After the junior parkrun volunteering, the soaked GoodGymers, Sevan and Kash, took a chance to get a hot beverage and even put their wet gloves on a radiator in a coffee shop while catching up with Alan on the Christmas break. 30 minutes of cosiness or so, and - although not warm and dry at all - they were ready to get drenched again!

After a 20-minute run to an area which Kash categorised as East Acton and Sevan as Shepherd's Bush (to avoid disagreements, let's say it was White City), the GoodGymers met Mr E. Mr E was the son and carer of Mr W, the beneficiary of Sevan and Kash's mission. Mr W could no longer move and care for his garden, which was ridden by weeds after the recent replacement of the neighbour's fence - an improvement that had damaged Mr W's anti-weed membrane.

Mr E was very grateful for the help GoodGym offered to his dad. As he was getting ready for work, he briefed Sevan and Kash on the task and how to make hot beverages in his kitchen. It was lovely to see such hospitality from someone benefitting from GoodGym's support for the first time!

Soon Mr E had to go to work and left Sevan and Kash with his dad and three cats. The GoodGymers went to the garden and each focused their attention on their speciality: Sevan on detailed scraping of pavement slabs and Kash on big wins (or easy wins) - pulling out larger weeds growing around the membrane.

After 90 minutes, the results were pretty good! The green, invasive stuff was nowhere to be seen in the back garden. The GoodGymers didn't have time to weed the front garden or help themselves to the tea as they were scheduled to help another older person. They disposed of the bags with the weeds, said goodbye to Mr W and the cats (who dutifully warmed GoodGymers running bags with their fluffy bodies - such hospitality!), then ran to catch the overground to the Hackney area, where the last mission of the day awaited.

Mr C needed his gas and electricity meter readings done as the energy company sent a hefty bill which does not seem to reconcile with his actual usage.

The meters were located really high up near the ceiling by the flat door and the gas meter in particular was located deep in a cupboard located really high up.

They both required access via a ladder but Mr C's conditions meant it wasn't safe for him to use this ladder.

The job was super quick- it only took 15 minutes including a chat with Mr C to find out what's going on. He has been trying not to turn on the heating as much as he could - hoping it can be sorted quickly before it gets any colder!

Always a fun festive task, we were helped at Age UK Hammersmith & Fulham's Volunteer Christmas Party.

We served drinks and food so that the regular volunteers for Age UK H&F could enjoy the evening as a thank you for the amazing work they do across the year.

Later we did the washing up and helped tidy everything away, all the while enjoying the party atmosphere and Christmas tunes sung by the live singer.

We got to eat and drink too, and one of us might have been singing along just a little bit...

There were lots of thank yous from the guests, and the organising team from Age UK.

Great work Team GoodGym!

It takes two to tango, and at last nights task it only took two to traid. Jonny and Lucy teamed up at Hammersmith Traid to help clear the shop floor for a fresh new delivery.

On a Sunday morning, Sevan and Kash ran 6.5 km from Ealing to Shepherd's Bush to wake themselves up. The run didn't seem enough to awaken their fullest potential, so the duo popped into a coffee shop for a dose of caffeine. The brew was tasty, but did it unleash a flurry of energy? The team decided on the next step: a visit to Mr M's.

Mr M's first reaction to the familiar GoodGymers' faces was to offer them more coffee. But the visitors wanted something more punchy. If Sevan and Kash had a bad case of restlessness, Mr M had the cure: his back and front gardens.

The backyard had regular and seasonal jobs available: grass cutting and leaf sweeping. The lawn transformed since Sevan and Kash's last visit to Mr M's this year - it still hardly had any grass on it, but the type of weeds changed. The previously omnipresent bindweed was almost nowhere to be seen, replaced by alkanet and an easy-to-pull weed that neither Sevan nor Kash could name.

Kash wasted no time to get familiar with the plants to be exterminated. Instead, she let the weeds get acquainted with the lawnmower. When she removed the mower's basket for the second time to empty it, the trimmings were nowhere to be found.

"Where did it all go?" Sevan asked.

Both GoodGymers had a perplexed look on their faces. Kash turned over the mower and uncovered a mash of wet grass and weeds stuck onto the bottom. The cuttings become green pulp.

While Sevan was digging out weeds and sweeping the leaves, he noticed that Mr M, whom he could see through the kitchen window, changed his top from stripy to plain. It wouldn't have been so bizarre if Mr M hadn't changed back again. And again. Sevan then heard Mr M talking to someone and, shortly after, saw two Mr Ms in the kitchen. A doppelganger?! Later, Sevan learned that Mr M's look-alike was his cousin from Egypt who stayed over for a couple of days. Phew, nothing paranormal going on on Sevan's shift!

Fifteen minutes before the end of the mission, Sevan and Kash were ready to tackle together the front garden. It was a real blitz! In such a short time grass was scraped from the paving, all weeds pulled and a young tree, hiding behind the bins, cut down. That last 15 minutes was the kick Sevan and Kash needed. Energised with the gardening workout, they ran 4 km to Acton to build a bed for relaxation.

A warm and sunny morning greeted us for today’s task at the Vine Road Community Growing Project in Barnes. We met at the polytunnels and shifted a bit of garden furniture before dividing to conquer separate jobs involving compost and mulch. Classic.

The mulchers set about coating the raised beds in some rich organic material to nourish the soil and remaining crops over winter. Meanwhile, the others were busy shovelling and sieving matter from the compost heap to remove larger bits of wood, roots, worms, and more than a few coffee pods, to leave a most pleasing fine and light compost. Lovely.

Most of the group also stopped a little longer to enjoy well-earned coffees and baked treats in the sun from the community café. Welcome to all those who joined us for the first time, whether from other areas or new to GoodGym. We hope to see you and the friendly bunch at Vine Road again soon.