Last night we celebrated nine glorious years of GoodGym Wandsworth – and we did it in classic GG style: with a run, a task at our own GG garden, a lot of laughs and even more potatoes.

We kicked things off with a warm-up and a guess at just how many good deeds have we racked up over the years. The answer? A huge 10,772. That’s a phenomenal amount of digging, weeding, painting, planting and moments of kindness.

We set off to the Omnibus Theatre, where we’ve been cultivating a garden space over the past year. This isn’t just any community garden — it’s one where the produce goes straight to charities supporting families facing food insecurity. With summer in full swing, everything had sprung up— and that includes the weeds! We rolled up our sleeves for a big clear-out. But amidst the weeds were some real treasures. The black gooseberries, figs, beans and chard were all looking lush and leafy, but the highlight was a huge haul of homegrown potatoes – check out the photos to see just what we have produced.

We then dashed over to the road for our traditional birthday fitness session, where last night everything was decided by the roll of a dice. There were squats, sprints and side planks as we battled it out. Even after nine years, the GG Wandsworth competitive spirit is strong– and we never miss a chance to make burpees "fun".

Celebrating what we’ve achieved together in nine years was pretty special. From community clean-ups to massive missions, planting gardens to growing friendships – it’s been a super fun ride powered by the energy and generosity every GoodGymer who’s ever pulled on that red tshirt.

To round off the evening, we returned to the theatre for our party which included double amazing cake courtesy of the legendary Jordan and Catherine, an amazing quiz crafted by ace Quizmaster Paul and of course a toast to the next nine years of doing good and getting fit together. Thanks to everyone who came, ran, weeded, rolled, quizzed, caked and celebrated. Here's to many more miles...

Happy Birthday, GoodGym Wandsworth! ❤️🥔

Tonight, we returned to Mostyn Gardens in Merton Park to create a new border for the external bed (an area we previously helped clear of weeds).

Some of us were tasked with digging a trench. Thankfully (or maybe not, given the resulting mud! 😉), the weather had softened the ground (improved further by the downpour while we were mid-task!) making it fairly soft and easy for our spades to make an impression.

With wheelbarrows at the ready, a couple of the team log-ged some serious miles collecting the wood for the border, piling it up ready to be staked into the ground.

For those seeking a slightly lighter task, there was also some pruning of the plum trees to be done - perfect for branching out from the rain! Handy that we came prepared with our secateurs.

Once the trenches were dug, it was all hands needed to fill them with logs and replace the (by now) mud.

It was good to welcome a couple of GoodGymers from out of the area and also Mik to his first task - not the easiest or the driest, but hopefully enjoyable nonetheless.

We got even more done than anticipated and are certainly helping this garden grow into something very special! 

Last night saw us heading back to a firm GoodGym favourite – St Mary's Primary School – for another rewarding evening of digging, running, and even a bit of sliding.

We kicked things off with a warm-up and a chat about our favourite school trips. From Paris to the Isle of Wight and even the sensory delights of Eden Camp – complete with the authentic sounds, sights, and smells of WWII – there were plenty of nostalgic stories to share before we set off.

The run to St Mary's was breezy, and the reward at the end was worth it: a stunning rooftop terrace view over Battersea and beyond. Lucky kids!

Before getting stuck in, we took a moment to admire an area we’d previously cleared, now flourishing as a climate garden. All that hard work shifting compost on a dark winter's night was worth it!

This time, our mission was to tackle a massive raised bed in preparation for a new wetland wildlife area. Tools in hand, we set to work digging, bagging, raking and generally making light work of a heavy job. The transformation was soon complete!

And then… the moment we’d all been waiting for: The Slide. A mixed bag of dismounts, but credit where it’s due – former pro gymnast Jason delivered a textbook landing. Gold stars all round.

We wrapped things up with a quick fitness session – think running drills, high fives, and arm burners – before heading off on the return run.

Next week we’re onto a brand new task at a local nursery, helping to create an exciting garden space for the under-fives. Sign up here!

Last night, a small but sweet GoodGym Wandsworth team took to the streets for a successful session supporting Youth Battersea – an organisation doing brilliant work in the community. Their mission? Creating a safe, supportive space for local young people to build confidence, skills, and friendships and giving them access to trips, experiences and visits outside of London.

We met John and Charles, who gave us a great overview of what Youth Battersea is all about, and why getting the word out is so vital. One of the main ways they raise money is through a ball in November, so it was our job to get news of the event out there. Just before we set off we did a warm up, discovering the mathematicians among us and discussing the ultimate debate: night in, night out, or night out-out? The out-out crew just edged it… which can only mean one thing – GG Wandsworth social coming soon!

With over 50 envelopes each and a trusty map, it was time for the off. We quickly formed a very efficient human chain to cover nearly two miles of letterboxes in no time. Cheski, showing her flyer finesse, even managed to find a way into a block of flats and smashed through a big bundle in one go – extra points for elite flyering!

Halfway through, we stopped for a mini strength and conditioning session – complete with some very impressive press-ups and excellent plank form. We discussed dinner plans and even a post-task picnic but there were still flyers to deliver and we were not going to shirk our responsibility for a sun drenched evening on the common...however tempting it sounded!

With our job nearly done, we powered through the final streets, stretched it out at base, and wrapped up another purposeful and positive evening. Next week we're off to a local school for a task involving slides. Yup, you read that right. Sign up here to join the fun and find out more!.