On a gloriously sunny Monday evening, a merry band of GoodGym Wandsworth legends laced up their trainers and headed skyward—well, eventually—towards the leafy heights of Doddington Rooftop Gardens.

Joining us for their very first GoodGym escapade were the fabulous Mariella, Samand Karen! We can confirm they passed the initiation test with flying colours (and only mild compost-related trauma). Welcome to the gang—you’ve officially earned your sweat badges. 🌟

After a breezy run that had us all feeling deceptively fresh and full of sunshine-fuelled optimism, we arrived at the gardens… and were immediately greeted by many, many bags of compost. They weren’t going to carry themselves up several flights of stairs, so with military precision (and a good amount of giggling), a human chain was formed. Efficiency levels were high. Biceps were engaged. By the end, we were wearing more compost than clothes.

Meanwhile, an elite fridge-hunting squad was dispatched to a mysterious building nearby to retrieve a rogue refrigerator that was apparently playing hide and seek. Rumours of fridge-related riddles and mazes are still unconfirmed, but huge props to Dave and Caroline, who found the elusive appliance and to Sam who heroically hauled it up the stairs and into position like an absolute legend.

Back at base camp, composting dreams came true: leaves were swept, a giant compost patch was lovingly sculpted, and weeds were decisively evicted. Shoutout to Mariella, who took on one particularly stubborn root system with the determination of someone trying to cancel a gym membership—no weed stood a chance.

Just when we thought our upper bodies might revolt, it was time for a partnered HIIT session—but with a twist: we paired up with people we hadn’t chatted to yet. Lunges, squats, and a bit of mid-squat small talk ensued. Apparently, nothing says “let’s get to know each other” like high knees and mutual breathlessness.

To round off a Monday evening well spent, we made our way to The Latchmere for our much-loved monthly pub quiz, where compost facts were (probably) not part of the trivia, but team spirit was sky-high.

The Run-Down

Our fantastic team of volunteers laced up their trainers and ran to Brixton Windmill Gardens to help Jean prepare for their upcoming Green Flag assessment. We were absolutely raking in the good vibes with 4 brilliant new faces joining us – talk about turning over a new leaf!

What We Accomplished

The team got stuck in with some serious garden maintenance, focusing on making the gardens look their absolute best for this week’s important review:

• Leaf clearing: We raked up all the autumn leaves scattered across the grass areas
• Path maintenance: Cleared and tidied the pathways throughout the gardens
• General sprucing: Made sure every corner was looking pristine and presentable

The Impact

Thanks to our volunteers’ hard work, Brixton Windmill Gardens is now looking mint for their Green Flag assessment. Jean was over the moon with our efforts – you could say we really helped them branch out and show off what makes their space so special.

The gardens are now in tip-top shape for their review, and we’re rooting for them to achieve that coveted Green Flag status!

Volunteers: 11 amazing people (including 4 fantastic newcomers!)
Total good done: One garden ready to flourish under assessment scrutiny

Special thanks to Fi for leading the run while AA is away!