We had a really enjoyable Sunday morning teaming up with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Wood.

During the session, we set about clearing a large area of bracken to let the heather thrive. Thankfully, the recent rain made the task easier, as it helped loosen the roots and made removal more effective.

While working, we also had the opportunity to learn more about the woodland and the history of the heath, which made the experience even more interesting and rewarding.

It was great to be part of a group effort contributing to the care and preservation of the environment.

We were very lucky with the weather, which made the morning even more pleasant and allowed us to make good progress with the work.

We'll be back again to help with more woodland conservation on the first Sunday in July. Tasks vary from month to month, so why not join us for a lovely dose of fresh air and active volunteering in beautiful surroundings. Oh, and the coffee from Chestnuts Kiosk is an added treat to round things off!

Peter, Johnny and Sarah were back at Eltham junior parkrun this morning.

Peter was in his usual role as timekeeper, while Johnny and Sarah cheered and offered hi-fives to the 157 children and parents in each of the two laps.

Hands up if you'd like to join us next time! We'd love to see you there.

After a busy morning, this was the third task of the day for some of the group with several runners heading straight over from our session at Maryon Wilson Community Garden to lend a hand at Halstow Primary School.

Amongst the hive of activity with staff, parents and children busy painting, sanding and creating play equipment, our mission was to help transform the playground by building some little cabins for the children. AND we managed to create 2.5 little cabins. They may not have all passed a building inspector's scrutiny, but thanks to the collective ingenuity of the group they were successfully cobbled together and beginning to take shape. Thankfully there were no crate expectations of the quality of the craftsmanship.

A welcome BBQ provided some much-needed fuel and made this a particularly palatable task. The weather tried its best to spoil proceedings, and the rain arrived in force, but it didn't dampen our spirits although we did get a little cold and some may have developed cabin fever.

Well done everyone. We'll likely be back at Halstow Primary School before long to help with further fun construction projects based on what the children want build in their playground!

There's a lot to do in the extensive grounds at All Saints New Eltham, so we were happy to lend a hand alongside the parishioners who regularly tend the area.

Neal, the church warden, met us and gave us a tour, then set us to work in the Memorial Garden.

We cleared fallen leaves and dug out overgrown wild flowers to reveal the many memorial stakes carrying special messages to mark the passing of loved ones.

It rained, then the sun came out, then it rained again, then the sun reappeared. Weather to keep us guessing!

It was so satisfying to see the difference in our little patch. Check out the before and after pics!

Just as we were getting ready to finish, Annette, the vicar, arrived with a parcel of hot sausage baps! We packed up the tools and headed into the church hall to enjoy the food and chat about how we can support the church going forward.

We agreed on a focus on gardening over the summer months and hopefully some indoor tasks at the latter end of the year.

Look out for the listings and sign up to join us. The more the merrier, and the bigger the difference we can make!