A blustery but thankfully dry Saturday morning in October blew 2 goodgym-ers to Maryon Park Community Garden in Charlton. 

For anyone that's not visited, the garden is a community food growing area within one of Charlton 's many green spaces, where plothouders grow everything from pumpkins to tomatoes, beetroot to beans, and today we saw some pretty giant courgettes!

Our task today was to clear away a build-up of leaves from the entrance pathways, to make the area safer and tidier. Leafblower & shovels at the ready, we'd soon run out of space in the composting bins and it was time for a tidy up and a catch up with Tim & Edna. 

Have a great weekend all! 😊

It’s the end of the month so it was time for the Group Run to Mycenae House, a lovely local landmark with extensive grounds that the volunteers always need our help with.

Three of us ran the mile or so from Charlton Park to the house to be met by our other members and the amazing Fiona, the volunteer coordinator. For most of the summer we’ve been doing weeding and chopping so it was lovely today to have a more constructive task, namely planting a number of new plants (although the weeding didn’t quite go away). We set to work, digging holes, popping in the plants and watering and between the 5 of us and the volunteers we managed to get 20 odd plants in, including one monster specimen that required three of us to plant it.

All of this was hard work and we were grateful after an hour to be rewarded with some of the excellent cake that is always waiting for us after the task.

It was a busy GoodGym morning so one of us kept the red shirt present on Woolwich Common with lots of locals who joined The Friends of...

Sad to see two huge bonfire areas and a discarded campsite covered in litter. As usual, used nappies in bushes, water bottles and plenty of beer cans. Anyway, there's a bit less of it now so everyone can enjoy the view again. And great to see the earlier scorched areas from the big fire turning green again!

GoodGym digs through decades of memories during a lively house clearance

Last night, a group of five GoodGymers led by our esteemed run leader Marta, made our way to Glyndon Community Centre for our Wednesday night task. As usual we were warmly welcomed by caretaker Andy, who guided us to the storage unit at the back. Our mission: help empty a unit filled with the remnants of an old house clearance that was packed with 80s nostalgia and retro items.

Inside, we excitedly discovered a treasure trove of items that needed sorting: 1980s chart-topping singles (Keith Harris and Orville “I Wish I could Fly”), once-loved albums (The Best of Earth, Wind and Fire), well-worn furniture, retro lamp stands, quirky ornaments, and sentimental paintings. It was fascinating to see a person’s life through their possessions.

We then had to sort the items into various piles either for donating, recycling or to be thrown out and discarded. This was very difficult as so many items were sentiments and had a story to tell.

All in all, it was a productive and enjoyable evening. Once the unit was cleared, we dutifully swept up and snapped a quick group photo before heading home, satisfied with a job well done.

Tonight's task for 4 goodgym-ers started with a quick change of venue, from St Lukes Church to St Richard's, both regular task locations in Charlton. A slightly wild, grey sky looked down on us as we jogged down towards our destination discussing our proudest moments.

Our woodchip pathway is still looking good! A little bit of weeding was still needed, but the membrane & woodchip is doing a great job of repressing the growth.

The grey skies turned darker so we headed into the Church for a whole new world of tasks in the hall including cleaning up some dusty chairs and a good old hot floor mop. The tasks just seemed call for a bit of a disney singalong, so whistling a happy working song, the time warped away for us to step in time into the unknown.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious work everyone!

What better way to start a Sunday than by lending a hand (and a few cheers) at a junior parkrun? This morning, three GoodGymers stepped up to support the amazing team at Hornfair junior parkrun, joining forces with the brilliant regular volunteers and cheering on 26 energetic juniors at the start line.

We had: Peter, taking the lead as Run Director Marta keeping things on track as Number Checker, And me, proudly donning the Parkwalker vest – encouraging the little runners and making sure everyone stayed safe and motivated.

There’s something special about seeing young runners giving it their all – and being part of the team that cheers them on? Even better.

But today wasn’t just another feel-good Sunday… it was a milestone moment for me too – my 50th GoodGym good deed! Hoorah! 🥳

It feels like only yesterday I said “yes” to that first community mission. I never imagined how something as simple as giving a bit of time could give back so much in purpose, joy, and connection.

Sharing good deeds isn’t about boasting — it’s about inspiring. Leading by example shows that even small acts of kindness add up. If it encourages even one more person to get involved, then that’s a win. 🙌

Here’s to many more miles, smiles, and good deeds ahead. Thanks to everyone who’s encouraged me along the way – your support means the world. ❤️

P.S. You could say I’ve “run into” a pretty great community. 😉

• Cecilia 🍀