This was the church's monthly volunteering session and as ever Abby had lots of jobs for us to do, including weeding, watering, planting out an area under the laurel tree and turning the compost. The latter was tough work but Williams did a great job, while Clare shared her gardening expertise with the rest of us. We were joined by Penny, the very cute schnoodle, and refreshed with squash and banana bread. It's been lovely to see this garden blooming over the past few months.

Three Goodgym members: Jade, Ams, and I joined the Morden Parkrun runners for their usual Saturday run. Jade had an excellent run, while Ams and I volunteered, taking on different roles. The run was an exciting one, and the team had a lot of fun.

It's always fun helping out at Deen City Farm as we get to visit the animals and support the team with practical jobs. This afternoon Goodgym members from Merton, Wandsworth, Croydon and Ealing stopped by to help decorate for the Barn Dance.

It was great to see some new faces and chat a little as we got busy with bunting, gazebo building, and plenty of creative touches to make the venue look yeeee-ha!

Congratulations to Steve on your first Goodgym task and we hope to see everyone again very soon.

The team welcomed 23 lovely guests this week and treated them to a feast of caramelised onion and goat’s cheese sourdough pizza, pasta alla puttanesca, and a chocolate cake crowned with vanilla frosting and a sprinkle of freeze-dried strawberries. 🍓🍰 The surplus supplies weren’t quite overflowing this time, but the team rose to the challenge and made every ingredient count. The new volunteers jumped straight in and were absolute stars — you’d never guess it was their first time!

Three regulars helped out at Merton's Community Fridge tonight, working tirelessly, giving crates and boxes a much-needed scrub, and sorting through a mountain of rubbish. It was a fantastic effort, and thanks to their hard work, the Fridge and recycling bin is sorted and ready for the next session 🤞.

The team was on a mission to move a mountain of soil from the pavement to the beds on the platform! We didn't quite crack the logistics of timing the bucket filling with carrying and delivering along the platform, but we certainly got a great workout from all the shoveling, lifting, and climbing up the steps. We also enjoyed the added bonus jobs of sweeping up spillages both on and off the platform (oops!) and some watering up on the embankment. It was a productive evening and a great opportunity for a social afterwards in the nearby Raynes Park Tavern to meet everyone properly.