It was a hot day in west London. One of those days when your body goes from 60% to 10% water in minutes. One of those days when you get hot water from both taps. One of those days when you would sell your soul to be somewhere slightly colder, like the Death Valley or a blast furnace.

But we did not mind the heat because we had a mission to accomplish. Someone was counting on us. Mrs S and her son needed their help, and that's all that mattered today. That, and the 100,000 good deeds landmark achieved by GoodGym volunteers was all the motivation we needed.

The garden needed a bit of tiding up, and because they don't go out much, it is very important to her to feel it looks good. Unfortunately, neither her or her son can look after it.

Slightly rusty hand shears: check. Indescriptible metal stick with a wooden handle: check. Old lawnmower with a blade that needs tightening up every two minutes: check. Even older lawnmower that gives its best working as a doorstop: check. Longest cable extension ever seen: check. GoodGym spirit: full.

Mrs S's very precise instructions, and a bit over an hour of work later and we’d made a difference in her garden. Mostly in the lawn, now mowed and almost weed-free. She and her son were very grateful when we left, as well as surprised that we just run on water. But maybe not as surprised as we were, when we discovered there was a brand new lawnmower, safely kept in its box probably waiting for a special occasion.