A spot of litter picking this evening in my local area- bins were collected recently but our lovely neighbourhood foxes had been busy truffling through the bags and left a bit of a mess.

Once again, we were completely unprepared for the weather: suddenly, it wasn’t freezing! There was no icy wind from the East, or indeed from any point of the compass. But still, Anna was wearing her sleeping-bag coat, just in case. We even had a dry couple of hours in what promises to be a soggy week; as promised, the drizzle stopped precisely as we arrived for the task

Some task force members were held up by work commitments, or by walking down the wrong street, but we soon got underway. There were two beds to be tackled, one near the entrance and one labelled the “race track”; where GoodGymers were speedily yanking up unsightly weeds and filling large white nags with the debris

With the beds cleared of their leafy offenders, we moved on to the mulch stage: a generous layer, to lock in moisture, deter future weed returns, and generally give the soil a fresh lease of life. Where chaos once reigned, there was now order, tidiness, and a sense of horticultural achievement

For those eager for more chances to do good while breaking a sweat, Tower Hamlets members are branching out to tasks in Camden, Newham, and Greenwich. Closer to home, our own evening tasks return next Monday, and if one night a week isn’t enough, the next two Tuesdays as well!

On a bright dry, but quite cold, Sunday morning, we joined the Friends of Mile End Park’s monthly litter pick. The task formed part of the January Challenge, giving runners a great opportunity to start the year with a positive impact on their local community and environment. A special welcome to Christopher, doing his first GoodGym task!

We arrived one by one and joined volunteers from the Friends of Mile End Park, who organise regular clean-ups to help keep the park welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Once we were all gathered by the Art Pavilion, there was a brief introduction and safety briefing from John of the Friends, we were equipped with litter pickers, gloves, and bags before heading to our allotted areas of the park

Working together, the team collected a wide range of litter, including food packaging, cans, bottles, and general waste that had built up over the winter months. Despite the chilly conditions, spirits were high thanks to good teamwork and plenty of conversation. The park is known for great potted woodpeckers, parakeets, robins, pairs of blue tits and water fowl, as well as snowdrops

Joining this task as part of the January Challenge was a brilliant reminder of what GoodGym is all about: combining physical activity with practical help for local communities. After an hour and half, many bags of rubbish had been filled, leaving the park cleaner and more pleasant for residents, visitors, and wildlife alike

It only remained to squeeze ourselves into the Coffee Room (actually bigger inside than out) for a deserved hot coffee and cake

John and Emma were up early - though not too early, as Mile End Junior Parkrun doesn't start until 9:30 - to marshall the course and to cheer on the smiling kids

Marshalling plays a key role in ensuring the event runs safely and smoothly. We offered encouragement along the way, helped keep participants on course and reassured parents and spectators throughout the run. And it wasn't too cold

Events like Junior Parkrun rely heavily on volunteers, and the support from GoodGym made a positive difference to both the organisers and the children taking part at Mile End Park. The collaboration highlighted GoodGym’s commitment to combining physical activity with community support, while helping to create a fun and safe environment for local families

Despite fingers so cold it was hard to use the pick, GoodGymer Anna managed to collect a whopping 5.7kg of rubbish from central Wapping.

The WaSh Wombles meet in different parts of Tower Hamlets every week to keep the streets clean, get to know their neighbours and have a warm cup of coffee or tea as a treat to celebrate the many kilos of litter collected.

It was a bitterly cold evening, with frost clinging to the ground, but that didn’t dissuade 13 Tower Hamlets diehards, wrapped in many layers, gathering for our first group task of 2026. Breath hung in the air as we pulled on gloves and got to work, determined not to let the temperature dampen our spirits. The Cranbrook garden was still carpeted with wet, fallen leaves, somehow unhardened by the icy conditions

Despite numb fingers and stiff muscles, the group worked steadily, gathering leaves into large piles, bagging them, and Chris even repeating his Cranbrook party trick of jumping into the wheelie bin, to stamp the debris down and create more space for the seemingly never-ending flow of leaf piles. Periodic bursts of laughter and much conversation helped to break through the chill, and the physical effort brought a degree of warmth

By 19:45, the thick carpet of leaves had disappeared, just a few clinging on between blades of grass, and the lucky 13 felt proud, rosy-cheeked, and energised. There only remained the logistically difficult problem of getting everyone in a selfie, and the difficult negotiation of the frozen pavements outside