🌼 Last night's GoodGym Wandsworth session was a very special one, as we came together to plant daffodils in memory of our GoodGym friend David.

We met at the BAC before heading out for a run to the church, where we had last enjoyed a GoodGym session with David. There we were joined by his family, and David's sister Kate shared some beautiful words about all the good he'd done with GoodGym over the years helping our local community organisations, shopping and doing practical tasks for elderly people as well as the limitless energy he had in our green spaces. He had a smile on his face after gardening in the sunshine at the church last time, so it felt like the right place to come together and create a lasting tribute.

With 1,000 daffodil bulbs to plant and three planters to build, there was plenty to keep everyone busy and we all got busy digging, drilling and sharing memories. Come spring, around David's birthday, the church grounds will be filled with not just a splash, but a whole wave of his favourite colour. The new planters will also bring some joy to people passing by the river and it will be a beautiful spot that we can all return to and enjoy.

We finished the evening with some amazing cake lovingly made by Kate, hot chocolate, biscuits and, most importantly, plenty of time to chat and spend time together. There was even a real moment of remembering our very first birthday at GoodGym Wandsworth as we spotted the badge Kate was wearing - the very same we handed out nine years ago to mark the occasion! It means a lot that David had kept it all this time.

Community means so many things. For us it can be meeting up every week to shift soil at Doddington, to make up beds at the rough sleepers hub, or to paint the nursery at Balham. It includes enjoying our regular pub quiz together and celebrating birthdays, races and milestones. It also means showing up for one another, remembering those who have touched our lives and creating something meaningful and lasting.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along and played a part in making something so beautiful. The bulbs you planted will improve biodiversity at St Mary's and bring joy to local people. It is a colourful tribute to somebody who gave so much to people in Wandsworth and beyond, and who will be remembered every spring when they bloom. 💛

🎂 Last night we celebrated a very special milestone – 10 years of GoodGym Hounslow. What better way to mark a decade of doing good and getting fit than with a festive task followed by a birthday party?

But first, a huge shout-out to Alanna, who clocked up her 100th good deed! An amazing achievement. Well done, Alanna, that's a really impressive amount of litter picking, tree planting, wall painting and squats!

Our task for the evening was at the beautiful Chiswick House and Gardens. Our job was to weave Christmas wreaths using wisteria gathered from the grounds. Everyone's creativity come out, and the results were beautiful. The profits from the wreath-making go straight back into supporting the charity, and we now have the skills to make our own wreaths for our front doors this year. Win - win!

Then it was time to swap the gloves for glasses and head off to celebrate. It was wonderful to see so many of you there, sharing stories, laughter and memories from the last ten years. Back in November 2016, GoodGym Hounslow became the 26th GoodGym area to launch. We gathered at the Town Hall to clear leaves on Turnham Green, but could not possibly know what lay ahead.

From those early days of one, two or three runners we have grown into something truly special. Today a core group turn up week after week to do some good and get active - and,of course there's always the pub afterwards!

Over the decade, you've clocked up an astonishing 7,000+ good deeds, helping charities, community groups and local projects right across the borough. The jobs have been wonderfully varied: but GoodGym has always been about much more than the nuts and bolts of it. It's about the friendships, the support and the community -we've celebrated the good times and supported each other through the harder ones.

And while we're sometimes accused of having an unusual enthusiasm for destruction, what we've been doing is building a wonderful community.

A huge thank you to all whether it's you've done one good deed or one thousand. No job is too muddy, too cold or too strange for you! Ten years, thousands of good deeds, countless friendships and innumerable Old Packhorse prawn crackers - here's to everyone who has been part of the journey. Happy 10th birthday, GoodGym Hounslow! ❤️

🎃 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