Whether it the allure of a satisfying cleaning task, the blue skies above or the fact that holiday season in full swing, but last night we had a bumper turn out at GG Hounslow! If that wasn't good news enough, we had the pleasure of welcoming Mark and Caroline along to their first session - great to have you join us!

After a quick warm up it was off to Turnham Green to meet Abundance London, the organisation which created the beautiful mural under Turnham Green bridge that is so loved by local people. Every year since it was unveiled we've been back to give it a good wash. Goodbye graffiti and pigeon poo, hello squeaky clean sparkle!

After a quick safety briefing we grabbed our mops, squeegees and sponges and got to it. Encouraged by passers by we soon got a very efficient system in place, moving like a well oiled machine over the different sections.

After half an hour of hard work, the transformation was complete. It's amazing what a difference it made. I had a message from Abundance this morning saying

"I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of Abundance London for the great work the runners did last night. The Chiswick Timeline mural is now back to its sparkling best."

Job done, we hopped over to the back common for our fitness. Grouping into pairs we did a workout which featured burpees (sorry), reverse planks and walkouts, and with each interval we tried to beat our previous time. Great effort from everybody (even if some of the 'encouragement' from our partners sounded very like trying to put us off...)

Next week we're off to help a local school - hope to see you there!

🌞 Sunshine, Squats & Strimming: Turnham Green Gets a Glow-Up! 🌳

On a gloriously sunny evening in the beautiful oasis that is Turnham Green, a gang of GoodGymers (including one who we hadn't seen in a long time - welcome back Jen!) assembled to support the local volunteer group. The park was buzzing, the birds were chirping, and Lucy turned up looking very fresh for someone who ran a marathon just two days ago. Not only had she made an amazing recovery, but she came bearing her medal for all to admire - well done Lucy!

This week’s task list had something for everyone - raking, watering, strimming, planting, and even a spot of litter-picking for good measure. We soon got to work, with the park users watching on (admiringly, I think).

Amid all this productivity, we paused to give a massive shoutout to Alan for his 300th Good Deed. That’s commitment, energy and impact of the highest degree. We celebrated the milestone by making him rake the whole of the common. And with plenty of planks (more on that later). Well done to the absolute superhero that is Alan!

Fitness Time!

We kicked off with a plank waterfall, which is not nearly as soothing as it sounds but definitely tested everyone’s abs. Then came a wonderfully chaotic relay where each person had their own distinctive leg to complete. Some ran, some skipped, some even grapevined. We closed with a squat challenge, which unbelievably Lucy aced, and finished with stretches.

To round off the evening, we hit the pub for a slice of Alan’s legendary carrot cake. 🎥 A video was made – we cannot vouch for its quality or artistic direction, but it will be out there soon. All in all, an evening full of sunshine, community, and a whole lot of celebration.

Next Tuesday there is a mission at Hounslow Foodbox and our group run will be back to Chiswick House - see you there!