A very satisfying task clearing ivy for MsT today. She was really lovely and happy with the progress. About 1/3 of the wall of ivy was cut, pulled and bagged up. We’ll need to head back to help clear the rest of the plant and help MsT reclaim her garden.

What a fantastic morning we had at London Fields, with an impressive 47 runners joining us for their weekly 2km adventure. It was wonderful to welcome 10 first timers and to see so many new faces returning, alongside familiar faces making a welcome comeback after the long summer break.

Before setting off, everyone threw themselves into an energetic warm-up expertly led by Sooz, getting minds and bodies ready for action. Then it was off through London Fields, with autumn already making its presence felt as runners charged through the first of the falling leaves.

There were some brilliant performances across the field, including an incredible 8 personal bests. A huge well done to everyone who took part, including our 2 unknown runners, who joined in all the fun and enthusiasm.

One of the most heartening parts of the morning came after the finish, when lots of children took the time to come over and say thank you to the volunteers. We really do like that. Junior parkrun is about much more than running; it is about community, kindness and encouragement, and those small gestures mean a great deal to everyone who helps make the event happen.

As ever, junior parkrun simply could not happen without volunteers like GG ers Hilary,Md, and Rue. The support of the local community, including GoodGym members, is a crucial part of the whole set-up. So if you ever find yourself wondering what to do on a Sunday morning, why not come and join us? And if, like Eva, you have plans for a leisurely breakfast with a friend who does not get up too early, you can always come and join us first!

See you next Sunday.

This week we attracted the attention of at least 10 children (and accompanying adults), who were playing in the nearby children's play area as we filled up our watering cans. After escorting us on our first lap of the Common and helping water the trees, the intrigued and delighted children all returned to the tap and helped us fill up for the next round.

The youngsters were utterly enthralled by proceedings and most remarkably, everyone remained dry!

Hopefully we have inspired a new generation of tree lovers and environmentalists.

The weekly watering session was going ahead as usual. The little rain that fell earlier in the week was not nearly enough to sustain young tree life on Stoke Newington Common,

Despite getting held up at work (again), I decided this week to work on the 'better late than never' principle (the same principle has been applied to writing this report). Despite being a good half hour late, there was still several rounds of the common to do so I was able to help out as well as get some fresh air after a long day.

We joined a group of parents to help build a set of bike sheds for a primary school. Sounds easy but they are heavy, complicated, and require many hands to put together.

One unanticipated problem was the awful smell on the plexiglass sheets which had been left out in the rain (words cannot describe - but it smelt worse than the nearby Hackney City Farm).

Louise had helped disassemble the bike sheds from the previous location and was determined to see the task through. After many hours and lots of swearing the sheds were complete. We celebrated afterwards with bagels and bubble tea.

A neighbour's trees overhung Mr F's garden, reducing the light getting to his flowers and vegetables. Having unsuccessfully tried the diplomatic route to get this sorted out, he called in Goodgym to help trim the trees on his side of the fence.

Standing on a combination of stepladders, ladders and the garage roof, in an hour and a half I managed to lop off a lot of branches. Mr F tidied up at ground level, filling the council garden bin and making a pile for the following bin collection. It was good to work alongside him in the sunshine, sharing the work and a few stories.