Three GoodGymers, Steph, Sevan and Kash, after a morning of volunteering, decided to attend an ancient wellness ritual taking its roots from the Himalayas. The therapeutic qualities of "balsam bashing" were known to Sevan and Kash. Steph had yet to experience them in his soul and - little had he known - on his skin too!

The trio met Fiona from Ealing Wildlife Group at the North bank of the River Brent in Pear Tree Park. Fiona gave them a brief for the task and rushed back to see her family for a Sunday meal. Minutes later, seasoned Balsam Bashers Rachel and Robert strengthened the team with their expertise and long sleeves and bottoms. GoodGymers (at least some of them) had read the task description and brought some protection for their bare arms and legs. Everyone quickly found out that no one's outfit was impenetrable to the stinging nettles. Nettles were enormous and as ubiquitous - if not more - as the Himalayan balsam, which was the main target for the group. The balsam bash quickly transformed into a nettle & balsam bash!

The team members went in different directions, each on their own way to find nirvana. Seeking the ultimate liberation from suffering, the GoodGymers initially suffered plenty of nettle stings, yet later on, their journey transformed into a transcendental experience. When removing the balsam by pulling it right near the ground, exposing the shallow roots, and breaking and trampling the stems that made the cracking watery sounds, all three felt a connection to something greater than themselves. While destroying the Himalayan plants, they were restoring the balance of nature that had not intended to have balsam spreading in England.

Despite the nettle stings, Steph, Sevan and Kash went into a meditative state, pulling one balsam plant after another. They could do that with no end - but they stuck with the two-and-a-half-hour task slot. Can you imagine such a long GoodGym session to remove invasive plants? Now, you have an idea about how satisfying a balsam bash could be!

After achieving so much for themselves and the biodiversity of the River Brent banks, the GoodGymers were ready to end their spiritual journey with a jog home. But Rachel had one secret to reveal: the Himalayan balsam worked well as a soothing balm for nettle stings - just like aloe vera! Enriched with that piece of transformative knowledge, everyone rubbed broken balsam stalks on their nettle-stung skin and felt immediate relief and a sense of relaxation. What a way to finish the day of Sunday missions!

Five GoodGymers met four Ealing Greenwayers near the Perivale Park Athletics Track for their last summer event this season. It was not a race or a competition. Two teams worked together against the ivy that had swallowed the fence between the track and the car park in Pear Tree Park. To make the job safe, the Greenwayers marked four parking spaces as out of order with a stretch of barricade tape and a few cones. That setup, together with Richard's Walpole Park Volunteer hi-viz, must have made us look like a legitimate force to be reckoned with.

A thick coating of ivy was covering everything: the fence, the soil, and even more layers of ivy - can you imagine that? We didn't even know where to start, but with a team of nine, we could begin in several places at once! Shears, loppers, forks, spades and saws were in action. Thanks to the team's relentless effort and Richard's mastery of ad-hoc tool-sourcing, an incredible amount of ivy was removed and wheelbarrowed into a hidden ivy graveyard behind a hedge.

"A totally superb Goodgym onslaught today, thanks so much. It will now be possible for Greener Ealing staff to tidy up and lay woodchip. We've made their job so much easier." - Richard.

We are taking a strategic break from the sessions with the Greenwayers for the remaining two summer months - but worry not! We may do an odd session to support Pear Tree Park by the River Brent - as we did later today, bashing the Himalayan balsam. We are also looking forward to reuniting with the Greenwayers in September, during Ealing Climate Week - sign up for the occasion now!

Extra session this month at Pitshanger Juniors Parkrun : 4 Goodgymers went to cheer 89 runners today. Sevan was marshal at position 3, Jacquie and Steph Ducat were marshals at position 1 while Kash was on bar code scanning. Today was a special day for several reasons . To start brand new tokens appeared on the table ready to be given out. to the finishers. Today Kelvin was run director, but it was also his birthday : did we get cake you would ask!No we didn't!!But Kelvin brought jelly babies to be given out to all the junior runners at the finish line. All the finishers enjoyed the jelly babies and they were not the only ones. Did this make some of the runners go quicker to be sure they get a jelly baby. Most volunteers also had jelly babies. Kelvin still had some left and would bring them next week. We had 89 finishers today and the new tokens were handed out. Token number 58 disappeared and went missing - not the first time a token gets lost or taken back home, but its not the first time for the number 58 to disappear. Will it come back next week?

