Tabitha, Samina, Chris, and Beatriz gathered at Brent Mencap ready to rock. But before we could even flex a muscle, Beatriz set the bar high with a random act of kindness. A local homeless man asked for a specific refreshment, and Beatriz—being the absolute legend she is—popped next door to buy him a pint of Guinness. Talk about a stout-hearted start to the evening!

We had grand designs to get ripped tonight—both physically (with a HIIT session) and literally (shredding paper). However, our plans were cut short. A miscommunication meant the office with the shredders was locked tight, and the room we planned to exercise in was currently being cleaned. It was almost a tear-able situation, but we didn't let it fold us.

Not ones to cry over spilt milk (or locked doors), we raided the kitchen instead. We scrubbed the sides until they sparkled and emptied the dishwasher, which was a plate relief for the staff. We also tackled the inside of the fridge—it was a chilling experience, but someone had to do it.

Chris took charge of the floor duties; he really sucked it up and hoovered every inch of the carpet until the dust bit the dust.

We departed feeling virtuous, but the drama wasn't over. Chris had to make a quick dash back inside because he forgot his phone—talk about a close call! We finished the night at the pub across the road, because after all that cleaning, we definitely deserved to get served.

On a gloomy November Saturday afternoon, Sevan and Kash were like the Spanish Inquisition - no one expected them. Miss T was their second beneficiary on the day, who was surprised that they showed up at a time when sensible people would wrap in a blanket at home and warm their hands with a cup of tea.

The soggy GoodGymers declared they’d work rain or shine and took off their muddy running shoes to get to the back garden without spoiling Miss T’s clean carpet. Moved by their determination, Miss T offered Kash a pair of dry socks, to which Kash politely said no, as it wouldn’t solve the problem of the drenched trainers. She didn’t decline the offer of black coffee, though.

The task was to weed the garden as much as possible and empty all the plant pots before the day got dark. Sevan, who felt a surge of energy, decided to dig weeds from the beds with a fork. The soil was soft as it started raining when the GoodGymers ran to Wembley from their previous mission in Northolt. It was strangely comforting to be in the rain instead of the wind.

I actually don’t feel miserable now - Sevan

Kash worked on the pots, removing old plants from them. When Miss T emerged from the house to ask whether they needed anything, the GoodGymers asked her whether to keep the soil in the plant pots. According to Miss T, the soil was of poor quality, and there was no point keeping it in the pots. That was the tipping point of the mission, after which both Sevan and Kash started tipping the pots, radically changing the landscape of the garden. It just got dark when the last pot was emptied.

All that was left was to take the garden waste out, rinse muddy hands, enjoy a drink from Miss T, pet her lovely ginger cat, and find the least miserable way back home.

TRAID are pioneers in selling second-hand clothes, putting pre-loved vestments back on racks so they get another shot at being seen out and about (rather than rotting away in a wardrobe somewhere). But while TRAID might not approve of fast fashion, they still have to move with the seasons, and that means boxing up their current stock so new recruits can have their moment to shine. And there was quite a lot of that stock at the Kilburn TRAID! So Beatriz, Chris, Emily, Faz, Lee and Tabitha rolled up their sleeves so they could roll up some sleeves - as well as the other parts of the clothes they were packing away. That was only half the battle though, with no time for hangers on, as our six got to grips with endless, endless hangers that needed storing too. They really pulled their trousers up though (as well as the many second-hand trousers that needed dealing with), sorting the job in double-quick time. In fact, it looked like they might be ready to (cat)walk away ahead of schedule – until disaster struck. Faz’s jacket…had gone missing.
It’s the one thing we didn't want to happen. But no clothing left behind, so we ripped those taped up boxes back open, sending garments flying as we desperately attempted to find it. A real needle in the haystack operation, if the needle was something you could wear, and the hay was also stuff you could wear. Thankfully Tabitha emerged triumphant, clutching the missing coat above her head. The evening was saved, the circular economy was back on track, and we could be on our way again. See you again in January, TRAID!

On Monday evening, we met up and extended a huge, warm welcome to Abolfazal for his very first GoodGym session—and he dove straight into the action! We powered through a 2km run to collect a huge stack of concert leaflets for the fantastic Queens Park Singers. Splitting the load efficiently between the four of us, we hit the streets and managed to get the leaflets delivered to the community in a phenomenal 30 minutes, avoiding any rain! We then regrouped and ran happily back to Willesden for a well-deserved, refreshing drink.

Excellent work team! Next week, our mission continues as we pivot to support our local area by delivering leaflets for the Queens Park Community Council. Come join us and make a difference!

At Clitterhouse Farm, the approaching cold weather means the greenhouse has never been more important (or appreciated). But while it keeps all the incubating veggies inside nice and toasty, who’s looking out for it? The answer, of course, is GoodGym.

To make sure the sturdy wooden frame was ready for whatever the elements might chuck at it, Tabitha, Josh, Samina, Pete, and Chris headed over to give it a good oiling — specifically with linseed oil, which is perfect not only for protecting wood from rot and moisture, and enhancing its natural grain and colour (what a glow-up!), but also for bringing back nostalgic memories of preparing cricket bats as a child. (That might just have been Pete, though.)

Before we could start, we had to make sure that any existing residents wouldn’t be harmed, so several volunteers used feather dusters to sweep away cobwebs and safely deposit quite a few huge spiders into the nearby bushes.

Then it was just a question of grabbing our brushes and sponges and giving the greenhouse a nice, solid coat of oil - all set for the months ahead!

Samina and Pete jogged to Abbey community centre where we met Lee. Jason gave us the tools and showed us what to do. We cleaned table tops, chairs, fridges and mopped the floor. We walked back and had a drink Well done everyone.