On Saturday afternoon, four GoodGymmers went to help out at the Hope Church in Hounslow. We had been asked to help clear the garden, a lovely outdoor area that was in need of some TLC, following the winter.

The spring sunshine was beaming down on us as we met Claire the Vicar, who set us up for the afternoon. Firstly, we moved the basketball net so we could get to the raised beds, as we had been asked to help clear the overgrown weeds that were creeping up around the planters. Gloves on, Augustin, Harrison, Lucy and Michelle filled wheelbarrows with weeds and moved them to an ever-growing compost area.

Once we had tackled the raised beds, there was another section of the garden overgrown with nettles and sticky weed and thistles. These were no match for us, as we got acquainted with the choppers and rakes and cleared as much as we could in the time we had. We chatted about football and marathons, and a bit like poor Leicester City will be this season, the weeds were soon relegated to the compost heap.

Claire had hoped we could go a great job, and we showed mettle with those nettles, and the difference was clear to see. She was very impressed and thanked us for our hard work, before we went our separate ways back to enjoy the rest of the day.

Last night in Hounslow had that unmistakable GoodGym energy - a lot of laughs, and a sense that small actions add up to something meaningful.

We headed over to Turnham Green to support the brilliant Friends of Turnham Green, a community group doing big things. This park is a shared green space, a place where people can connect with nature in the city. Keeping it cared for means it stays welcoming, safe and ready for new growth.

The mission? Collecting sticks and branches. Spread across the whole site, the team got to work collecting fallen wood, clearing the ground so it’s ready for planting. It’s one of those deceptively simple tasks that makes a difference — tidier paths, safer footing, and open space for future planting. There’s something very satisfying about that visible before-and-after, and the team absolutely delivered.

With the task complete, it was time to turn the focus to fitness.

Lower body was the theme of the night. We powered through split squats, embraced the burn with mountain legs, and even flirted with the elusive pistol squat. Determined and very impressive efforts all round.

A few well-deserved shoutouts:

• Big cheers to Breda and Gus for their great work last week and especially Maxime who led his first session
• Congratulations to Steph, who somehow managed to run three races last weekend. Incredible effort.

There’s another fantastic session coming up this weekend with the wonderful Hope Church, helping to create a garden for people using the food bank. A really special project with real impact — definitely one to get involved in