One of the regular marshals Malcolm completed his 99th volunteering session today - next one will be the big 100 !!!

On the hottest day in the country so far this year, 4 GoodGymers arrived at one of their regular Care4Calais sessions not knowing what to expect. Three of them had run 9km from their previous task in Southall and were hot, hot, hot! 🥵

Task owner Tamzin welcomed the group with cold drinks and pistachio ice cream, which made everyone perk up and got them ready for the task ahead. Other volunteers had been earlier in the day to prepare clothing packs for refugees, so sorting new donations was the main task for the GoodGymers.

Tamzin brought in one set of donations at a time, which seemed to be never ending. Carrier bags, boxes and a suitcase all made appearances with the priority being separating out the women's, men's and children's clothes, then sizing and storing all of the female attire. Some of the sizing was more hands on (or body on), especially when the stated sized looked totally wrong. Surprisingly, there was a lot of summer clothing to work through at the start of the season. On the other hand, a few jokers thought that donating winter scarves and gloves in the current heat wave would be helpful 😒.

"Those trousers are more commando" - Steph
"You mean camo?" - Sevan
"😳" - Steph

Some more novelty items were found including a yellow "Me call shenanigans" t-shirt that GoodGymers had sorted and packed before (old photo added to report) and had been returned by one of Care4Calais' clients. Maybe it wasn't for them. Kash also found a mysterious object.

"Is this a skirt? Oh. No, it has opening only on one side. Is it a bag?" - Kash
"It's a pillowcase" - Sevan
"I've got one of those too" - Steph
"Well at least there's 2 of them" - Sevan

Stacks and stacks of the women's clothes were sized and neatly stacked to go into stock and those that didn't make the grade were set aside to be donated to other charities. That never ending supply of bags, well, ended thanks to some great teamwork 🤜🤛. The replenished stock room was now ready for the next set of volunteers to prepare clothing packs when new request come in.

The longest day of 2025, which happened to be the June community day at Western Road, brought temperatures soaring to 30 degrees. Steph Ducat, Sevan and Kash ran from different directions to reach Southall's urban garden and meet Angela on her first session. The GoodGymers knew Angela from Ealing Soup Kitchen (not the coordinator Angela) and were delighted she had decided to give volunteering through gardening a chance.

The tour of the garden

Angela was warmly welcomed by Janpal, the organiser of the community day, who gave her a complete tour around Western Road Urban Garden (WRUG). All the GoodGymers entered the polytunnel, which they had helped set up. Those who were still feeling hot and sticky after their run experienced an entirely different level of heat! The thermometer inside showed 41 degrees - the current temperature, and 59 degrees - WRUG's polytunnel heat record!

Janpal presented the results of his planting in the polytunnel this year: from staples like tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, and red bell peppers to more exotic plants like gourd, karela (bitter melon) and snake gourd. Melon and marrow were difficult to distinguish without visible fruits. Okra still awaited to be planted. The vegetables grown at Western Road are distributed among those in need in Southall. Because many residents belong to the South Asian community, Janpal makes sure the people struggling with food affordability are able to cook their traditional dishes with the local produce. That explained why the polytunnel was rich in different varieties of chilli peppers!

"Those chillies here are *banging hot*! It's pumpkin chilli pepper. The packet said 35,000 on the Scoville scale" - Janpal.

We walked outside, where the breeze made us feel that the temperature was quite agreeable compared to the sizzling polytunnel! Janpal had more to show us on the subject of hot peppers: cherry chillies - the result of the veg seedling swap with our friend Joseph managing the urban garden in Greenford. Those were apparently quite deadly. Asked about who such chillies were for, Janpal mentioned an idea about organising a chilli-eating contest at Western Road!

