A walk in the park literally and figuratively. I had an amazing time. Even the scorching heat couldn’t keep me from volunteering.

Volunteering isn’t just about giving your time -it’s also gaining so much in return. Benefits are endless - you will meet amazing people, you stay active and making real impact. If you are ready to feel the power of giving back, why not start now/soon?

Till next time. Stay safe all. 👋🏼😃

Special thanks to Sarah W. for taking the photo. (Say cheese!) 😁

It was a glorious summer evening for our return to Holy Trinity Lamorbey Primary School — greeted with a big smile and warm welcome from Vice Principal, Jane.

This time, we were handed a brand new mission: start to rescue the nursery children's garden, which was looking somwhat sad. Or in Jane’s words, “It’s become a bit of a dumping ground for old outdoor toys and play equipment.”

First, out went the miniature park benches, forgotten play equipment, scattered flower pots, and one lonely compost bin — nicely modeled by Lisa (check the photos for the full fun moment). Some items will be re-homed elsewhere around the school, while other bits were beyond keeping.

Next, we gave the overgrown bushes and plants a much-needed trim so teachers can actually see the children when they’re in the garden — always a bonus in a school setting!

Then we went to war on the weeds. They were stubborn little beasts, poking through the wood chippings and weed membrane like they owned the place. It took some serious heaving and arm-power to get them out until the brilliant discovery that pointed shears = weed-removal magic. Victory!

The added bonus? No clean-up needed! Jane had a genius plan — the Year 6 children would tidy-up the cuttings and sweep the area the next day as part of their Digital Detox Day: a full day of outdoor fun with zero screen time. Win-win!

A big high five to everyone who came along. The garden’s on its way back to being a safe, fun, and leafy little paradise for the nursery children. We're looking forward to continuing its revamp after the summer holidays. 🌼

Yet another three-hour session at the Community Hospice Shop, sorting through clothes and all manner of curiosities. This time it was just Caroline and me representing GoodGym, alongside our ever-cheerful supervisors, James and Andrew.

As usual, the time flew by. We kept ourselves amused with the weird and wonderful items that pass through our hands — it’s like rummaging through the backstage wardrobe of life. I was particularly delighted to discover a Spongebob Squarepants soft toy, which brought an immediate smile. Not long after, a Spongebob onesie appeared too!

I have a bit of a soft spot for Spongebob. On a long-haul flight back from some far-flung destination, I once watched an episode out of sheer curiosity. I was instantly hooked by the madcap, ridiculous, but genuinely hilarious world of Bikini Bottom, the underground city where he lives. Rather aptly named for this line of work.

Later, I couldn't resist trying on a rather fetching ‘Game Over’ hoodie-robe hybrid. It looked useful for lounging around and watching the Women's Euros. Fingers crossed that it’s not game over for England after today’s match (Wednesday the 9th) against the Netherlands...

Meanwhile, Caroline was busy modelling some of our more eccentric finds. First up: what she described, optimistically I thought, as a "loungesuit". Next came what I’d call a shepherd’s jacket, which wouldn’t look out of place in a 1970s TV drama or on a hillside with a flock of sheep. Good heavens, 1970 is 55 years ago!

Just another day in the magical mystery tour that is the sorting room!

Yesterday morning we joined a community litterpick in Welling.

We arrived at the organser's marquee just in time for a chat and photo with the Mayor, then we were asked to head to the cemetery where litter tends to collect around the perimeter hedges. Joined by Adele from Discover Welling, we picked up rubbish en route, then worked our way around the boundary and paths in the lovely graveyard.

Despite the grey skies, the forecast rain held off and time flew by as we chatted and tidied. It was great to be outdoors with great company, and we got in a great step count too 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️.

With four bags full of rubbish we returned to the marquee. In total 53 bags of litter were collected by 50 volunteers.

We said adieu to Adele and headed to The Hilltop Coffee Shop for cappucinos all round to celebrate Rachel's 200th good deed 🥳🎉. Rachel didn't want a fuss, but that's a whole lot of time spent doing good in the local community, so it's a big 'Hip Hip Hooray!' from of us in GG Bexley and GG Greenwich ❤.

Whether you're a seasoned GoodGymer like Rachel, or considering your very first venture with us, we'd love to see you at one of our tasks soon!

What a fun (and busy!) afternoon helping out at the local Summer Festival!

Sarah and Johnny were amazing, keeping an eye on lots and lots of excited kids on one of the inflatables. It was full-on, but they handled it like total stars! (Of course, it was only right that Johnny gave it a test run before the children arrived!)

Lisa was a lifesaver at the drinks stall, helping to serve a never-ending queue of thirsty festival-goers. She kept things moving with a big smile and lots of energy!

Note added by Sarah: And not forgetting Marianna! As part of the school PTA team that organised the event, she swapped her GG red tshirt for orange hi-viz and was here, there and everywhere, keeping everything running smoothly.

We’re really proud to have supported such a great community event – and hopefully helped raise some money for the school too. 💪❤️

Coming straight from marshaling at Lesnes Abbey junior parkrun we swapped our giant high-five foam hands for gardening gloves to join the monthly conservation session run by Marc from the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods.

With a barrow-ful of loppers and saws we headed across the park and into the woods, picking up some odds and sods of litter as we went. (Just how did a broken mug handle end up there?!?)

If you know this area you'll know the only way is up, and it was a bracing uphill walk to a big patch of holly growing alongside the path.

Marc explained how invasive holly is, and how cutting it back encourages biodiversity as new plants, insects and other wildlife will move in to make the cleared area their home.

Although just five of us today, we got stuck in and you can see the transformation in the photos: Holly gone, and the cuttings piled up a short distance away, ready to be collected by the Park Ranger in due course.

As if to inspect our work, a robin appeared and flitted across the area, giving us the nod to say 'Nice work!' Then a bright green grasshopper came out and played around our feet. Sadly they were too quick for photos, so we humans took a few pics of ourselves and called it a day.

Until next month...