I was one of the 11 Goodgym-ers who signed up for this task, and this was my experience. I completed the task on my way home after finishing a long day shift.

I’d also like to share a little story from earlier that day. On my way to work, I was walking (and occasionally jogging!) across the common carrying my litter grabber. I noticed a lady feeding the hawks with some bread, which I thought was lovely. However, when she finished, she simply threw the empty plastic wrapper onto the ground instead of putting it in a nearby bin.

She was walking just ahead of me, and I found myself wondering whether I should politely remind her that it wasn’t the right thing to do. After a moment, I felt it was the right time to say something. I walked past her, slowed down, and kindly said, “You can put that plastic in the bin, you know.”

She looked at me, noticed the litter grabber I was carrying, smiled, and seemed to acknowledge what I’d said. Perhaps seeing me with the grabber made her think, “That makes sense.” I’ll never know, but I hope it encouraged her to dispose of her rubbish properly in the future.

I walked away feeling surprisingly empowered. It reminded me that sometimes it’s all about choosing the right moment and using a respectful approach. A simple, kind reminder can make a difference.

I hope that small conversation made a positive impact. If we all help each other in little ways, we can keep our community clean and make it a better place for everyone to live.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Cecilia D🍀

Note: By the end of my litter pick, my bag was mostly filled with recyclable items.

Peter and Ivar made their way to Eltham this morning for the junior parkrun. Ivar as a marshal, Peter keeping the time.

It was the usual parkrun fun: around 100 kids, twice as many feet, the odd crying tantrum, a dog or two, and lots of high fives.

The sun came and went, but the breeze made this tail end of a heatwave bearable.

All in all it made for another excellent junior parkrun.

Our session at the Community Hospice got off to a brilliant start when Ivar arrived bearing a batch of home-baked solskinnsboller – Norwegian “sunshine buns”. They were absolutely delicious and perfectly suited to the sunny weather 😎.

We were also happy to see Mo wearing her red GoodGym tshirt - definitely part of the team now!

Fortified by our sweet treat, we headed with Jas, the Hospice’s Head Gardener, into the woodland area, where our task was to reclaim a patch of ground from the bracken and brambles that had started to creep back since they were last cleared a year ago.

Thankfully, the shady woodland offered some protection from the sun and we took things steady in the heat. This said, all the crouching, bending and pulling certainly provided a good leg workout!

Our trusty yellow gauntlet gloves proved invaluable as we tackled the thorny brambles and provided Ivar with the perfect inspiration for his pun in the title of this report!

After 75 minutes of ground work, three bulging bags of greenery had been consigned to the compost heap and we were super happy with the transformation.

We really enjoy our monthly visits to the Hospice, helping to keep the peaceful gardens looking their best. And a it's always great way to spend a Saturday morning with good company.

Why not join us next time!

Three GoodGymers, Three Parkruns, One Scorching Saturday!

The sunshine certainly turned up the heat again this morning, but that didn’t stop three dedicated GoodGymers from keeping up our favourite Saturday routine—running and volunteering at our local parkruns.

Cecilia headed to Charlton parkrun, squeezing in a run before taking on barcode scanning duties to help process the finishers. A perfect example of combining fitness with volunteering!

Meanwhile, Ivar volunteered at Sutcliffe parkrun, helping to make sure another fantastic event ran smoothly. A few people needed some extra encouragement today since the humidity and temperature was ruthless. “Awful” was the word used by several of the runners.

Over at Greenwich Peninsula parkrun, Aman was also flying the GoodGym flag, supporting another brilliant community event and helping hundreds of runners enjoy their Saturday morning.

Despite the scorching conditions, volunteers, runners and walkers all showed incredible spirit. It’s always inspiring to see communities come together, whether you’re chasing a PB, taking it easy, or giving your time to make parkrun happen.

Three different parkruns, one shared GoodGym mission: getting active, giving back and starting the weekend the best way possible.

Well done to everyone who ran, volunteered and remembered to drink plenty of water. Here’s to another Saturday well spent!

Till next time. Cecilia D🍀

Three Goodgymers made it to Oxleas yet again to dig out a path that until recently was completely overgrown and hidden. This is our third time since March, and what a difference we’ve made! Except for a much higher temperature, today was exactly like the previous times. Cutting back trees and bushes, and digging through years of soil that had gathered on top of the path. A long and hot session later we could look back at maybe 15 meters of path that can finally see daylight again. A couple more sessions and we reckon we would have dug out the whole thing!