🎃 Last night’s Halloween themed GoodGym Wandsworth session was a little different from the usual routine because, for perhaps the first time ever, there was no run at all! However, we did make up for it in other ways....

Firstly, a big welcome to Julian who came for his very first GoodGym session — great to have you with us!

Our task was just across the road at the amazing Wandsworth hub for people experiencing homelessness. This vital project provides support, safety and practical help for rough sleepers, and during the winter months, it can mean the difference between spending a night out on the streets and having somewhere warm and safe to sleep. With winter approaching, our mission was to help transform some of the spaces into emergency bedrooms, so that nobody has to spend a night sleeping rough.

We heard from Nick, the hub’s manager, who gave us a brilliant insight into the work they do and why it matters so much. Adam, one of our very own GoodGymers who also works at the hub, was there to help organise the task and get us all going.

Then it was time for action! Half the group headed downstairs to the basement, while the other half took on the upstairs space.

The first jobs involved setting up beds, moving computers and dismantling tables to clear the areas ready for their new purpose. The upstairs team certainly got a workout, trekking up and down the stairs with equipment and furniture — who needs a fitness session when you’ve got stairs to climb?

Meanwhile, the basement team got busy making beds and building the privacy screens. Easier said than done! Armed with limited instructions and what felt like a million different pieces, each with endless possible combinations, the team had to work out which way everything was supposed to fit together. This involved an impressive mental workout!

But the results were fantastic. It was amazing to watch the spaces transform as the evening went on. By the end of the task, there were beds in place, privacy screens up and spaces turned into safe, warm bedrooms for people who need them most.

And just like that, our evening’s work was done. No time for running or fitness tonight, but it was absolutely worth it to support such an important project. We even had some sweeties to keep our energy levels up while we worked!

🍪 But the treats didn’t stop there…

This was our special Halloween session, so we headed to the pub afterwards, where some of the group had put together an incredible spread of homemade biscuits, cookies and other goodies. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed — what a feast!

The costumes were just as impressive. Beth and Jo teamed up in a shared pumpkin ensemble, Sophie wowed us with her amazing skeleton outfit and bald cap, and Annabel showed true commitment to the carrot with her fantastic headpiece. Halloween spirit: absolutely nailed. 🎃💀🥕

Thank you to Jordan for organising a brilliant social, and to everyone who came along, rolled up their sleeves and helped make a real difference.

🏃 Next week: back to our usual routine! We’ll be back to the classic GoodGym combination of a run, a task and a fitness session — followed by the pub quiz, of course! Come and join us for some good exercise, great company and a chance to do something positive for our community.

And there’s more good to be done before then! This Saturday, we have a mission at the neurodisability hospital, creating a garden for patients. It’s a lovely way to kick off your weekend.❤️

Last night we kicked things off with a proper warm-up to get the legs moving, paired with our weekly question: What town has the longest name in the UK? The answer, of course, is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch—a staggering 58 letters long, and a test for anyone attempting to pronounce it mid-lunge!

Warmed up and ready for action, we set off on our run to Larkhall Park. Returning to this green space regularly is so helpful for the local community; keeping a public park safe, clean, and well-maintained means families, runners, and neighbours always have a welcoming place to reset, play, and connect with nature.

We met up with the rest of the team and split into two groups to tackle the tasks at hand. One group got stuck into weeding the overgrown cracks along the pathways, while the other took on a thorough litter pick across the grounds.

It’s always amazing to see how much of a difference a focused group can make in such a short window of time. By the time we finished, the park was noticeably tidier and more cared for—removing litter means fewer environmental pollutants making their way into local soil and wildlife habitats, making the space safer for everyone.

To wrap up all that hard work, we celebrated with a fiery five-minute core blast. It was definitely tough but effective!

A massive well done to everybody who came along and brought all the energy.

Next week on Monday, we're off to a very special place in Battersea Park—you can sign up and find all the details right here:. See you there!

