Last night six of us met to do some good in the darkening and slightly damp September evening. And that's what GoodGym is all about - we spread a little joy and the autumn and winter months are a great time to stick with it - as the evenings get darker it makes a difference to meet up with friends and get active each week! This evening we had task to move lots of wood from the middle of the playground to the edges to allow children space to play. It was almost smooth sailing with some dramatic screams from us city folk about the gigantic spiders we unearthed.
We harvested some grapes and some radishes (thank you St Alfege's! I'm going to enjoy nice salad for lunch).

Special welcome to Carolin on her first GoodGym good deed - it's great to have you in the group and we hope to see much more of you!

We parted ways as the rain got heavier, me spotting the 386 and losing any street cred I thought I had running down the road with two giant and alarmingly bulbous radishes. And I didn't make the bus either so ended up running all the way home looking like I'd robbed a community garden.

On Saturday we're back at Hervey Road for some gardening and next Wednesday we're at St Luke's.

Until next time!

Rachel 👋🏻

London's community half marathon went red this year! 🔥

A huge congratulations to the oodles of GoodGym folk who caught well-earned happy mornings under a hot-hot-hot late summer sun ☺️

It was the biggest joy seeing you all!

Please send me your photos (!) and I will pop them up here (alexmurtough@goodgym.org) ❤️

A bright morning saw us back at St Alfege’s Primary School for some much-needed weeding to help keep the veg beds free from weeds and clear more space for planting.

We were delighted to welcome Philip and Vinita to their very first GoodGym good deeds – a fantastic start to their journey with us. They both got stuck in straight away, bringing plenty of energy and enthusiasm to the task!

Special mention goes to Arthur, who we appointed Chief Worm Hunter. He threw himself into the role with gusto, uncovering worm after worm and providing some very dedicated worm-related entertainment while the weeding continued.

Vinita not only pulled up weeds but also took the lead on capturing the session, snapping photos and putting together a brilliant Instagram video to share our efforts. A great way to kick things off on her GoodGym journey!

With weeds tackled, worms relocated, and smiles all around, it was another great GoodGym session of teamwork, community, and a warm welcome for new friends.

Until next time!

Rachel

A tragic scene awaited 5 GoodGym-ers as we joined the Friends of Woolwich Common for today's litter pick. A huge area of the common was burned down in a fire earlier in the week, and whilst the exact source of ignition is under much speculation, the dry summer had not helped, leaving much of the area vulnerable.

On a much more positive note, so many areas were unaffected due to the quick work by local fire teams, leaving plenty of space as the haven it is, for wildflowers, wildlife and vegetation of all kinds. So, armed with litterpicks and rubbish bag hoops, a smoky aroma followed us as we set out in various directions, ready to clear as much as we could, Cans, bottles, vapes, plastic, glass, newspapers & crisp bags soon filled up those bags, and nature gave us a little materials science lesson in how various materials burn - or don't, as the case may be, in the areas affected by the fire.

It's not the first fire on this common, but nature also teaches us it will fight back, and as the seasons change, the plant life will gradually begin to take root again, which hopefully we can help with in some small way by clearing away the artificial stuff threatening that growth.

Have a great week & catch up soon! 😊

We won an Heart of Gold!

When Maritime Radio's presenter Gary Silvester heard about what we do, he invited us onto his show to collect a Heart of Gold award recognising our work in the local community.

Sarah and Rachel collected the award during a one hour show with Gary at the Martime Radio studio in Shewsbury House on Shooters Hill. They chatted all things GoodGym backed by a soundtrack of songs put together by the Bexley GoodGymers to represent what GG is about:

• Rain on me (Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga) - representing how we brave all weathers and GG motivates us to get out and get moving, and always with good cheer.
• I'll be there for you (The Rembrandts) - how we support local organisations and each other, make new friends, and have a great team spirit.
• Born to run (Bruce Springstein) - how we use our exercise to do good.
• Wonderful world, beautiful people (Jimmy Cliff) - how GG's kind-hearted volunteers help make a difference in our community.
• Can't stop the feeling (Justin Timberlake) - that sense of fulfilment when we've done a task.
• Don't stop me now (Queen) - GoodGym Bexley is growing and looking for new tasks and new people to join us. *The best things in life are free (Janet Jackson) - GoodGym is free to join, with completely optional donations as we are a charity.

We do what we do because we like making a difference, so this award is a lovely treat. Hugely well done Team GG Bexley!

Eight of us hit the streets last night with purpose, energy, and plenty of good vibes. Our destination? The ever-welcoming Hervey Road Playing Fields. But before we got there, we had a very special delivery to make…

On our way over, we helped spread the word about the upcoming Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre (PPMCC) Community Day, dropping leaflets through letterboxes. It's going to be a fantastic event, and you can sign up to help man the GoodGym stall and soak up the community spirit here.

With the leaflets delivered and our legs nicely warmed up, we headed on to Hervey Road. When we arrived we found Jenny, Ivar, and Annie already hard at work, weeding and pruning back the lavender with impressive focus. The rest of us joined in, tackling a good amount of weeding and bramble-pulling to help get the space looking its best. The combination of teamwork, elbow grease, and a few laughs made for a hugely satisfying session.

Thanks to everyone who came along, until next time!

💥 Coming up this weekend in Greenwich:

🌿 Saturday – Gardening at Mycenae Gardens Join us for a peaceful and productive morning of planting and pruning in this much-loved community space. A perfect way to start the weekend!

🚮 Sunday – Group Run & Litter Pick at Woolwich Common We’re heading out for a run followed by a community litter pick at Woolwich Common. A great way to combine fitness with a bit of environmental impact.

Next Wednesday we're back at the Memorial Hospital for a special session with a bonfire, tea and creative session - don't miss out!