9 GoodGym-ers made their way from various start points between Charlton & Woolwich, along the river at Woolwich, to the outskirts of a retail estate in Plumstead, where fast food, a major roundabout, and several pedestrian/cycle interchanges have contributed to a huge build up of rubbish.

Our task might not have been as exciting as this morning's Lunar Litterpick, but adventures were to be had as we got to see the best & worst of the area, passing through local parks along the way.

Joined by other volunteers, we hastily got to work gathering the usual bottles, cans, coffee cups, masks, water bottles, chocolate wrappers & papers into bags. Some of this involved hedge battles to rescue the captive litter, which in general I think we won, with many bags of waste & recyclables to show for it.

Time made April Fools of us all, and soon darkness was announcing the end of today's task. A final workout taking lots of full rubbish bags to the bins around the corner and we headed our separate ways.

Until next time!

Screenplay for a morning of GoodGym volunteering at the Community Hospice...

FADE IN

A quiet, peaceful garden. Birds chirp. A gentle breeze rustles leaves. Sun is shining.

A series of planters in front of the building, overlooked by windows from one of the wards. While the rest of the planters have plants and flowers, one is just full of soil.

A group of eight GoodGymers enters the frame, with Jason, Head Gardener. Chatting and laughing.

On their first ever task Debby and Chris are settling right in.

CLOSE UP

Gloved hands grabbing shovels.

PAN OUT

Rhythmic shovelling. Soil is emptied from the planter into big bags.

A white layer of polystyrene is revealed beneath the soil. Shovelling becomes careful, considered so as not to break its surface and release the white beads.

Careful hands lift the thick polystyrene sheets out and take it to the bins.

Scissors slice through a sheet of weed membrane, shaping it to line the planter.

The original soil is shovelled back into the planter.

TIME LAPSE SEQUENCE

A chain gang forms:

• One group shovels fresh soil into trugs

• Another ferries them in wheelbarrows

• Another tips soil into the planter

• Hands press down to compact the surface.

• The barrows return.

Repeated until the planter is completely filled.

Teamwork in action. Effort. Energy. Chatting. Laughter.

PAN OUT

The team steps back.

The planter is restored, renewed. Ready for new blooms.

CUT TO GROUP SHOT

Smiling faces. Job done.

TITLE CARD:

2026: A SPADE ODYSSEY

SUBTITLE:

GoodGym will return

END