On a hot Saturday morning, Mike took two other Friends of Grove Farm: Portia and new joiner Aaron, and five GoodGymers: Josh, Maxime, Sevan, Steph and Kash, for an adventure in the ancient woodlands of Grove Farm. The daredevils cut through the thicket to make space for the tool trolley to pass through. Would all the paths be as overgrown? Last month Friends of Grove Farm cleared a wild footpath and were hoping to continue the efforts with a bigger, GoodGym-infused group.

It was quite a shock to see two employees of Greener Ealing (Ealing Council's contractors) pressing through the paths with powerful petrol-fueled machinery, leaving open, wide paths in a matter of minutes. What would take us the whole Saturday session for those two was a piece of cake! Slightly discombobulated (as we have never seen GEL working in the same areas as volunteers in Grove Farm), we waited for Mike to make contact with the unexpected competition. The guys from GEL didn't seem to know anything about the planned volunteers' activity at the paths and didn't need help ravaging the overgrowth.

When asked for plan B, Mike took us to a hedge we had tackled last time in September 2024. The plan was to open the sightlines behind the hedge and prevent nefarious behaviours as Mike put it. While others happily clung to their chosen shears and loppers, Maxime volunteered to pick up the litter. Kash disappeared in the front, clearing the way with a hedge trimmer until she encountered a litter hotspot, which Josh immediately helped tidy up. Steph Sevan, Portia and Aaron razed the shrubs next to the hedge and built a dead hedge out of the trimmings.

When Mike mentioned an abandoned bike hiding in the nearby meadow, Josh, Sevan and Kash sensing an adventure, rushed to scout the field. To their surprise, the vehicle wasn't yet another dumped lime bike, but a crashed delivery moped! After noting the number plates, the trio took it towards the road for the council to collect.

Missed this month's adventure? Sign up for the next conservation day at Grove Farm in July here!

There were 3 reasons for celebration at South Ealing Food Cupboard this morning:

1. Josh came to his first GoodGym task. Welcome! 🥳👋
2. Martin achieved his 50th good deed, earning his black t-shirt
3. A Tesco driver brought an extra delivery to Food Cupboard

Wait... what?! In addition to the usual DHL food drop, the Tesco driver came to the church garden rather than Church Gardens, a nearby street. The volunteers started to unload birthday cake and fruit before realising that this was not the delivery they were expecting.

Thankfully, there was plenty of food in the actual Food Cupboard's deliveries too, which Martin, Josh and Sevan helped to move into the church. These included some fancy meats like steak, duck and venison as well as exotic mangoes and papayas. The usuals were there too, with plenty of ready meals stacked into the fridges by Josh and Sevan and the ever present banana crates, which were very green this week.

After a quick costume change into his GoodGym t-shirt, Martin was ready for his big moment and put on the shiny 50 good deeds sash to be the star of today's photos 🌟. Well done Martin! You've shown great dedication to South Ealing Food Cupboard, helping new GoodGymers to feel welcome at this task and be able to jump right in and have a big impact. 👏