What a smashing morning with the Friends of Danson Park, laying wood chippings along the Woodland Walk 🌳.

With eight of us (plus a husband and two brilliant young helpers) working alongside the regular volunteers we got so much done. Shoveling chippings into wheelbarrows, ferrying them to the path, raking them out, going back for more. It was genuinely impressive seeing our dynamic GoodGym team in action.

Beth coined things beautifully in saying, 'This is the best kind of GoodGym task, when you get a great workout, and can see a real difference at the end.'

Great work everyone!

With the path finished we headed to Danson Stables (cafe, not horses) for hot drinks kindly provided by the manager, and biscuits provided by the Friends ☕️🍪.

We'll be back next month, getting busy again to keep Danson Park looking wonderful.

• And the title for this report? When Ashton told us someone called him Alvin, and we were ferrying the chippings around... nice punning Beth!

In just one hour, the GoodGym Bexley team made a huge difference to the area by Co-op Blackfen! Armed with litter pickers, bin bags, and plenty of enthusiasm, we got stuck in—and wow, did we find some surprises.

Among the usual rubbish, we picked up:

👞 A pair of shoes – someone must have walked home barefoot!
🍳 A frying pan – maybe breakfast on the go?
☕ A coffee machine – a bit big for a takeaway coffee!
🌂 Umbrellas – useful, but not when left in the street.
🚗 An exhaust pipe – not something you expect to find while litter picking!

By the end of the session, the whole area looked so much tidier. Hopefully, now it’s clean, people will think twice before dropping more rubbish!

A big thank you to everyone who helped – you’re all brilliant. And most importantly…

Happy 8th Birthday, GoodGym Bexley! Here’s to another year of getting active, doing good, and making a difference. Thank you Sidcup Partners for the delicious cake, and Rooted Coffee House in Blackfen Community Library for hosting our celebrations.

The Cleanup Crew: Me, Myself, and I 🧤 Mission: Restore dignity to the narrow alley behind my house. Findings: 🥤 Plastic bottles – Hydration? Yes. Bins? No. 🍬 Sweet wrappers – A crime scene of abandoned snacks. 🍲 Multicooker – Because apparently, some people meal-prep and litter.

Outcome: One giant rubbish bag filled, one alley less shameful, and one unanswered question—who ditches a multicooker in an alley?! 🤔♻️

What can you expect to find while litter picking? Well, it’s more of an unexpected treasure hunt than you might think!

On our latest community mission, we found a lone mitten, a stray shoe, and even some leftover fireworks – talk about variety! 🥿🎆🧤

We teamed up with the fantastic Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods at their monthly session. Not only did we give the area a good clean-up, but we also got a great workout in – the perfect combination of doing good while staying active.

Ashton even got an extra workout on the trim trail!

Don’t miss out on our upcoming sessions! Whether you’re a seasoned GoodGymer or a curious first-timer, come along to make a difference, stay fit, and maybe even discover a few treasures along the way.

Report written by Marianna.