With temperatures on the brink of soaring, a welcome breeze kept conditions comfortable as the GoodGym Wandsworth crew gathered for another Monday night run.

After meeting up for a warm-up, we were delighted to welcome Robyn for a very first GoodGym session. Great to have you with us, Robyn!

Before setting off, it was time for the Quiz Question of the Week: Which country holds the record for the highest peak temperature ever recorded? A tricky one this week, but the answer was Kuwait, where temperatures have reached a blistering 54°C. A bit like the Victoria line this week...

Our destination was Balham Nursery School, where a long list of jobs awaited us. This state nursery plays a vital role in providing early years education and support for local children and families, making it a fantastic community asset where we love to help out.

On arrival we found Annabel already hard at work so we followed her example and quickly split into teams.

Robyn, Chris, Hazel and Matthew rgot busy tackling the gardening and weeding. Meanwhile, Adam and Felix took on the tree trimming, with Caroline bagging up the cuttings as they worked. Over on bunting duty, Pritesh, Beth and Jack were tasked with decorating for the nursery's upcoming open day and party. Faced with a breezy evening, they came up with the ingenious solution of tying spoons to the ends of the strings to stop them flying away. So simple, so effective, soGoodGym.

It was hard work - but the result?

• Beautifully tidy gardens
• Freshly painted windows
• Cheerful bunting ready for next week's open day and celebrations
• Neatly trimmed trees creating a smart welcome outside the nursery

And then came the reward. We were introduced to the nursery's newly hatched ducklings. Tiny, fluffy, chirpy balls of yellow cuteness that had only recently entered the world. It just goes to show that no two GoodGym tasks are ever quite the same.

We've got a mission coming up this weekend in Southfields, and next Monday we'll be helping to spread the word about the Battersea Children's Centre scheme by stuffing envelopes. Hope you can make it!

Last night we were back at Balham Nursery following the amazing work the team did last Monday – and this time it was all about painting!

After a warm up and a Eurovision-themed quiz question (where the team impressively remembered all five UK Eurovision winners: Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Brotherhood of Man, Bucks Fizz and Katrina and the Waves), we headed off on our run to the nursery.

Natasha, the headteacher, was ready and waiting for us with a perfectly prepped painting area, so it was straight into action grabbing brushes and rollers. Within minutes the place was already looking brighter and fresher. A few of the team also tackled the windows, giving them a much-needed wash down and making an immediate difference.

Natasha was absolutely delighted with the transformation and told us we had saved the nursery a “small fortune” – a good reminder of the impact a Monday night GoodGym session can have.

With the painting complete and the rollers downed, we headed over to Clapham Common via the “scenic route” for fitness. And by fitness, we were staring down the barrel of a FIVE MINUTE plank challenge. Yes. Five whole minutes.

The variations included military planks, diamond planks, side planks, reverse planks, shoulder taps and plank jumps. Who knew there were so many ways to suffer in a horizontal plank position?

Very impressively everybody managed the full five minutes. What an incredible effort.

Next week we’ve got a special lunchtime Bank Holiday session helping clean up a pétanque court at Larkhall Park – come along! We'll follow with coffee/ice cream (delete as appropriate depending on bank holiday weather...) You can sign up here

A big Monday night in Wandsworth after a huge weekend in London! There was still a buzz in the air after incredible atmosphere at the London Marathon on Sunday—crowds out in force, sunshine, four world records and thousands of inspiring performances. If it got you thinking 'maybe next year', why not go for it? You can enter the ballot here: https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/enter/how-to-enter/ballot

Massive congratulations to GG OG Jack who smashed it on Sunday—what a legend 💥

*Mission alert *

We’re looking for a helping hand tonight to transport food from Streatham Hill to Clapham Common. If you’re around and can lend your legs (or wheels), we’d love your help! Sign up here

*Last night’s run *

We headed down to the Scout Hall in Battersea to get stuck into a pre-election spruce-up. With voting day around the corner, the place needed to be looking its best—and we delivered.

Jobs included:

• Mopping floors
• Hoovering throughout
• Deep-cleaning the kitchens
• Wiping windows
• Weeding outside areas
• General tidying and making everything shine

Everyone pitched in and we got through the list in no time, so it was on to the fitness part of the evening! We headed outside for a session focused on stability, conditioning, and strength. There was lots of controlled movements, core work, and a bit of coordination—all while keeping an eye out for reversing buses.

At that was left was a run back to base for stretches before heading to the pub to celebrate marathon triumphs 🏅, recent weddings 💍, the return of familiar faces 🙌 and the exciting challenges ahead (both land and water based).

We’ve got two brilliant weekend missions on the horizon—the perfect start to the weekend. Fancy cleaning up and clearing out a greenhouse at a local nursery school? or making a petanque court accessible for everybody?? Course you do! Hope to see you there 👏