Tom

The leaf compost at West Bank Park needs turning again. Kristina asked us to do all the compost bin locations in the park. Compost created is used in flower beds across West Bank Park and transported to other parks in York.

Bring your gardening gloves.

IMPORTANT

Due to limit on participation we had to arrange staggered start for this mission.

18:30 start: Ellie, Kieran, Abi, Kay, Tom and Barbara

18:45 start: Debs, Michael, Ed, Amy C, Amy T and Laura

Please arrive for the time specified above. Meeting location is by the tools shed at the James Backhouse Place, YO24 2NS park entrance. There you will be met by Kristina who will take you to the compost bins, explain the task and supply with tools.

https://what3words.com/farmer.pinks.wished

Please stay only with your group while at the task.

For today's mission we were gifted with sunshine and fabulous views at the Growing Communities site in Golcar.

Our second visit to this inspiring venture, our task today was uncovering and digging over a big plot for planting potatoes. After two years covered and a wet winter the job seemed a daunting one with heavy clay soil providing a full body workout!

Each taking a section of the plot and working hard while chatting in the warm sun, what seemed like an impossible task rapidly transformed into a neatly turned over patch ready for the spuds! All agreed it was very satisfying.

Great job done today by Tom, Tom, Zena, Kati, Annie, David and Louise. Thank you also to Jan, Sam and Chris from Growing Communities for welcoming us again.

The potatoes will supply the Welcome Centre, helping feed Huddersfield's homeless communities, and also be sold through local retailers to buy next year's seeds. We can't wait to come back to harvest the crop!

There is lots going on at the site throughout the year and with plans for a pond and lots more crops it will be a place where communities can meet, work and grow together.

Eight Goodgymmers. Two tasks.

Team A (Babs, Katie and Cara) were tasked with removing the dog grille and filling up the hole it left behind with hardcore. Amongst their tools were some javelin sized crow bars for levering up the grille, tampers, shovels, a wheelbarrow and some brooms to sweep the basket ball courts if there was time.

Meanwhile, Team B ( Paul Kelly, Laura, Tom, Leanne, and Kieran - when he eventually found the way to the park) set to work on digging up roots around the picnic area to make a bed for pollinator seeds to be planted at a later date.

Are we going for quality or quantity? (Laura)

As a seasoned Goodgymmer, she should have known better - it's always quantity over quality!!

The Grillsters were quick to finish their work and took it upon themselves to edge the basketball court, as well as sweep it. They still had time to play on the confusing outdoor gym equipment, perhaps thanks to some of the Weedsters setting down their spades and forks to help move the heavy dog grille out of the way. Even so, the Weedsters certainly met their 'quantity' goal and filled up four one tonne sacks with roots and dragged them over to the compost heap on their way back to the tool shed.

With a job well done we set off into the sunset on our respective journey's home.