As July comes to a warm and sunny end, this evening saw 12 GoodGymers arriving at the Cranbrook Community Centre. A well-used, much loved asset on the Cranbrook Estate, the Centre's cared for by longstanding task owners Janet and Eileen.

Welcoming Caterina and Frankie to their first GoodGym, and Kirsti to her first Tower Hamlets GoodGym, we headed to the tool box to select our instruments for tonight’s task.

Everyone got stuck in straight away. Some of the GoodGymers worked in pairs, others on their own, all tackling a variety of jobs.

Hedges were trimmed, leaves cleared from garden borders, and litter picked.

The notice boards at the front of the centre were cleared of rose bushes, so locals passing by can see more easily the activities taking place at the centre.

As 8pm approached, the team headed around the corner to start cutting back trees hanging over the pavement!

A tidy, cared-for environment that helps to make the centre feel welcoming, our efforts in the garden were much appreciated this evening.

After posing for that all-important group pic, we headed out to the Mace Street wall for our Monday stretching session. A great end to an absolutely brilliant night.

Next week, we’re headed to the Canal Club Community Garden for gardening, cake and swimming…

Until then.

Life can be unpredictable and it’s how you react to it that counts. Case in point: a group of GoodGymers braved one of our longest and hilliest regular runs to Seniors Centre, only to find that… our hosts were a no-show and our task was cancelled.

Nil desperandum, though, as we were just one more climb away from Blythe Hills Fields, where we were greeted not only by the regular views across SE London but also a help-yourself bag dispenser – this could mean only one thing… an impromptu litter-pick!

Whilst the bags were small, so was our available time and, as it turned out, the amount of litter to be picked. This all worked out nicely for a small group with 10 – 15 mins to kill before the long run home.

Apologies must go to Kirsti who, having been told after her first 2 tasks with the group (BOTH litter-picking) that we DO do different things… I promise it’s true!

A last minute change of plan didn't deter us from heading out into the borough and doing good! Armed with our trusty litter pickers we headed to Ladywell Fields. I trailed behind and once I got to Ladywell Fields everyone was busy litter picking.

We tackled either side of the park up to the running track and then up and over the curly bridge to see what litter awaited us there but also to see the nest of birds built on a shopping trolley in the river alongside a chicken shop wrapper (presumably there to remind the chicks of their home town of Lewisham). Sadly the recent rain has washed away the nest ☹

After trying to fit all our rubbish in the bins so that the foxes didn't spoil our efforts, we headed our separate ways, the group back to Glass Mill and Vic and I in the direction of Catford.

Next week we are heading up and over the hill(s) to Seniors!