First up on the agenda: the goody bags. stuffing, prepping, and fixing up the event goody bags with all the extra treats, making sure they were absolutely perfect for the arriving guests.

But the workout didn't stop there. Once the bags were sorted, it was time for some classic GoodGym heavy lifting and shifting boxes to get the site looking shipshape. Followed by more goody bags!

We rewarded ourselves with a yoga class and then indulged in the festival offerings - what s lovely day. Thanks for having us Wellnergy.

With so many Goodgymers signed up for the main task at Raynes Park Station, it made sense for some of us to branch out and do an alternative job at one of Merton's nearby garden streets. So after our run up from the Leather Bottle, Adrian, James, Louise and I jogged from the station to Laurel Road to join Emily tackling the kerbside weeds. The residents have decided they'd rather keep the street free of weedkiller chemicals and do things the natural way, so we donned our gloves and got stuck in. Luckily the rain held off but we were still treated to a lovely rainbow. Our efforts certainly made a difference and after an hour we were able to uproot ourselves and head off to our pub social feeling satisfaction at a job well done. It was great to welcome James to his first Merton session and to see Louise again.

With a big number of sign-ups expected, it was the perfect opportunity to help both the Friends of Raynes Park and arrange an additional job at one of the Merton Garden Streets nearby. After the runners arrived, a breakaway group headed off to tackle the weeding job up the road and get some extra steps in, while the rest of the team checked in for duties at the station embankment.

We split into teams to tackle pruning, litter picking, and turning the compost, making fantastic progress across the board.

Meanwhile, the watering team faced a hilarious logistical puzzle due to a missing hose (apparently removed by workmen!). Instead, they improvised with a brilliantly inefficient bucket brigade: filling watering cans, emptying them into trug buckets on trolleys, and then pouring them back into watering cans at the embankment.

Despite the extra steps, everyone adapted brilliantly. The pruners, litter pickers, and compost-turners crushed their tasks, and the watering team managed to get some momentum going and plenty of watering completed. Well done, team!

What a night! A proud contingent of Merton GoodGymmers swapped their running shoes for their smartest trousers and skirts or dresses suitable for wearing under - whilst keeping their iconic red t-shirts front and centre, of course - to attend the glitzy Merton Civic Pride Awards.

As the awards ceremony continued post food, the suspense was building. When the Volunteer Team of the Year category came and went without our name being called, we collectively thought, "Ah well, we tried our best!" and prepared to just enjoy the rest of the evening cheering on other local heroes.

But Merton Connected had a brilliant surprise in store for us. As the the Health & Wellbeing Team of the Year category was announced... and GoodGym Merton scooped the Bronze Award!

We were absolutely over the moon. The award was presented to us by the Mayor of Merton, capping off an unforgettable evening. It is a fantastic recognition of all the miles run, the social visits made, and the community projects tackled to help boost the physical and mental wellbeing of residents across the borough.

Hopefully many more of the Merton residents have now heard of GoodGym in Merton which will only help us continue moving and thriving across the borough.

A massive congratulations to every single GoodGym volunteer - this award belongs to all of you. Keep shining, keep doing good, and let’s keep promoting wellbeing across Merton!

Ahead of the glitz and glamour of the Civic Pride Awards a few of the team donned their finest t-shirt to fly the flag (or new banner in this case) on our stand at the Merton Connected Volunteer Fair.

The room was buzzing, and we spent the hour chatting with local residents, sharing our favorite stories of shifting, sorting, and planting across the borough, and explaining how our unique mix of exercise and community action works. We met some potential new members as well as organisations looking for support - so a really worthwhile session.

A massive thank you to everyone who came along to man the stand, share their passion, and represent the group so brilliantly. The future of GoodGym Merton is looking bright!