It was our monthly trip back to Doddington last night. This former multistorey car park has been transformed into a thriving community garden, providing a valuable growing space for local people who might not otherwise have access to a garden of their own. We also had some very special reasons to celebrate: a huge congratulations to Jason on his 100th Good Deed! 🎉 And a very happy 30th birthday to Annabel! 🎂

We kicked things off with a warm-up and the evening's quiz question: how many dimples are there on a golf ball? There was some doubt over the answer, but I'll leave you to decide whether to trust the quizmaster…

We arrived to find a whole host of jobs waiting for us: clearing mallow and teasels, laying down cardboard and mulch, shifting mulch into the raised beds and transporting soil. Before too long everyone was busy getting stuck in. 💪🌱

There was also an added incentive for the evening: whoever collected the most teasels would win the famous Tromboncino!

But what exactly is a Tromboncino? This wonderfully weird looking vegetable is a variety of butternut squash which is used like a courgette — and if you leave it to mature, it can grow into a long, curved, trombone-shaped fruit of up to around a metre!

Once we'd done our bit at the garden, it was time to head down to the square for some fitness. This week's challenge was 130-themed: working in pairs, we had to complete a series of exercises which cumulatively added up to 130. Plenty of counting, plenty of reps and plenty of teamwork. Congratulations to Katie and Catherine, who completed the challenge first! 🏆

Then, of course, it was time for cake and the grand presentation of the Tromboncino. After her impressive teasel-gathering efforts, the prize went to Annabel — who immediately demonstrated the true versatility of this magnificent vegetable by wearing it as a rather beautiful neckpiece at the pub quiz. 🥒✨

A brilliant evening of community gardening, celebrations, questionable golf-ball trivia, fitness, cake and vegetable couture.

Huge congratulations again to Jason for this huge milestone - 100 good deeds shows massive commitment, energy and effort which has had an unquantifiable positive impact.

Next week... We're off to Balham Nursery to help with some jobs. You can sign up here

Last night, GoodGym Wandsworth divided and conquered with two missions, helping spread the word for two fantastic local organisations: Balham Nursery and the Battersea Youth Summer Scheme.

We split into two teams before heading off in different directions. Steph, Felix, Beth and Jordan headed to Balham Nursery, where they were welcomed by packs of flyers, carefully marked maps... and the sweetest surprise of the evening. The children had made us some adorable handmade thank-you cards to show their appreciation for our efforts. They put a smile on everyone's faces before the team set off to deliver the flyers around the local area.

Meanwhile, Pritesh, Matthew, Kate and Catherine made their way to Caius House to collect the envelopes we'd stuffed at a previous session for the Battersea Youth Summer Scheme.

It turns out a stack of envelopes is a lot heavier than it looks! After a bit of quick maths to divide the load evenly, everyone grabbed a bundle and headed off on their delivery routes.

There was time for a pit stop: a team photo alongside a very fancy car (see photo!). Then it was back to the task in hand, delivering every last envelope.

With both missions complete, everyone ran back to reunite at BAC, where we wrapped up another evening of positive impact.

Great work, team! 🎉

With temperatures back in the runnable zone we gathered for our warm-up, and it was brilliant to see so many people choosing to kick off their week by making a positive impact in the community.

We headed over to Caius House, home to Battersea's Youth, Community and Children's Services. This youth club is a real community hub, supporting local families and young people through activities, advice and opportunities that help people thrive.

Our mission for the evening was to stuff as many envelopes as humanly possible. Inside each envelope was information about Battersea's Youth Summer Scheme, which offers local children and young people the chance to take part in fun, engaging activities over the school holidays. The program gives opportunities to learn new skills, stay active, make friends and enjoy experiences while supporting families during the long break.

We quickly developed a highly efficient production line sorting the letters, leaflets, envelopes and before long we were absolutely flying through the piles. There was some distinctly sketchy maths from me along the way, but one thing was clear: the team was emptying whole boxes at an impressive rate.

Fortunately, several people whose mathematical abilities far exceed mine did the proper calculations and worked out that we'd stuffed more than 3,800 letters by the end of the task. An incredible effort that will help spread the word to many families across the area.

Our reward? Fitness! We discovered a tiny but perfectly formed outdoor park and squeezed in a workout based around two levels of effort for every exercise. Think lunges followed by power lunges, planks graduating into plank shoulder taps. Everyone threw themselves into it with loads of energy. Thanks to everyone who came along and helped make such a tangible difference in just one evening.

Next week we're heading back to Doddington for our monthly task, followed by a well-earned pub quiz. All welcome! Hope to see you there!