12 GoodGymers from ALL OVER London caught some Camden good deeding last night!

Our group last night — super friendly and willing to help as always — hailed from the West and the East and the Middle of London!

It was a multi-borough affair and we were all there to do our usual good deeding at the American International Church for their Winter Shelter :)

Ana, Ariane, Jack, Jackie, Jacqui, John, Kash, Lucinda, Lydia, Steph, and Steve did the GoodGym usual and got completely stuck into all the helping:

❤️ 16 beds were assembled, dressed, and positioned ready for the evening's guests!

❤️ 1 dining room was set with tables and cutlery and napkins and sauces, and the bubbling scents from the kitchen made us want to stay!

❤️ Multiple boxes were lifted and shifted and moved to where they need to be!

And we left having had connection and laughter, and it all made yesterday's January evening feel a lot brighter!

See you next time!!

P.S. Thank you, Jacqui and Steph, for the wonderful photos!!

Three Goodgymers joined a group of local community activists helping to keep the waterways of Barnet free of litter. The group included a number of asylum seekers who are being housed locally and have been eager to get involved in the local community by engaging in volunteering with local organisations.

The task took us along the Mutton brook, near the North Circular road, and onto the Dollis Brook. These two waterways are tributaries of the river Brent, which flows south into the Thames, so keeping them clean is of benefit to many Londoners.

We collected multiple bags of rubbish, mostly the usual mix of discarded alcohol containers, packets of cigarettes and food packaging.

It was muddy work, but the rain held off and we were able to stay dry.

Thank you to the Dollis Brookers community group for organising, and to the asylum seekers who came out to help their local community.

On a bright dry, but quite cold, Sunday morning, we joined the Friends of Mile End Park’s monthly litter pick. The task formed part of the January Challenge, giving runners a great opportunity to start the year with a positive impact on their local community and environment. A special welcome to Christopher, doing his first GoodGym task!

We arrived one by one and joined volunteers from the Friends of Mile End Park, who organise regular clean-ups to help keep the park welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Once we were all gathered by the Art Pavilion, there was a brief introduction and safety briefing from John of the Friends, we were equipped with litter pickers, gloves, and bags before heading to our allotted areas of the park

Working together, the team collected a wide range of litter, including food packaging, cans, bottles, and general waste that had built up over the winter months. Despite the chilly conditions, spirits were high thanks to good teamwork and plenty of conversation. The park is known for great potted woodpeckers, parakeets, robins, pairs of blue tits and water fowl, as well as snowdrops

Joining this task as part of the January Challenge was a brilliant reminder of what GoodGym is all about: combining physical activity with practical help for local communities. After an hour and half, many bags of rubbish had been filled, leaving the park cleaner and more pleasant for residents, visitors, and wildlife alike

It only remained to squeeze ourselves into the Coffee Room (actually bigger inside than out) for a deserved hot coffee and cake