The last 6 weeks have made a difference to the paths of the wildlife garden at the allotments: dry ground, super-ripe blackberries, and strong growth in the brambles.

We helped with two of these this evening by chopping back as many brambles as we could, and taste-testing a few berries that would otherwise have ended up at the bottom of the compost.

The self-confessed frog-fan/frog geek, Kat, also let Jeannette know that longer term the ponds will be healthier by having short spells like this where the pond dries out, as nasties like ranavirus can't survive without water so it 'cleans' the ponds ready for when the rains return.

We chopped and moved five barrows full of brambles from the path and behind the fence edges, and learned how these allotments also have plenty of community activities on AND we had a peek at where last year we'd cleared and dismantled the very solid chicken coops and plans are now being made for seating spots in the now grassy and clear space!

After helping the community hit all the right notes at Music in the Park, GoodGym volunteer Brenda joined the volunteer team for the pack-down after the jam-down, dismantling gazebos and bringing the tables to a close at Alexandra Recreation Ground. With many hands making light work, everything was folded, stacked and packed away in record time, ensuring the event ended on a high note. What a funday

On a sunny morning at Alexandra Recreation Ground, GoodGymer Brenda helped the local volunteer team get the show on the road by raising gazebos, setting tables and striking all the right chords ahead of the annual Music in the Park fundraiser. Organised by the fantastic Friends of Cator Park and Alex Rec, the event supports a group that keeps Penge’s green spaces in tune through tree planting, shrubbery care and community improvements. Thanks to plenty of teamwork, the stage was set for a day of music, fun and park life in perfect harmony.

One of our recent regular tasks has been Penge Congregational Church, where we’ve been helping remove old junk so the church can offer space to the local creative community to work in. Joining us as new GoodGymers were Sunanda and Jasmine - thanks for coming along!

We met Jonny, our task contact, at the church and were shown the way to the crypt. Contrary to what you might expect, it was small and well-lit! It was also nice and cool compared to the heat of upstairs.

The crypt held many boxes of books donated for jumble sales but had never sold, and now very dusty! Our task was to move these up to the old hall ready to be removed from site.

Some excellent self-organising split us into teams of those bringing boxes of books upstairs from the crypt and those carrying them to the hall.

In just 30 minutes we moved over half the boxes in the crypt - fab work!

The space is already looking larger, and shows that many hands make idle work.

Great turnout last night - because it's Cat's last task before she moves home, and we all wanted to say a proper nice thanks and bye. So ten of us were at the task in Betts Park 'secret garden' - some of us after a nice gentle jog.

The secret garden has undergone a huge transformation just in the last few months - from brambly overgrown side-bit to the park, to now something cleared, pretty and with potential. We could see the path started, wood and plants cleared, a pond being dug, and raised beds being planned.

We set about a range of tasks, from raking to weeding, to moving and sorting plants already cleared, starting to build the wood supports for the raised beds, and laying paving slabs for the path with will bed in gently at first and then when it settles, relaid more solidly.

After task time that as usual went too quickly (we'll be back!) we walked towards Anerley for a little drink and chat to say bye to Cat. Thanks for all your work with GoodGym Crystal Palace and its taskforce and good luck in your new home :)

Ending our first visit to Penge Congregational Church, Jonny showed us a storage area that was full of rubbish needing clearing. This week’s session was our first go at disposing of the various artefacts there so it could be brought back into use. With Jonny picking out the rubbish, the GoodGym crew carried it through to a disused hall where it can be later carried out to a skip for disposal. The team tussled with some big items including pool tables, stage props and filing cabinets! We’ll be back to the church again to finish off the job, but we’ve already made a huge difference in opening up some floor space!