What a lovely evening for a GoodGym session as the team gathered in the peaceful surroundings of the Tranquil Garden to lend a hand to the Friends of Mostyn Gardens.

There was no shortage of jobs to get stuck into, and once the runners arrived to join the pack, we got straight to work armed with tools, gloves, and plenty of energy to tackle a bit of everything, including:

🌿 Clearing runaway vines and keeping unruly growth in check

🌾 Weeding beds and paths, and clearing dead plants to tidy up the space

🚰 Watering to keep everything thriving on a warm summer evening

By the time we were finished, the plant beds, wood chip area, gravel paths, and fencing were looking thoroughly transformed and suitably GoodGymed! As a lovely bonus to wrap up our hard work, we even had time to harvest a bunch of fresh sage to take home.

Before heading to the pub for our monthly social, there were some incredible milestones to cheer, with Ralph hitting 10 and Steve (back in action) hitting 25 good deeds!

An extra special, monumental congratulations goes to Caroline, who hit an amazing 100 good deeds! This also marks the very first 100-milestone reached for a GoodGym Merton team member since we launched in 2024. Showcasing how far we have come!

Well done to the whole team for another fantastic, high-impact evening 💪 - red shirt power at its finest!

The Goodgym Merton team arrived for tonight's group session at Morley Park to find a massive, freshly delivered mountain of wood chip that was wood-erfully timed for our visit!

We certainly didn't have a chip on our shoulders, quickly forming an efficient shovel-and-barrow convoy and shifting everything from the road to inside the park gate. A fantastic full-body workout!

Meanwhile, a couple of the team tackled a lighter task, snipping back invasive horsetails to keep the pathways looking tidy and protect the local flora.

What amazing teamwork as always - well done everyone!

Tonight the team made their first-ever visit to Cranmer Primary in Mitcham, and we certainly didn't leaf any stone unturned! To conquer the massive site, we split our forces into two teams. Four hi-vis heros braved the school gates and headed into the alley to clear out the stubborn litter trapped in the ditch. Meanwhile, the rest of the team tackled the playground areas, making a clean sweep of the scattered debris. Together, we covered a massive amount of ground, and an even bigger mountain of leaves and litter - filling several black bags. Top of the class for the GoodGym Merton team 👏!

Tonight’s team of volunteers arrived at The Wandle River Community Garden (formerly the Paul Bowness Memorial Garden) after a truly scorching day! Fortunately, the evening air had cooled down just in time, providing the perfect conditions to get stuck into some serious community action.

We were excited to hear about the future plans to grow native plants here specifically for natural dyeing, adding a brilliant, sustainable, and creative twist to this local green space.

To smash through the to-do list, we split into two teams to tackle both the garden itself and a spot a short distance up the river:

Team 1: Armed with secateurs, set to work clearing a thick patch of stubborn brambles, prepping the site for the native dyeing plants.

Team 2: Focused their energy on the main community garden area: weeding, sweeping, tidying up, and clearing litter to get the oasis looking pristine again after a very busy weekend of visitors.

An amazing transformation - well done everyone!