Tonight’s team of volunteers arrived at The Wandle River Community Garden (formerly the Paul Bowness Memorial Garden) after a truly scorching day! Fortunately, the evening air had cooled down just in time, providing the perfect conditions to get stuck into some serious community action.

We were excited to hear about the future plans to grow native plants here specifically for natural dyeing, adding a brilliant, sustainable, and creative twist to this local green space.

To smash through the to-do list, we split into two teams to tackle both the garden itself and a spot a short distance up the river:

Team 1: Armed with secateurs, set to work clearing a thick patch of stubborn brambles, prepping the site for the native dyeing plants.

Team 2: Focused their energy on the main community garden area: weeding, sweeping, tidying up, and clearing litter to get the oasis looking pristine again after a very busy weekend of visitors.

An amazing transformation - well done everyone!

This mission had been booked in our schedule since January, and with glorious sunshine and blue skies, it was totally worth the wait! Four of our team members were on hand to warmly welcome everyone and direct those taking part over to the main dance space. Once everyone arrived, we joined in the dancing, which was so much fun! During the break we made sure to hand out water and keep people involved. It was a brilliant event to be a part of and certainly made a welcome change from the usual tasks we help with at this time of year. There's a few dancers hiding amidst us too it seems😉!

Three of the team rolled up their sleeves to transform a community table for future summer hoopla fundraisers. Accurate measuring and careful masking tape application were absolutely key to setting up clean, crisp lines before any color could be added.

Once the layout was locked in, we needed a steady hand to carefully paint the vibrant striped design. The time and care was worth it - looking incredible, the table is now ready for its final top coat before it helps raise funds for the community. Well done creatives 👏!

A good sized group of us got stuck in at Martin Way Methodist church this evening for our weekly group session.

I’d never seen the garden, so it was a joy to see the oasis out the back of the church.

Abby told us what was what and we divided ourselves into weeding, watering, composting, pruning and moving things! A lot was achieved (including removing a whole bush!) and a lovely evening was had by all.

A call out from Friends of Raynes Park station for help with a last-minute tidy-up ahead of the judge arriving to assess the efforts of the team was the perfect way to start the day - the coffee was also well received, thanks Tony!

With a quick weed and tidy we ensured the embankment was looking it's best. Then we were tasked with chatting to the judge, proudly showcasing the fantastic, ongoing collaboration between GoodGym Merton and the Friends group. Hopefully we have put them on the right track for a win!

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.