It was a hot and sweaty evening, but that didn't stop an incredible team effort as we helped Voices of Hope prepare for their move into Kingston Library. We wasted no time getting started, splitting into teams as soon as we arrived. Dave, Luke, Marcos, John, Jana, Sabir and newcomer Hannah took on the heavy lifting, carrying desks, cabinets, pinboards and other bulky furniture down flights of stairs and into the waiting skip.

Another team tackled a ground-floor room packed from floor to ceiling. We uncovered everything from children's books, stickers and umbrellas to an old projector screen, mountains of shredded paper, a coat stand and even a monkey face cut-out board, which naturally became the star of our group photo later!

It quickly became clear that the fastest approach was a human chain. Claire, Anna and Emily kept everything moving, with paper sorted for recycling while the rest of us passed item after item towards the skip.

Outside, John soon earned the title of "King of the Skip", climbing aboard to pack everything in while Dave joined him to make the most of every inch of space. By halfway through, the skip was already nearly full.

Louise kept us organised, directing what needed clearing next, while cardboard was flattened and everyone pitched in. After a quick water break to admire how much we'd achieved, we tackled one final room full of heavy boxes, discovering a fascinating old book filled with historic photographs of Kingston Library that may even be of interest to the museum.

As the last items disappeared, Sekar swept whilst Anna vacuumed and Louise, Hannah and Marcos helped pick up the many small paper pieces off the floor. Nikita kept the human chain flowing of the last few bits to the skip. Hannah even rescued a few children's books for her classroom.

In just one hour we'd filled a skip, emptied multiple rooms and left the building ready for Voices of Hope to move into their new home. We celebrated with chocolate bars, plenty of smiles and a brilliant group photo—some of us perched on the skip, others pulling faces through the monkey cut-out.

A fantastic evening of teamwork and an amazing amount achieved in just one hour! 💚

Three GoodGymers, Jana, Emily and Marie – met at Raleigh House, New Malden, and got straight to work giving the outdoor space some much-needed TLC.

Emily and Jana started by tackling the weeds on the patio, while Marie arrived shortly afterwards and immediately got stuck in clearing weeds from between the paving stones. Jana then turned her attention to the flower beds, pulling out plenty of persistent bindweed to help tidy the borders.

With everyone working hard, the hour flew by, and we left the patio and flower beds looking much neater. Now all that's needed is some much-needed rain after the recent hot weather to help the plants recover!

To round off the task, Jana brought some refreshing watermelon to share, while Emily treated us to some fizzy refreshments. We hope the Stay Well residents enjoy spending time in their tidier outdoor space!

Today we were on a mission at KCAH! A team of us headed over to help sort through tons of amazing donations for both men and women. Armed with shiny new storage containers and plenty of energy, we smashed through the pile - organizing toiletries, hygiene kits, shoes, and clothes for both summer and winter.

KCAH is an incredible organization doing vital work in Kingston, offering a massive range of services to help people experiencing homelessness find stable housing and rebuild their lives. 🏠❤️

Our host was super pleased with how fast we worked. The storage cupboard is now looking beautifully tidy, organized, and ready for the team to help their clients!

A job well done! 🙌

This week’s GoodGym task took Harvey and me to Raleigh House New Malden, where we helped spruce up the outdoor space.

Although there were only two of us, we managed to get through plenty in the hour. Harvey took charge of watering the pots and troughs and sweeping the pathways clear of leaves, while I tackled the bindweed, dandelions and other determined weeds under the oak tree.

As always with GoodGym, the conversations were just as rewarding as the task itself. Harvey shared some of his experiences working in the charity sector, and we discovered common ground through our work supporting people with vision impairment.

By the end of the session the garden areas were looking much fresher, well-watered and far more under control, all rounded off nicely with some treats kindly left out for us in the task box!

A small but mighty team effort for Staywell at Raleigh House.