Today two of the Taskforce team attended the Kingston & Merton EXPO25. It was a brilliant chance to get face-to-face with numerous businesses, organisations, and individuals to chat all things GoodGym in both Kingston and Merton. The energy was great, and we had so many positive conversations about how we Do Good and Get Fit.

It was great to see some familiar faces, but even better to meet a few people who had heard about us and some who had experienced the team helping with local jobs. Sharing first-hand stories about the difference our runners and volunteers have made reinforced the positive impact we have on the community. We are looking forward to doing more as there were lots of opportunities for follow up

We swapped our running shoes for a deep dive into a year's worth of GoodGym Merton video and photo evidence today. Sifting through hundreds of clips and images, it was a brilliant way to reminisce about everything we've achieved as a community of runners and do-gooders. From massive clean-up and painting sessions through numerous Parkruns to productive gardening efforts.

The resulting content will be used to mark our one-year anniversary date, and most importantly, encourage others to join our growing community.

Why not join us to mark 1 year of GoodGym Merton and you'll become part of the next great chapter?

Monday 27th - group session helping Friends of Raynes Park station: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/help-friends-of-raynes-park-station-with-various-jobs Followed by a social at Raynes Park Tavern (even if you can't make the task beforehand, please do join us - sign up so we have an idea of numbers to book the table/space): https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/october-goodgym-merton-social

Saturday 1st - Parkrun Morden: - Volunteer: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/goodgym-merton-are-marking-1-year-by-helping-the-volunteer-team-at-morden-parkrun - Walk/run: https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/join-goodgym-merton-on-a-walk-run-to-celebrate-our-1-year-anniversary-at-morden-parkrun - Join us for a coffee afterwards at Morden Leisure Centre.

This morning we attended tne Dons Local Action Group networking breakfast which was a great way to connect with some of the local community. We even had an impromptu moment on the mic, where we shared a brief few words about what we do.

We chatted with old contacts and made some great new connections, even picking up a couple of exciting potential requests for help! It was particularly encouraging to find that far more people have heard about GoodGym than when we attended last year.

Huge thanks to the Dons Local Action Group for hosting, it was a truly worthwhile start to the day!

We swapped our running shoes for networking shoes today and attended the Carers Information Event at Raynes Park Library to share more about Missions in Merton. With a guest appearance from an ex-Merton GoodGymmer (who had moved away) it was a great opportunity to catch up with other volunteers, organisations and meet a few new faces.

It was hugely encouraging to hear some positive feedback from those who have already referred an individual - proof that our practical support is making a real difference. We're hoping to get more GoodGym members 'mission verified' so we can continue lending a helping hand where it's needed most.

Tonight I swapped out from the group session to attend the Borough of Sport Forum to hear more about local initiatives, network with community contacts, and fuel our upcoming mission list!

After a number of interesting presentations and a very inspiring contribution, it was great to have some great chats with new contacts from across the borough. The good news is that there were some exciting new leads for future tasks, plus plenty of conversations with existing job providers - all of which will certainly help us keep our community mission list well and truly stocked so a successful evening laying the groundwork for many more good deeds to come!

The Wimbledon Foundation's networking event was truly inspiring, with heartfelt speeches from Carney's Community and Faith in Action highlighting their impactful work. We enjoyed some interesting conversations and meet a couple of contacts that may have more jobs for us at some point soon, and even had the chance to pose for a photo with the iconic Wimbledon trophies.