This morning 2 of the team were up with the sun to help the Canon's House team, Merton Council, and Merton Music Foundation set up the September Sustainability Fair!

After the briefing, we got stuck into the physical work - and it was a proper workout! Our main mission was one we’ve become well-acquainted with: Gazebos! We lifted, assemble and secured those structures across the grounds. Once everything was pitched we moved on to arranging the seating, setting out all the chairs and tables and intermittently escorted arriving exhibitors.

By 10:00am we had definitely earned that coffee!

Tonight, the team faced a colossal challenge at Critical Support: as we split into two groups, diving into the chaos. Crate by crate, transforming the overwhelming sprawl into organised piles - first completing the fresh food deliveries, followed by large stacks of clothes, shoes, homeware, and more.

Then came the heavy lifting as we hauled full crates upstairs and carefully tackled a quick round of repacking. This was crucial for maximising the space and ensuring the crates could be safely stacked.

With a final push and an "all hands on crates" effort, the job was done!

The warehouse was almost spotless and impressively organised - far exceeding what most of us thought possible in the time available. A huge welcome to Tori on a fantastic first task! Well done, everyone; the teamwork was absolutely amazing. We were truly "crate"!

It might have been blowing a hooley but that didn't deter our hard-working team, including Isabella who was joning her first Merton session. Maggie set us to work clearing leaves (the wind had already made a start) and planting, while Williams spent his second day in a row taking care of compost! The local residents are all super appreciative and one even donated a chocolate cake. As the evenings are getting shorter, we ended the session in head torches. This may be our last evening here for a while but it will be lovely to see the fruits of our labour come spring.

I've never harvested potatoes but that was one of our jobs at this session. We dug them out of the compost and put them into a crate, ready for use at the Open Table, where a meal is cooked for the community. Meanwhile, Williams was back on compost-turning duty, having done such an impressive job last time. It was lovely to meet new GooodGymer Melissa, and we hope to see her again soon. The rain started to fall right at the end of the session, so it was time to make a dash and avoid the splash. We'll be back next month.