I think there may have been some gremlins at play yesterday, as the session didn't go quite as expected right from the get go. However, we still managed to achieve what looked at first like an impossible challenge during the course of the night!

It all started off with a badly behaving website which didn't want us to be able to sign up for the task ahead, which was (meant) to be transporting bags and bags of compost up to Doddington roof garden. Nevertheless we persevered, and a group of 12 of us met ready to face a big upper body workout. As we did our evening's warm up we took turns in naming capital cities that ended in vowels. Oslo, Rome, Nairobi, Bogota and Quito all got a mention, but it became harder and harder to list them as we went round the group!

We took a speedy run down to the garden, arm muscles flexed, only to find....no compost. Despite the council having told Malissa it had been delivered, there was nothing to be found. It looked like our task and upper body workout was fading into the distance, but Malissa had another plan. This one involved much less soil, but a much (much) heavier weight.

The challenge was to shift an enormous workbench cupboard with the weightiest marble top from one side of the garden to the other so it could be used by the communal table and the prime sunny area it occupied currently could be used for growing plants.

And so it began. We overcame obstacles in the way, no lip to grip the top, two small pallets on wheels, not to mention the sheer weight of the thing. The first step was to transport the marble, so being super careful of fingers and toes, we perfected a tipping and edging technique that finally did the trick. All that was left was to move the cupboard itself, manouevre that into place, then pick up the marble before placing it back into position. It took the whole session to achieve this but achieve it we did, proving that impossible is nothing when it comes to GoodGym! Check out the video on X to watch the moment it all fell into place. We even managed to fit in a core blast in the nice warm meeting room below.

Next week we're back to Omnibus to spread mulch at or GG garden and wash the windows for this arts charity. There will be a lot less lifting involved, promise!

It was a blustery evening in Wandsworth last night but we had a job to do, and that wasn't going to hold us back!

Have you heard of the Library of Things? This organisation in partnership with the council has a mission to make borrowing better than buying for people and the planet. It's a more affordable, convenient, socially-rewarding alternative to consumerism, which is particularly important during the current cost-of-living crisis. The idea is that we borrow from their 'library' of tools, equipment and more, saving money by affordably renting quality products such as drills, sound systems or sewing machines rather than contributing to the carbon emissions created by producing them. It has recently opened a branch in Wandsworth and we were asked to help spread the word about this new resource.

We were only too happy to help, so after a warm up, we took a look at the box of leaflets we had been sent, and took turns guessing how many there were inside. Guesses ranged from 500 to 1800, but Eaven showed some amazing spatial awareness skills, with an estimate only 20 off the correct total of 900!

Over the years we like to think we have perfected our leaflet delivering method, and we were soon running like clockwork. The idea is that we run single file, joining the back of the moving queue each time we post a leaflet so that we ensure we don't double up on any houses. That's the idea at least! It tends to work very well with the same number of houses on each side of the street, but we come a bit undone if not, with one team waiting for the other group to catch up!

We have a new empathy for our lovely posties, who have to cope with numb fingers, menacing barks, not to mention letterboxes at the bottom doors (not easy to bend down thatfar after a few kms!) Still, we managed to cover a big distance, running over 7km from the tip of Wandsworth Common, through Wandsworth Town and the surrounding area, even hitting estate agents, pubs and other organisations as we went to spread the net as far and wide as possible. Some keen beans even took a few to deliver on their way home - that's commitment to the cause! If you fancy a day with a waffle maker, carpet cleaner or even a projector, why not check them out.

Next week we have our regular trip to Doddington roof garden followed by our pub quiz social. Hope to see you there! We also have a new weekly task helping deliver hot food for vulnerable people every Sunday which is a fun and rewarding way to spend an afternoon spreading the love!

12 GoodGymers, 3 big tasks, 1 huge difference made...what a way to spend a Monday!

We started off our last group run of January with a warm up and what turned out to be a slightly trickier than anticipated question - can you name a car with the same letter as your first name? Not an easy one for the 'Js' amongst us!

We took a good steady run up to the theatre, a little trepidatious about what we might find there as it had been quite some time since our last visit. It's been a few months since we've taken over the space outside the theatre charity with the plan of making it a sustainable, organic and productive garden which we can use to grow crops to donate. As we turned the corner we were pleasantly surprised to find that it hadn't been overtaken by weeds and the plants we had been growing were still fighting on!

The three main jobs were to weed and stake up the peas, dig a hole and plant our donated fig tree, and finally to finish off the path. Wasting no time at all we divided up into teams and got stuck in. There were a few challenges along the way. While Catherine was carefully crafting an amazing trellis, there were several issues elsewhere to overcome, such as how to make the brick path lay flat and where to dig the hole avoiding the roots from the huge apple tree.

But GGers are nothing if not problem solvers and after 45 minutes, the peas had been saved, the fig tree was standing proud and there was an incredible yellow brick road which proved we had brains, heart and courage and we were also well on the way to creating our own Emerald City!

We popped over the road to do our fitness session for the evening, setting up camp in front of a Michelin starred restaurant. I hope we didn't distract them from their truffles! Introducing some healthy competition into the session we started off with a game of tic,tac,toe to decide who went first. Then each partner had to do 45 seconds worth of a certain exercise before the second team member tried to beat their reps. There were some very impressive squat thrusting, tricep dipping and step upping, with everyone winning at least one round. Well done on a good full body workout.

Next week it's our first Monday session at Doddington followed by the monthly pub quiz, hope you can make it! There is also a session on Saturday to plant flowers at Garratt park which is looking very quiet at the moment. If you can make it, here are all the details.