Hot to Trot

The warmest Goodgym evening of the year was not going to deter our dedicated band of Goodgymers! Fully hydrated, water in hand, and with only a little over 1km to run to our task for the evening, we felt ready to tackle the heat and run, Run RUN!

Weaving through the back streets of Cowley to the allotments on Cricket Road, we were off to work on one of our regular tasks - The Children's Allotment. The Children's Allotment is a community project working to create an inclusive outdoor education space. The focus is on providing cooperative childcare, outdoor learning and growing for families and children. Having taken over the site of an old plant nursery in the corner of the Allotments, it has been a massive task to cut back head-high brambles, get rid of rubbish, clear nettles etc before work could begin on refurbishing buildings and getting the site safe for children.

We first visited to help in April, returned in June, so this was our third visit.

Third time's the charm!

It's been impressive to see the progress the determined team of volunteers has made in those few short months.

Our tasks for the evening were:

• Chopping back brambles, nettles and bindweed from an area at the far end of the site to clear the way for the new entrance
  
• Getting several loads of woodchip moved over and ready to spread along the hazel hedge to deter the weeds
  
• Removing bindweed and other weeds from along the line of the edible hedgerow
  

Grasping loppers, wheel barrows and spades we wasted no time in getting to work. 8 wheelbarrow loads of woodchip were shifted, 2 full trolleys and an extra massive pile of brambles and nettles were chopped back, plus the ubiquitous litter pile amassed...our arms certainly got a decent work out!

Waving goodbye (until we return in early September), we headed back to base via a riverside detour through The Kidneys and Aston's Eyot, making new friends along the way, both the canine and paddle-boarding variety.

3 Goodgymers were brave/hot/stupid enough (delete as applicable) to try the rope swing into the river

Check out our Facebook page for the splashy videos.

A massive welcoming shout out to Yulia and Nina who joined us for their first Goodgym Group Runs.