Run for a Grape Cause

32 people ran 4-6k to help out in Kings Cross Community Orchard.

We had a brilliant run last night helping out in Kings Cross community orchard. Coordinator Alex has a brilliant plan-to turn Camley Street into the greenest in London. With the help of local residents they have planted a series of fruit trees, bushes and vines along the edges of a bland industrial estate. Fruit produce is sold and the money pays for local children to have Saturday jobs tending to the trees.

Our help is always useful so we dashed 1.5k up Camley Street to help give him a hand. We had 4 tasks. Here they are;

Bunch of Vine-o's

A group of 6 people dived into the car park vineyard......you are reading that correctly. There job was to trim back the overgrown vines creeping through the fencing- with their bare hands. In 30mins they managed loads- creating a pile of plant waste roughly the size of a large shetland pony. Nice work.

Twisted Fire Starters

A groups of 6 cleared a big stack of timber, made 2 big piles and (safely!) set fire to it. Incredibly sweaty work in the conditions...

Hoe-ing 747

A small group grabbed a few hoe's a forks and headed to a small growing patch we had helped create and plant on a previous visit. It was full of blooming yakon- a rare Peruvian root that provides a source of virtually guilt free sugar. There task was to 'agitate' the soil around the plants in an effort to prevent the weeds from taking hold.

Feeling Fruit-tree

A large group split into 2 and headed to different parts of the Orchard. The trees are flourishing- but the weeds around the base of the trees need regularly pulling up. Those pesky varmints suck all the water out of the ground- so we destroyed them all. Bosh.

Canal Dash

We finished with a canal run- with a few different options of length to test out the group. Some managed to find a long cut- smashing back through the crowds at Camden Market on the way home. We all arrived back- knackered, but pleased with the days work!