January 26, 2024
Featuring
Longtime GoodGymer and recent addition to the GoodGym Lewisham TaskForce, Linda Gatley shares her experience to inspire you to follow suit.
TaskForce members support their GoodGym area to grow and develop. This support may take various forms, from posting on social to listing sessions.
How long have you been with GoodGym and how long as a TaskForce member?
I joined at the beginning of 2018 and it took me a year before I was doing tasks regularly. I didn’t join TaskForce until the spring of 2023. I always wanted to take that step but it wasn’t the right time so I waited until it felt a better fit for me and was glad I did as it has been good fun!
What have you done as TaskForce?
I have listed sessions for local junior schools which have been really rewarding. These were physical tasks such as painting (always popular with GoodGymers) to make the plain wooden fencing around a playground more colourful. We were also asked to move bark to make a soft surface for a sensory garden. Tiny Forest has been a big one for me too (more on this later!).
What do you enjoy most about TaskForce?
I like how straightforward it is to set up a session on the GoodGym website - it’s quite a buzz to make things happen so quickly and easily, it gives you a feeling of autonomy. I really appreciate the friendly, encouraging nature of GoodGym and have found that getting more involved through TaskForce has helped me to get to know my area better, meet new people and be more aware of what’s going on around me. I enjoy the feeling of being able to choose what’s important to me and where to put my energy.
GoodGym Lewisham, Tiny Forest in Ladywell Fields
Why did you decide to get involved with Tiny Forest and particularly taking responsibility for sessions at the Ladywell site?
The Tiny Forest programme was something I was aware of and keen to get involved in because of its environmental importance. After doing a masters in climate change I wanted to make sure what I do in both my work and volunteering aligns with my values. I’m also interested in the physical and mental wellness benefits of being outdoors in nature, and doing good things together with other people. When I met the coordinator of the Ladywell Tiny Forest’s “tree keeper group” on a GoodGym session, this seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to contribute.
First we arranged a group run to help with weeding and mulching, and then gradually I started listing more community missions myself. Last autumn, the tree keeper group wanted to expand the Tiny Forest by a third, planting 200 more saplings, so we worked together to plan a series of tasks including digging and fence building. By the time we reached planting day, I was on a real high. It felt great to work hard as part of a team with local residents - everyone had smiles on their faces and it was clear the massive difference it made having GoodGymers in attendance.
This was an ambitious, grassroots initiative which felt significant environmentally, contributing to a larger nationwide project.
What advice can you give to other GoodGymers?
Don’t hesitate to join TaskForce - it really adds to your experience of GoodGym. It also helps you to have fun collaborating with your area activator and other TaskForce members too.
You are not obliged to take on things, you are still very free to choose what fits in with your life, interests and how much you want to do. The website tools make it easy to list and edit tasks and write the report afterwards.
I’d advise trying to collaborate with other local groups (e.g. the tree keeper group at Ladywell Tiny Forest) and more generally have sensible discussions with task owners to manage expectations.
My final message would be just go for it!
Do you have a task that you enjoy and would like to take ownership of setting up and listing for your area? Is this something you could see yourself doing - why not join the next TaskForce training, we would love to have you join us.