We were back again this weekend to support the Samaritans with their branch fundraising day. This is a big opportunity to raise vital funds to enable the Sams to keep their helpline and branch going, supporting so many people every day with a listening ear, when they feel like there is no-one else to turn to.

Back at Waterstones, we took our turns for our chosen Doodle Poll shifts, met our co-fundraiser (a very friendly Samaritan), donned the tabbards and seized the bucket!

Shoppers were particularly generous today, with our theory of "I've spent a mortgage on presents, so to heck with it, I can give more money" proving (hopefully) true. With some very generous, NOTE-worthy donations, it hopefully made up for the minor contactless internet outage (ah the perils of modern day living!) and we wait in eager anticipation for the grand announcement in the upcoming days.

A particular shout-out to Debs on her first good deed and for staying on extra to help cover another shift - thank you! And there was glowing praise for everyone, the Sams really were grateful.

A few words to end it on from one of the Sams:

So we could not have managed this morning without support from the GoodGym. Many thanks indeed.

Following last year's fundraising days, the Samaritans asked if we'd be able to lend a hand again this year for their annual collection days. YES, of course, we'd love to help again!

Charlotte and I signed up for our shifts on the fancy Doodle Poll and turned up to Waterstones to collect donations from shoppers. Paired up with a Sam volunteer, we had brilliant company throughout and before we knew it, it was time to hand over to the next shift. Shoppers seemed well ans truly in the spirit of giving so hopefully it will have helped to raise lots of very much needed funds.

Thank you to the Sams for the great collection conversations!

That's right we were a "Solid Crew" of 11 runners tonight, out to do good in Kingston.

First of all we had lots of news to get through....

• Big welcome to Rhian on her first run
• Get chatting about the GG Olympics and get a team together
• Good luck to Dave for the Palace Half this weekend
• Good luck to Luke and Rachel for the 8 mile Kingston Spring run at the end of the month.
• We need a photo with 41 represented in it! (We were the 41st GG to launch) and we are celebrating the happening of the 50th location very soon!!

On that note we got our thinking caps on and they stayed on for the rest of the night! Take a look at the glorious photos - there were piggy backs (much to Rhian's surprise on her first run) , paperclips and human numbers to celebrate GG reaching 50 goodGym areas.

After all our messing around (CREATIVENESS), which also included a game of rock, paper, scissors while doing the plank. We started our stravas and set out on our 6km round trip through Hampton Wick, Teddington and back into Kingston where we arrived on the doorstep of the Samaritans and met our lovely task owner Helen. Which was great news in itself but enhanced too by the fact that it had stopped raining for us - Relief as our run trainer had suggested we might have to canoe our way to the task and then of course we'd have tried to get a photo of 41 in a boat and so on!!

Our tasks tonight were to wash window frames, clean the kitchen area and organise cupboards. We started sorting things into piles....charity shop, recycling, the bin , to stay, to take home a raffle! At first it seemed like we were making more mess than tidying but it was all part of the plan (we knew what we were doing). Our work was very fast and efficient almost light speed - quicker than the Millennium Falcon that turned up with the theme to Star Wars playing! Calm down Mark and get on with photos of us runners working will you! Oh and lying around on the floor for the theme of 41 ; - )

Job done and all in order with so much space now made in the organised cupboards the task owner thought she had been 'burgled' and now Dave has shown how good he is cleaning windows it looks like he has no excuse at home too!!

The Samaritans are such a wonderful blessing to so many with the amazing work they do in the community that it is great to be able to help them and as Helen said 'it was like having fairies arrive to help out'. It was our pleasure Helen. "Winter , spring , summer or fall, all you have to do is call and Goodgym will be there, yes we will!"

See you next week!

It was the final weekend shopping chance before Christmas and people were flocking to Kingston - which created the perfect opportunity for Kingston Samaritans to raise some funds to keep their vital helpline and drop-in services going.

We had each selected our shifts and, when checking the list teice, Samia was very pleased to see that Karen and Jenny had also signed up to lend a hand. Jenny kicked off proceedings with the first shift for those early morning shoppers probably hoping to escape the crowds. Having trekked all the way from Barnet, we were very grateful to have your help Jenny and hope you enjoyed your first fundraising community mission and some post-mission moseying around the Christmas markets.

Jenny passed the baton (in the form of the bucket and fetching green tabard) onto Samia, who was pleased to see that the first shift must have gone well based on the weight of the bucket. Set with the contactless payment reader in one hand and the bucket in the other, at least the weight-lifting was equal for both arms.

And then along came Karen after an epic trip to Kingston, braving the hills of Richmond Park, the confusion of Which Gate is Which and, most threatening of all, the rage of car drivers (with the confusing cycling "system" of Kingston which I could offer a lot of empathy about). Poor Karen's muddy clothes told the story themselves and as if that hadn't been epic enough, there were tales of yesterday's flooded towpath to be told. Thinking that Karen would have turned back after a waist-high tide on her bike, the decision to CYCLE THROUGH IT definitely earned her the title of The Hardy Scot. Double kudos!

It seemed that the cycling trauma must be the trick for fundraising, as Karen told me about some very generous donations when I returned. Perhaps the muddy look is a lucky charm?

The Samaritans have assured me that they'll drop me an email with the fundraising total - so watch this space!

After a spot of inter-community-mission shopping, it was time for the third installment of fundraising for Kingston Samaritans.

Paired with a really lovely helpline Samaritan, we chatted about our Christmas plans, running, GoodGym, how volunteering for the Samaritans helpline works, careers and the fascination that is human behaviour (particularly how one person donating would seem to set a trend for an influx of others to donate). Time really flew by, the bucket gradually became heavier, and before we knew it the next shift volunteers appeared.

Fingers crossed for a healthy fundraising total - and thank you to the Sams for being so warm and friendly.

Kingston Samaritans were fundraising outside Waterstones in Kingston today and were very welcoming and keen to have some GoodGym help with it.

Having selected our shifts on their fancy Doodle Poll, we turned up, donned the incredibly fetching bright green tabards, hauled Santa's sacks on our shoulders (i.e. picked up a bucket) and got to it. Shoppers reached into their pockets for any loose change and kids were treated with festive stickers in return, and many noted how much of a great cause the Samaritans are, particularly at this time of year.

We enjoyed chatting to the volunteers about their helpline work and all about GoodGym, all the while getting some bicep building action in from all the bucket carrying. Samia learned how she'd made a rookie error #1: picking a shift late in the day meant a rather heavy bucket to carry, whilst Caroline learned to check that the photo has taken before leaving - whoops! (Thanks to the Samaritans' Twitter page for the photos that we, ahem, "borrowed"...).

And it was topped off with a follow-up email to announce the grand total of today's collection:

We collected nearly £1,000 today (£961.28) at Waterstones so many thanks to you and Caroline for your part in this fantastic result.

All that's left to say is a massive CONGRATULATIONS to Caroline for your 50th good deed!