(Check out Gosia's wonderful Insta video here!)

There is a large hall in Tottenham Court Road's American International Church.

It's the sort of hall you can imagine Charles Dickens in - he'd probably say something profound like - this is a nice hall.

And it's usually home to West End casts rehearsing plays and musicals - if you sneak in on a Wednesday night, you'll usually glimpse costumes and sets and a large double bass.

But last night we were tasked with turning the hall into the evening's winter shelter. And by 'we', I mean our wonderful group of our first good-gymers Auriela, Kiera, and Kayla (welcome, all!) and our Camden regulars Alex, Emilie, Emily, Gosia, Louise, Jackie, John, and Steve!

On arrival and having been welcomed by our brilliant host, Brooke, a smaller group of Auriela, Emilie, Kiera, and Kayla headed straight to an empty room that they soon turned into a welcoming dining room!

And while our smaller group were good-deeding, our larger group were doing the same - the hall popped with beds and the beds got dressed with warmth!

After 30 happy minutes, we turned out into evening Camden just as the shelter's guests were starting to arrive - nice one, everyone!!

It's been nearly a whole month since we last helped the American International Church's winter shelter.

That was New Year's Day when the streets were quiet... restful... contemplative...

...yesterday the streets were positively noisy... thoroughly restless... and (perhaps) quite thoughtless!

Eight of us - Alex, Alison, Charlie, Jackie, John, JC, and Steve - gathered in Somers Town - in a nook of quiet - to warm up with a game of Simon Says, before we navigated our way (while sharing stories and conversation) through Bloomsbury's bustle.

A wonderful group of four - Gosia, Ivar, Jo-Anne (on their first good deed - welcome!!), and Will - met us on Tottenham Court Road and we descended down into the basement from which scents from the evening's cooking were bubbling..!

If I'd set up a time-lapse camera, I'd now be able to see a wash of red t-shirts sifting duvets from sheets, pillow cases from towels, amidst camp beds popping up and out and into place. In 25 minutes, this group set up a welcoming space for the evening's guests.

And while this was happening...

Another group were speedily opening tables, arranging chairs, and laying tablecloths - the empty room became the dining room - and it was fit for the food (also being cooked by volunteers) in the kitchen next door.

A big thank you to you all! As well as to our brilliant host, Brooke! Here's to next time!!

King's Cross, Holborn, and Camden aren't known for being sleepy.

They're never usually quiet.

They're usually exuberantly bustling.

Yet yesterday... as our intrepid group of New Year Good-Deeders made their way through... they could hear their footsteps... they could barely hear any traffic... and (for the first time in decades) they could easily hear their conversations!

This was the joy of Central London on New Year's Day!

And our wonderful group of Anne, Ivar, Louise, Jackie, John, Steph, and Steve were one of an unusually small number populating our city's central streets!

They were doing so for good reason.

It was a Wednesday, which meant it was an American International Church Winter Shelter night, and this group were ready to sprinkle their usual good-deeding magic.

Amidst stories from the festive period, nine beds (across three rooms) were assembled, dressed, and tidily organised ready for the shelter's evening guests :)

And it wasn't just the New Year that was in need of celebration... because Jackie, who is a rock in our Camden group, had hit her 200th good deed!! Congratulations, Jackie, and thank you for being such a special person and wonderful part of our group!!!

Here's to next time!

Our dream team pulled out all the stops (and sheets!) to run a quick mile in support of Brooke, our host with the most at the American International Church, helping provide pillow talk-worthy care for those living on the streets this winter. Joining the comfort crew were Alex, Tom, Emily, Louise, Rose, Steve, Jackie, John, and Ivar, blanketing the night in kindness and teamwork as we got the bedspaces ready for nearly 20 guests arriving later.

The team was sheet-hot, working quickly and with bedside manner that could rival Santa’s elves. In between tasks, we reflected on the restful vibes of the holiday season and how small gestures like this can tuck in hope for those who need it most. It was a session that left us all feeling fluffed up with warmth and reassurance, knowing that for at least one night, everyone would be sleeping soundly.

It has been many sleeps since we were last at the American International Church's winter shelter. Google tells me it's been 238 sleeps. And yet yesterday felt so easy as we stepped back into our comfortable and warm winter routine.

Six of us - Andy, Gosia, Jackie, John, and Rose (and me) - started our evening (successfully) counting to 25, and we then wove our way through Bloomsbury's bustle and buzz, sharing stories all the way.

Arriving on an increasingly festive Tottenham Court Road, we picked up our remaining good-deeding crew (Ivar, Jack, Louise, Sarah, and Steve) and climbed down to a basement that's always a hubbub of positive activity on winter Wednesday nights.

The C4WS Homeless Project has been making a difference since 2006, and our task (making the evening's beds) was one part of a larger (and quite special) operation.

I had barely finished saying - 12 beds in the big room > 3 in the small room > 1 on the stage - when the sounds of camp beds a-sprining and duvets a-quilting filled our positive air.

It usually takes me 387 minutes to make a bed, but this special group assembled and dressed 16 beds in no more than 20.

With our bed-making completed, the group took their talents to the dining cabin, making swift work of creating a neat and tidy space for the evening meal.

Thanks so much, everyone, for your work and energy last night - it was wonderful to see you!!

Here's to next time!

We've been heading to the American International Church since December.

Since then, we've visited 10 times, always assembling, dressing, and organising the beds for their weekly winter shelter's guests.

Wednesday last week was the AIC's final winter shelter until the autumn, and we welcomed Elizabeth, Jackie, John, Lici, Louise, and Steve to our final hullabaloo until we return in October or November.

Our group's speed reflected our comfort in this space, as we swiftly made up the evening's beds in the male, female, and volunteer quarters, and we did so to our (now accustomed) speaker filled with sounds from the 80s.

I've loved this task over the past few months. Each week we make a difference. The shelter is made possible through the collected efforts of multiple people - the overnight helpers, the evening cooks (whose creations always smell so good), the AIC's core coordinating team, and... our very own GoodGym-esque help. It's a joy to be part of something that truly helps folks who need it.

We welcomed my partner, Suzanna, for the final couple of minutes, before we headed off for a well-earned spot of pasta on Tottenham Court Road!

Thanks, everyone, and see you soon, Alex