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.

This week’s GoodGym task was a split mission, with half the group heading to support the brilliant charity Growbaby.

Rachel, Jana, Manasa, Ellie, Emily and Laurel went o Growbaby and we started by sorting a huge collection of teddy bears. Once that was finished, the manager of Growbaby arrived with her large four-wheel-drive car ready for a dump run the next day — and we quickly got to work loading it up.

Rachel took on the role of chief car packer while the rest of us formed a human chain carrying everything from baby carriers and highchairs to old chairs and other bulky items. We managed to fill the car completely — there wasn’t room for a single extra item!

After that, Emily and Manasa sorted bookshelves upstairs, Ellie organised toys downstairs, and Jana, Laurel and Rachel sorted baby clothes.

In just one hour, we got through every task and helped make the space far more organised for the Growbaby team and the families they support. A great team effort all round!

Hestia's Room of Doom

Tonight we ran, walked and cycled our way to Hestia to tackle their room of doom.

Having donned our gloves after a quick biscuit (we were spoilt again by John) we emptied the contents of the room. There was an eclectic mix of items with enough hangers for a small department store, multiple printers, paint, various poles, tents and even tooth brushes.

Having cleared the room it was hoovered and the thick dirt wiped away. Everything went back in groups of similar items and the rubbish and recycling was piled up.

An hour later it looked like a different room and the Hestia team can now find everything.

7 goodgymers from several different areas brought and dropped items for the food bank, showing that thinking of others makes the world go round.

Levita, Jana, Emily, Anna, and Amy rallied over to Raleigh House in New Malden to mark Staywell’s 80th anniversary. Donning our GoodGym tees, we sparked plenty of interest, chatting with staff about our gardening efforts and forming new connections with curious faces. The surprise treat was Claire, the manager, singing in the band, what a voice! With bunting, tasty treats, and a beautifully decorated garden, we had a wonderful time celebrating and spreading the GoodGym spirit!

Tuesday’s group run took us to Hestia’s Good Energy Club, a fantastic community space supporting people experiencing mental health challenges. Their mission is to improve physical wellbeing, support mental health and reduce social isolation - values very much aligned with GoodGym’s own.

We arrived in force and were welcomed by John, who gave us a tour before offering the ultimate volunteer incentive: snacks in exchange for our cleaning efforts. Armed with hoovers, cloths, spray bottles and plastic gloves, we got straight to work.

We were also joined by special guests Ivo and Hannah. Rather than rolling out the red carpet, we rolled out the hoovers and put them straight to work alongside the rest of the team. After deciding who was tackling which room, John put on a soundtrack of 90s classics that kept spirits high and energy levels up throughout the evening.

The hour flew by, and before long it was time for a final snack break and the journey home. John was hugely appreciative of the help, explaining that the club doesn’t have a dedicated cleaning budget and that maintaining such a large space can be a real challenge.

It was lovely to meet Hannah on her first task, and congratulations again on your new role as CEO of GoodGym.