Tuesday 19th May
Report written by Rachel White
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.
Hestia Good Energy ClubHestia’s Good Energy Club is a community engagement public health project designed to engage people living in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, who live with a diagnosis of mental illness and/or low levels of mental well-being, in physical and social activities. The aim is to increase physical fitness, improve mental health and decrease social isolation.
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