Outside, we saw Janpal's pride: dahlias. Angela was quizzed on her knowledge of the plants as we walked past fennel, fenugreek and poppy. We reached raised beds with onions, cabbage, cauliflower and rare plants originating from Southeast Asia - a kind of very long, thin beans. The most inspiring was the raspberry and lettuce plot planted by seven-year-old children. We entered the orchard and were amazed to see that all the trees planted less than two years ago already had fruit: apricots, mulberries, apples, cherries, and pears. Janpal was excited about the ripening apricots but worried that the WRUG's fox would get them first. The troublemaking fox was notorious for damaging the dahlias, digging holes and stealing fruit and vegetables.

"So what is today's task? A fox hunt?" - Kash.
"The fox is okay. He keeps the rats away. We've learned to coexist" - Janpal.

The task

Our team was joined by Paul, Katie, Ash, Geoff with his daughter, and later, Ravi. Janpal and Ash were hoping that there would be enough hands to clear the entire space next to the tool shed of weeds and greenhouse parts. Katie and Geoff's daughter then started by decorating the gate instead - the result was wonderful! In the meantime, our team moved parts of a small greenhouse (to be assembled in the future), and a solar panel, then pulled or cut tall weeds on a large area we've been working on. There was plenty of bindweed, which should not be placed together with compost, so we piled it up separately to be later burned. We faced a real challenge when we had to dig out the roots of the weeds. The recent hot days made the soil so hard, we could not stick a fork in it! Only Geoff, the professional gardener, seemed totally unaffected by those conditions and kept digging successfully.

The tables turned when Ash brought us first small pickaxes, and later an adze and mattocks. Those gradual upgrades were a true game changer that allowed us to clear the entire space we were preparing for the second shed. We also buried a trench and levelled the ground for the new construction. In the last few minutes of the session, Ash convinced everyone to pull together and place a membrane to cover a section of the levelled area. That will help suppress the mad weeds' growth in the next weeks!

"A tremendous effort today by your colleagues in very difficult conditions. It has made a real difference." - Janpal.

The reward

If the sight of what we've achieved today was not rewarding enough, the generous refreshments provided by Southall Community Alliance certainly felt like a reward! There was a mountain of fruit (not the crops of the garden yet), delicious samosas and a bucket with ice full of water and soft drinks to keep us cool and hydrated.

The next chapter

Whether you have joined us today or not, the next opportunity to support Western Road Urban Garden awaits! Come to Southall for more fun, rewarding community work in a friendly group, and those excellent samosas in July - sign up now!

