Ms F had managed without the weekly GoodGym shopping last week, partially because I had stocked her up for water, but found carrying milk a bit challenging. So here I was, on my after-work duty, to replenish the heavier goods Ms F needed.

The lady was concerned about her hearing getting worse, particularly after one of her hearing aids had stopped working during an important meeting earlier this week. Despite that and other health challenges, she kept a positive outlook on life and practiced gratitude.

"I'm grateful for GoodGym and the discounted taxi to the doctors." - Ms F.

"I wish I'll have your mindset in the future when things become challenging to me. - Kash.

There were some new items on today's list, for example French fries, specifically McCain's. haven't bought any fish as the breaded haddock had been sold out and Ms F decided to replace her usual salmon with cheese soufflés and a free treat: a chana-flavoured Pieminster pie. That was something new to try.

"See you in a couple of weeks when I'm back from holiday." - Kash. 

"You'll tell me everything about the place." - Ms F. 

"And you'll tell me how was the Pieminster." 

"The Prime Minister?" 

"No, don't worry about him. You're not his spokesperson. I said: the Pieminster."

Hopefully, Ms F will get her audiology appointment soon. In the meantime, we can only remediate misheard phrases with a bit of humour.

Seven months have passed since GoodGym last supported Walpole Park, making it clear that sessions in this beloved green space in the heart of Ealing are very much an autumn-winter thing. The temperatures, however, did little to signal the changing season. GoodGymers still happily sported short sleeves and shorts, while the park, despite being pitch black, teemed with nightlife, wildlife and parklife. Frolicking people and foxes alike were seen – or smelled!

The park welcomed back some seasoned Walpolers: Chris, Harvey, Steph Ducat, Sevan and Kash. Amy and Scott, who joined GoodGym over the spring and summer months, got their first taste of a nighttime Walpole Park session. Breda also visited from GoodGym Hounslow and was amazed by the abundance of tools sourced by our friend Richard.

Yes, Richard! The long-missed Ealing Greenwayer, best known to us from Pear Tree Park, made a comeback wearing his kitchen garden volunteer hat. He also hosted a historic session: the first time a task owner was actually present in Walpole Park during one of our activities!

Richard showed us a secret pocket of leafy compost, which we were tasked with moving to the kitchen garden's compost bins. The mulch was very well concealed indeed. Even when led to this obscure (but surprisingly well-lit, thanks to Ealing Studios) spot, the compost was hiding in plain sight.

"We are actually standing on a layer of composted leaves" – Richard.

To get to the mulch, we first had to excavate it. And it wasn't as quick and easy as simply shovelling: the compressed leaves were intertwined with roots. Some of us relished the challenge of seemingly endless digging and the accompanying upper-body workout.

"It's like a canoeing trip. After the first half an hour your arms are dead, but then you're numbed and just carry on." – Amy.

Supplied by Richard with barrows in addition to two larger trolleys, we managed to fill one of the compost bins almost to the brim. It was a successful first Walpole Park session of the season, but surely not the last one. So watch this space for more night-park-life coming up this autumn and winter!

On Sunday afternoon, Sevan and Kash ran from Greenford to Isleworth to visit Mr A and his wife, who lived in a flat near Syon Lane. Mr A was bedbound and used a large hospital bed in his bedroom, which he wanted to rearrange to suit his needs better.

Both spouses had slightly different ideas about the most practical setup. Mr A needed easy access to his bed and the fridge, where he kept cold water, while Mrs A needed to reach the window to change the curtains regularly.

Sevan and Kash first put their brains to work, mentally shifting the furniture around the room and testing different layouts to work out how everything might fit together. Then came the real-life Tetris: moving the actual furniture and gradually making the room more spacious and practical.

However, once the room had been cleared a little, Mrs A asked whether a large recliner chair from the living room could also be moved into the bedroom. Sevan and Kash went to investigate and found a very large, heavy recliner armchair that didn't look as though it would fit through the doorway.

Mr A recalled that when the chair had originally been delivered, the delivery team had managed to get it through the door in one piece. Encouraged by this useful piece of historical evidence, the GoodGymers measured the chair and the doorways. The measurements didn't provide much reassurance, though: the doorways weren't wide enough for the armchair to pass through upright. Sevan and Kash would have to try turning the chair on its side to see whether it would fit.

Sevan, Kash and Mrs A cleared the route from the living room to the bedroom, and the GoodGymers began their manoeuvre to move the monster chair all the way to its new home. Success! They got it through.

The team rearranged the furniture once more, and this time the transformation was quite dramatic. The recliner chair, hospital bed, kettle table, chest of drawers and wardrobe all found their new locations. The GoodGymers prioritised access to the fridge over access to the window, but Mrs A should still be able to reach it when it's time to change the curtains.

The only downside - something the GoodGymers couldn't have predicted or fixed - was that the recliner chair's remote control, or perhaps the chair's power supply itself, didn't work! Mr A decided he would contact the seller about the issue, so hopefully he'll soon enjoy a comfortable bedroom with a fully functioning recliner.

A year after their last volunteering session at Our Lady of the Visitation Primary School in Greenford, a chance encounter in central Ealing brought Team GoodGym back to find out what had happened to the planned wildlife reserve. Last year a veg patch and the pond were well established, with the rest of the space still needing to be cleared and planted.

Returning today, Rachel and her keen pupils had been busy. They had:

• Completed the woodchip path
• Grown some beautiful sunflowers
• Planted wildflower seeds to create a Nectar Highway
• Created a hedge-y area to attract hedgehogs
• Been studying the lifecycle of hundreds of newts in their pond

Lots of discoveries for curious minds.

Other things hadn't changed from last year. The path through the wildlife reserve had again become a bramble highway. This was not the type of highway the school wanted to encourage. Most of the brambles were rooted in the flowerbeds off the path, so while some of the team got chopping, others dove into the dried out beds to dig out any roots that they could.

Therese, Maria, Kash and Steph chopped and dug their way through the whole session, clearing the space. As the bramble levels dropped off, Amy, Scott and Sevan moved onto task 2, emptying the soil from giant planters. Task owner Rachel saved the plants that had survived the summer, then the planters were dragged across the playground. The soil was dug out and placed in ton bags until they were light enough to lift and tip what was left. Six planters later, they were done.

Everyone enjoyed their session at the school, with some marvelling at how much space the school had available. Rachel was really impressed with what the large team achieved and she still has big plans and projects in the pipeline, so we could be back again, sooner rather than later.

"Thank you so much. Huge difference." - Rachel