Last night, 8 intrepid GoodGymers gathered to take on a mammoth task at the Katherine Lowe Settlement (KLS). For those whose first visit it was to this Battersea institution, KLS is a truly wonderful community centre that provides support for older adults, refugees, young people and vulnerable communities in the area. Not only do they provide a warm, supportive environment, but they also offer vital social services and activities for local people, so we were more than happy to help out!

KLS is having two floors redone, and they needed all the old flooring transported downstairs to be picked up this morning. We knew it was going to be quite the session so after a warm-up (where we spent way too much time discussing whether we were motivated by the carrot or the stick – turns out, most of us are stick people, which we should probably look into a bit further!) we set off on a quick jog down to KLS.

As we arrived and were met by Tracy and Tony. The scale of the job soon became evident with Tony's first question, 'how strong are you feeling?', which gave us an inkling about what lay ahead! We were working in a beautiful Victorian building, but those narrow stairs were definitely not designed for moving hundreds of planks of wood. Still, we are GoodGymers. And we fear no floor.

The plan was simple: Start at the top, and move planks down, all the way to the bottom.We were soon sweating, but there was a job to be done and we were going to do it no matter what. It was like a full-body workout, but after half an hour of intense work we managed it - after all, many hands make light work. We celebrated with a very artful group photo and headed out into the night.

The fun didn’t stop there. After all that lifting, we finished the night with even more fitness- a workout based on the classic game, I Have Never. We soon found out who has run more than 15km in one go, who has recently moved house and even who has broken the law. But there is a golden rule - what happens in GoodGym fitness stays in GoodGym fitness!

If you're free this weekend, Jordan will be leading a session on Saturday at the GoodGym Garden. You can find all the details here. Next week, I’m away, but Steph will be leading the session and you can find the info for that here

Great work, team! Another task well done, with plenty of laughs along the way. Until next time! 👏👏

Last night’s task marked our second week of transforming the Wandsworth Bereavement Services space, where we’ve been painting the walls to help create a more welcoming environment for those seeking support. With one week of solid progress behind us (and most of the tape neatly in place), we dove straight into the task. A huge welcome to Raquel and Anais, who joined us for their first session—hope you enjoyed the colourful experience!

As soon as we arrived, we split into teams, ready to tackle the task of turning the drab, beige walls into a calming masterpiece of blues. Over the course of the next 45 minutes, we worked our painting magic, transforming the rooms from dreary to dreamy. It was like a little paint-powered orchestra—everyone had their part to play, and together we created a soothing atmosphere for the service users.

The great news? TWO rooms were finished and, to our collective delight, all the paint stayed neatly within the lines! Success! Well, almost… Enter: The Mini Disaster™.

There was a slight hiccup when a tin of paint, perched precariously at the top of a stepladder, took a tragic tumble. In a moment of pure gravity-defying chaos, it exploded in a spectacular splash zone that could rival a Jackson Pollock masterpiece. But in true GoodGym style, panic wasn’t an option. We sprang into action, everyone shouting out solutions and working together to restore order to the chaotic scene.

From vinegar to scrubbing pads, suggestions poured in, but it was Annabel’s genius idea to call in the Rug Doctor that truly saved the day. Within 20 minutes, we had a rug-cleaning machine on-site, and the industrial-scale cleaning operation was in full swing. The rug doctor was a true hero, and we managed to clear up most of the the mess with the speed and precision of a well-oiled machine.

Apologies for the chaos towards the end, everyone! I promise next time we’ll return to our usual, smooth-running selves. And yes, we’ll be back to dry, paint-free floors next week—so rest assured, your beautiful running kits will remain safely free from splashes.

Great work, team! Until next week, when we’ll be back at it—this time helping a local charity with a lovely floor-lifting task. We also have a great community mission this weekend at a local nature reserve.

Stay colourful, GoodGym! 💙🎨