Briar Pose

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there was a plant nursery on an allotment site. Now this nursery was a thing of beauty with plenty of flowers, and fruit trees, and chirruping birds. The sun always shone, the nursery thrived, and the people were happy.

But ill-fortune befell the nursery, and land was abandoned. In its place grew a large hedge of thorns. Every year the brambles grew higher and thicker, 'til at last the old nursery was surrounded and hidden, and not even the roof of the poly-tunnel could be seen.

There went a report through the land of how beautiful a place stood behind the thicket of thorns, and after many years came a group of intrepid souls who were not afraid.

Armed with forks, and fire, and secateurs they set to work to vanquish the brambles and return the nursery to it's former glory. This time, they exclaimed, the nursery will be for the good of all! We shall turn it into an inclusive, parent-run, outdoor education space that can provide affordable, cooperative childcare, outdoor learning and sustainable food-growing for children and families. And we shall call it The Children's Allotment!

And thus it came to be that one fine spring evening a fearsome army in red-Tshirts set out from Prince's Street to help ensure this came to pass. For 45 minutes they battled thorns and brambles, vanquished rubbish, and ruthlessly reorganised plant pots, armed only with gloves, loppers, shopping trollies, and wheel barrows. As the sun set they declared themselves undefeated, and retired to regroup, ready to come back and fight again another day.

Welcome to Jessica, Max, and Kirstie who joined us on a Goodgym Group Run for the first time. Give them a cheer!

Congratulations to Mack, our first Goodgym Oxford Hero, for doing lots of awesome things in the last week (a mission, a coach visit, and also Guide Running) and for being the first Oxford Goodymer to reach 10 Good Deeds.