The Route: A Berry Good Adventure! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

This week our fantastic crew of do-gooders embarked on another mission to spread joy and burn calories in equal measure! We ran to Holy Trinity to meet the lovely Adam, taking the scenic route through the park where we couldn’t resist a spontaneous 50-yard dash. Because apparently regular running isn’t challenging enough - we needed to add some competitive spirit to really get those heart rates pumping!

Well done Fi!! Perdie sorry about the misbehaving bicycle...:0(

Mission: Operation Bramble Trouble

Once we arrived at the vicarage, it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty (and thorny) business of garden warfare:

Blackberry Bramble Battle Royale - Armed with secateurs and sheer determination, we took on some seriously aggressive brambles that had clearly been plotting garden domination. These weren’t just any old thorns - they were the kind that fight back! Several volunteers emerged looking like they’d been wrestling with a particularly grumpy hedgehog, but victory (and a kilo of berries) was ours!

Path Clearing Champions - We declared all-out war on weeds and moss, transforming a slightly shabby path into something so pristine it practically sparkled. The weeds didn’t stand a chance against our green-fingered army of destruction!

Weeding Warriors - No dandelion was safe as our volunteers pulled, tugged, and uprooted with the enthusiasm of people who genuinely enjoy making things tidy (which, let’s face it, is slightly concerning but utterly admirable).

🌟 LEGEND ALERT: Michael Hits the Big 3-0-0! 🌟

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have a genuine superhero in our midst! Tonight we’re celebrating our absolute legend Michael, who has just recorded his 300th good deed with GoodGym!

That’s right - THREE HUNDRED acts of community kindness since he started back in 2017. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly one good deed for every cup of tea consumed during a typical British crisis meeting, or about the same number of times we’ve all said “this year will definitely be different” since 2017.

Michael, you absolute weapon of community spirit, you’ve been smashing it for seven years and show no signs of slowing down. From bramble battles to litter picking adventures, from community garden chaos to whatever weird and wonderful tasks we’ll inevitably stumble into next week - you’ve been there through it all!

Here’s to Michael: proving that being a legend isn’t just about what you achieve, but about showing up week after week with a smile, a pair of running shoes, and an inexplicable willingness to wrestle with hostile vegetation! 🏆

The Verdict

Another week, another successful mission accomplished! The vicarage is looking absolutely mint (pun intended), our step counters are very happy with us, and somewhere in Lambeth, a group of defeated brambles is probably plotting their revenge for next season.

Until next week, keep running, keep laughing, and keep being the kind of people who think spending their evening pulling weeds is actually a pretty decent way to spend time!

Remember: We’re not just working out - we’re working wonders in our community, one terrible pun at a time!

The Friends of Loughborough Park do a monthly litter pick of this lovely green space and it was a pleasure to enjoy their volunteers in the sunshine. Lots of people have had picnics in the park recently so there was loads of rubbish to collect! We divided and conquered the park, separating the waste into recycling and general waste. After our efforts we enjoyed a cup of tea and delicious apricot cake baked by one of the volunteers!

🏃‍♀️🗑️ After a last-minute plot twist worthy of a soap opera, our heroic squad pivoted from their original mission to tackle the streets with some competitive rubbish collection. Nothing says “flexible fitness” like a spontaneous game of Litter Pick Bingo!

The Rubbish Results

Our magnificent crew turned street cleaning into pure bin-go gold, collecting everything from the mundane to the absolutely pants. Speaking of which, among today’s “treasure” haul were some bikini bottoms and underwear - proving that Lambeth’s streets really do have some cheeky surprises!

We’re not sure what story these garments could tell, but we’re betting it’s a brief one. 😉

The Dream Team

• Fi, Katie, Jenny & Ben - our usual suspects who never fail to pick up the slack (and everything else)
• Khai - our Greenwich guest star who traveled across boroughs to join the fun, proving that good deeds know no boundaries!

The Verdict

Another successful mission in the (bin) bag. The streets are cleaner, the community is tidier, and we’ve all had a rubbish good time doing it!

Remember: One person’s rubbish is another person’s fitness opportunity!

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Next week: Back to our regularly scheduled do-gooding (underwear optional)

Mission Accomplished at Cressingham Gardens

Our dedicated team of GoodGym volunteers got their sweat on while making a real difference in the community! We tackled a major garden transformation project that left everyone feeling accomplished and energized.

Tasks Completed

• Full garden weeding - cleared the entire space of unwanted growth
• Central area restoration - removed weeds, concrete blocks, and old wooden edging to create a clean, usable space

Highlight of the Day

The most memorable moment came when we discovered an unexpected family of residents - five adorable little toads! 🐸 This delightful surprise brought smiles to everyone’s faces and reminded us that our gardening efforts are creating habitats for local wildlife too.

Community Impact

Christine from Cressingham Gardens was absolutely delighted with the transformation. Her joy and gratitude made all the hard work worthwhile and perfectly captured why we do what we do.

Special Recognition

Huge thanks to Katie who stepped up brilliantly to co-lead the session meeting Jordan at Papa’s when Joao got held up with work commitments. This kind of flexibility and teamwork spirit is what makes GoodGym Lambeth special.

Another successful mission combining fitness, community service, and unexpected wildlife encounters - exactly what GoodGym is all about!.

Our fantastic GoodGym runners really rose to the occasion this week, racing over to Thorlands Gardens where they were chamomile-ing at the bit to get stuck in! The team showed they had plenty of thyme on their hands as they tackled a variety of tasks.

We had two new members with us last night so Jenny and Maddy it was lovely to have you with us!

The volunteers were absolutely rooting for success as they laid cardboard with precision - you could say they really nailed it down! Their work was nothing short of ground-breaking as they created the perfect foundation for the chamomile garden border.

When it came to litter picking, our green-fingered heroes left no stone unturned, proving that many hands make light work. They showed that every piece of rubbish had met its match - talk about a clean sweep!

The real chip off the old block moment came when the team started shifting woodchip. They moved (small) mountains of mulch with an oak-kay attitude. You could say they were pine-ing for the perfect finish, and they certainly delivered! The border transformation was tree-mendous - our volunteers really knew how to mulch it up.

By the end of the session, the chamomile garden was looking scent-sational and weed-free. The team proved that with a little patience and a lot of sage advice, any garden can bloom into something beautiful.

Mint to be together, this group of volunteers showed that when you turnip with the right attitude, you can make any space radish-ingly beautiful. What an absolutely un-be-leaf-able effort from everyone involved!

Tasks Completed:

• Cardboard laying for weed suppression
• Community litter picking
• Woodchip distribution and border creation
• Chamomile garden area preparation

Another blooming brilliant session from GoodGym Lambeth! See you next week :0)