Back to Hogsmill after a short winter break and straight to the usual task- armed with new battery, Kieron tackled the hedge cutting using an electric strimmer with Petra using manual cutters for the hard to get bits by the fence. In the meantime, Farzeen and Emily levelled a patch of dirt where we moved the kids sandpit. As usual, all under the close supervision of the ever so lovely Brian! See you in March.

One of GoodGym Kingston's favourite missions this evening... cleaning the soft play at the YMCA Hawker Centre!

After a brisk run by the river, we were all excited to get cracking with our tasks. First on the list was to empty the ball pit, give it a deep cleanse and clean all of the balls. Whilst this was going on a second team wiped down the soft play equipment.

We're all big kids really and there were soon a few woops and hollers as Goodgymers slid down the slides and threw balls at each other. Gotta have a bit of fun whilst you work, eh!

When the work was done we took the opportunity to take a few fun pics in the freshly anti-bacced ball pit and all enthusiastically chucked balls at Rachel when she asked for a video. The things we do for Instagram...!

The hour flew by. Lots of fun had but also a whole lot of cleaning achieved and a good few dozen balls saved from behind and underneath the play equipment too!

What do you get when you mix determination, sticky clay, and a bit of rain? A Staywell garden makeover, of course! Emily, Farzeen, Jana, and Jana’s dad were on a mission: they had two hours to transform the space, no matter the challenges thrown their way.

The first task? Filling a trench that had been dug to lay cables. Sounds simple, right? Not quite. The soil was sticky, heavy, and as close to concrete as dirt can get. It clung to everything—shovels, boots, and even spirits. But Farzeen jumped right in, tackling a significant chunk of the trench before moving on to other tasks, including clearing frostbitten plants from the entrance flower beds, picking up paint-covered debris from a spillage, and weeding the driveway. Talk about multitasking!

Meanwhile, Emily, Jana, and Jana’s dad soldiered on with the trench, battling both the mud and their own endurance. As the work heated up (literally), a few layers of clothing had to come off. Mud-streaked but determined, they powered through until the tea break arrived like a beacon of hope.

Halfway through, chocolates from Staywell and Jana’s homemade banana cake provided the much-needed energy boost. Just as everyone started to feel recharged, the weather decided to spice things up. The heavens opened, and the wind howled, but quitting wasn’t an option. With rain pelting down and mud doubling its clinginess, the team rallied together to finish the job.

Amazingly, every task on the list was completed! The trench was filled, the garden tidied, and the driveway weeded. By the end, everyone was soaked, muddy, and dreaming of hot showers, but the sense of achievement was undeniable.

We hope the visitors of the Staywell Day Centre enjoy the fruits of our muddy labor—and we can’t wait to come back for round two!

It really was wet wet wet for this evening's task but a little rain won't stop our intrepid GoodGymers from getting out and doing good! Tonight we were at the Searchlight Centre, a funtion space used by many local charities and organisations. The task was to make a good start on painting one of the function rooms in the building.

After a run / walk / ride in the rain to get to the task, 7 of us set to the task in hand. First things first we needed to prep the walls, cover the floor and move all furniture to the middle of the room. Once ready, we set to work painting, changing the colour from a tired magnolia to a fresh and functional white.

Many hands meant we made a good start on the room - still a bit to do but more volunteers getting involved over the weekend to finish up. Mission complete.