - we'll check in with the bed and its curious robin next visit!

A Berry Good Morning in Battersea 🌿🌞

What better way to kick off the weekend than with a GoodGym community mission that had a huge impact!

A brilliant group of GGers came together on Saturday morning, answering the call to help out at a thriving community garden in the heart of Battersea. This huge green space is a vital hub for local residents—a place to grow, connect, and learn. We're really happy to visit regularly to help keep it flourishing.

It was especially lovely to welcome some first-time GoodGymers—great to meet you Abadesi, Pranav, Adrian and Shreyasi and thanks for getting so stuck in!

There was certainly no shortage of jobs to tackle, and we going straight away. Tasks ranged from planting raspberry canes to clearing an overgrown area, de bind-weeding around a goji bush, and yes—digging not one, not two, but THREE holes to plant a beautiful new bay tree. There was weeding a-plenty, pruning, trimming and composting and a few mystery pipes to contend with, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle.

The energy was high, there was plenty of teamwork strong and even more laughs. It’s always amazing to see how much can get done when a group of motivated people come together. By the end of the morning, the garden was looking better than ever and Malissa was really pleased with all we got done.

We wrapped up the mission in the best possible way—with a trip to a local café for some well-earned tasty drinks and snacks. A perfect reward. Nice work everybody!