FADE IN:
INT. MR G’S BEDROOM – DAY
MR G paces nervously, holding a phone to his ear.
MR G
The printer constantly doesn't work. I cannot fix it...
A woman’s voice calls from outside the room.
KASH (O.S.)
Hello!
MR G
(on phone)
Listen, I have someone at the door. I just need a replacement printer. Can this be done? Ok, bye.
He ends the call. KASH appears, coming up the stairs, sweaty and slightly out of breath from the heat.
KASH
Hello. How are you?
MR G
Hello. Oh, everything goes wrong.
CUT TO:
EXT. BEDROOM WINDOW – CONTINUOUS
Through the glass, we see MR G talking to KASH. Their conversation is inaudible.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM – MOMENTS LATER
MR G
Can I go to Sainsbury's with you today and explore some other food?
KASH
I'm afraid that's not allowed.
MR G
I've had enough of that breaded chicken and cod every single week. I cannot look at it anymore.
KASH
I would have been sick of it six months ago. I don't know how you can keep eating the same things over and over.
MR G
Well, I can't.
MR G exits to the corridor. KASH follows. The camera trails them in a master shot as they move into the kitchen.
INT. KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS
KASH
Why don't I get you something different today? Or something you liked in the past.
Remember those labels from Waitrose, like spaghetti arrabbiata? Can you find them?
MR G
I don't want you to go that far.
KASH
It's not that far at all. Come on, it's time for a change.
MR G rummages through a folder. He pulls out a few food labels and hands them to her.
KASH
Perfect, I can work with that. I can be creative with veggies too.
MR G
Just no aubergine or kale — I hate those.
KASH
No problem.
MR G
And can you get me the blueberry yoghurt? I don't want those red ones anymore.
I pretend I like the strawberry ones, but I really don't.
KASH Sure. See you soon.
KASH takes a few banknotes and two faded Sainsbury's canvas bags from the counter, then leaves.
INT. MR G’S BEDROOM – LATER THAT DAY
MR G rests on the sofa. A familiar voice calls from downstairs.
KASH (O.S.)
Hello!
MR G
Yes?
KASH enters, carrying full shopping bags. She hands MR G the change and begins unpacking groceries onto a nearby worktop.
KASH
I got some familiar stuff.
She pulls out cavolo nero, jumbo Scottish rolled oats, and a tin of baked beans.
MR G
Ah, alright.
KASH
And there's something new and fresh!
She reveals a tray of spaghetti arrabbiata and a box of ricotta cannelloni. MR G’s eyes light up.
MR G
Now we're talking!
KASH continues unpacking: chicken fettuccine.
MR G
Oh, that’s the one I liked. Perfect!
Then: chicken korma with rice and blueberry yoghurts.
MR G nods, pleased. KASH then pulls out a pack of marinated raw chicken.
KASH
And something instead of breaded chicken.
MR G
What is it?
KASH
Marinated chicken.
MR G
And where does it go? In the bin?
KASH
In the oven. You bake things — you can just put it into the oven like the breaded chicken.
MR G
Haha, I know. I’m joking. Listen, all of that is great. It’s a change. Thank you very much!
KASH
You're welcome. Enjoy the experience. And let me know what you liked next time.
MR G
Have a lovely weekend.
KASH
And you too. Bye!
KASH heads toward the stairs.
MR G
Bye.
She disappears down the stairs. The door shuts.
FADE OUT.

Phew – it was a warm one last night as we returned to the beautiful Chiswick House for another impactful GoodGym session!

This time, our task took us to the dog playground, where a massive pile of mulch was waiting for us. And as well as being huge it was also quite compacted,which added to the hard work. But we weren’t phased. Especially as our aim was to make the dogs of Chiswick as happy as possible with a freshly mulched play area.

Armed with barrows, rakes and enthusiasm, we set to work. The pile soon turned out to be no match for our big team. We raked, shifted, scooped, and (squeakily) wheeled mulch across the playground. Several dogs passed by mid-task, offering us an approving wag – the highest form of praise, obviously.

With the job wrapped up in no time, we relocated to a lovely grassy spot nearby for a bit of strength and conditioning - and a much needed cool down. We worked all the major muscle groups and tested our mettle with various planks. After returning the tools, we jogged back to base for a good stretch and a debrief.

Coming up: We’ve got a mission this Saturday at Chiswick Allotments in the sun.Sign up here to keep the good deeds flowing!

ps Did we mention it was hot?

On a beautiful summer evening, four GoodGymers set off for a run from Ealing Broadway to Hanwell through quiet back roads towards the Hobbayne Community Gardens.

The space is the result of transforming derelict land beside the Grand Union Canal into 55 mini allotment plots for local people to grow fruit and vegetables. It also serves as a community space and a place to support wildlife, thanks to its pond.

At the destination, Freya, Steph, Sevan and Kash met Christos and tonight's task facilitator, Eli, who manages one of the plots at the site. Eli let us into the allotments and offered a range of tools for our session. The job was to clear an overgrown "secret garden" hidden behind a difficult-to-open gate.

With shears, loppers, rakes, and an hour to spend on intense chopping, we discovered the garden's secrets:

• a shed (with a strimmer locked inside)
• an oar (it was actually a paddle)
• a tennis ball
• a dirty washcloth
• a plum tree growing horizontally
• that the space to clear was three times bigger than we anticipated!

We cleared almost half of the space of grass, brambles, nettles and other undesirable plants. Eli said we've done a brilliant job. Fantastic progress towards transforming a jungle into a newly reclaimed community space!

Next week we'll head towards the opposite side of the borough to show the "wildflower trail" in Acton some love. We will be watering thirsty plants and litter picking. Sign up now!