GoodGym Lambeth Run Report: The Great Tree Heist of 2026 🌲

Date: First group session of 2026
Mission: Christmas Tree Recycling on Clapham Common
Status: Absolutely smashed it! 💪

The Return of the Champions 🏆

What a way to kick off the new year! We were pining for our first session of 2026, and boy did it deliver. The gang assembled for an absolute classic - hunting down abandoned Christmas trees across Clapham and dragging them to their final resting place on the Common.

Special shoutouts to our prodigal runners:

• Andy made his triumphant return after more than 5 years away (we promise the trees haven’t changed that much!)
• Eric was back at it after his hiatus - clearly couldn’t stay away from the tree-mendous fun
• Louise crossed the river to rejoin us after over a year away from Lambeth sessions - we’re so glad she branched back out to visit! 🤗

The Dream Team Assemble 💪

Our fantastic regulars were there doing what they do best (spoiler: it’s pulling up trees, literally):

• Jo ✨
• Fi ✨
• Ben ✨
• Michael ✨

You lot are the root of everything we do! 😊

The Final Tally 📊

After racing around Clapham like festive tree-hunting squirrels, we managed to shift an absolutely fir-ocious 38.5 trees (yes, really - someone clearly couldn’t bear to part with half their tree) plus a few wreaths to boot! 🌲🎄

We’re not saying we’re heroes, but we definitely spruced up the neighborhood.

Same time next week? We’ll leaf you to think about it! 🍃

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Get fit. Do good. Make terrible tree puns. 🌳💚​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A wonderful morning walk learning about indigenous and non trees in the local area alongside a litter pick.

Fun times with fun folks :O)

The days are getting longer and the Lambeth team were down at Papa's enjoying the last rays of the sun as it dipped below the houses on Pulross Rd because it was Tuesday and that can only mean one thing - Group Run time.

This evening was a classic help out our friends session so we were heading out to post flyers for our friends at Get Rid of and Donate as well as some GoodGym ones to raise awareness of two awesome organisations (if we do say so ourselves).

Four members so Manos, Tilly, Katie and AA Yianny set off on a lovely loop through Brixton and down to Brockwell Park before heading back and starting the leafletting around the Rattray and Mayall Road block.

We had a decent chunk of flyers so divided them up but by 5 to 8 we were standing triumphantly by the side of St Matthew's Church with empty hands and a feeling of achievement!

So that's it, another great task and another fun evening. Big congratulations to Tilly for setting a new PB on her half marathon the weekend past, to Katie for hitting a double session trail run + GG group run and Manos who was back for his second ever session (one of the family now!)

Another chilly evening down in Brixton but that wouldn't keep our intrepid GGers away from their group session!

Dan showed his commitment and shook off his back injury to come down and was joined by Katie and Tilly for our regular recycling collection session supporting Greenpeace's Everyday Plastic initiative.

Once the group had finished a detailed discussion of age related back ailments and stretches we set off on a pleasant 3km loop to get warmed up and then as we arrived back dived straight into our task.

This session is a simple one - grab as much recyclable material as we can find littering the streets of Lambeth and get it into recycling bins - this then avoids it being swept into rubbish collection and going to landfill!

By the end of the session we had stuffed two black bags with recyclable material and put them into recycling bins - a job well done. Big thanks to all and Dan I owe you a pack of sweet treats!!

And so GG Lambeth rounded out the 2024 Group Runs with a session to help out our favourite organisation.

Let's start at the beginning, we were delighted to have Dan join us for his first session, welcome Dan great to have you with us!

With a few of the group not being able to make it that left Katie and Yianny to round out the numbers and the weather decided to be less dry and more wet than previously expected. As a result AA changed the task on the fly from the planned litter pick bingo to leafletting for GoodGym :0)

A big thank you to Katie for bringing her reverse Advent Calendar donations which will be given to Lambeth foodbanks.

We set off on our 4km loop via Clapham North with time to regale Dan with GG stories and how things work (also where the best bars are on Landor Road!) Once we were back at base we grabbed handfuls if GG flyers and headed to a new block of streets and houses to drum up support for volunteers in 2025.

And so that was that, last session done, only slightly soggy and a nice session to boot.

Just time for me to say a last big thank you to all the GGers who have done so much good work this year, it has been an absolute pleasure to spend time with you! 2024 - out.

As expected a beautiful summer's evening last night for a bit of GoodGyming.

Another week and another new GGer joined us - Ethaan it was lovely to have you with us and we hope to see you fir more sessions over the summer!

We had a last minute task cancellation so instead we were off to do some flyering of the local area for GoodGym (our fave cause!) with the three flyer-teers including Tilly and AA Yianny.

After a 2.3km run in just over 12 mins we grabbed the leaflets and started out zigzagging the roads closest to Papa's to see if that would generate interest from folks based close to our base. Tilly also managed to drop off some at the local student accommodation on her way home which was great.

In no time we had covered two large blocks and the end of Pulross Road and it was time to head home.

Big thanks to all and see you next time!