Due to summer hols, just Anna from Energy Gardens, Subham from GoodGym and first time, new volunteer Dylan at first. After some intros, we got in to much needing watering and clearing of dead plants, debris and, fortunately an uncommon task, litter-picking. Long time stalwart Lisa came by on her way to the movies in town and helped harvest some of the lavender, way early due to the incessant heat.

HIghlights included further, super-striking purple artichoke flowers and a crazily hummingbird-like moth (see pic , unfortunately video is not uploadable here)! Also, plants that Barnet GoodGym leader Paul had planted began to flower and are looking great!

As always, we were thanked by many a commuter, which always brings a smile!

Three brave Goodgymmers made the run from the Phoenix to Stephens House this week: Rachel, Abdikani and me, where we met the rest of the night's sign ups, Daniel, Abdulkadir, Richard and Subham, already in action.

Andy and Richard from Stephens House got us cutting back vegetation along the fence on East End Road - a follow up to our mission last month, but with much better weather this time. Daniel was behind bars - he drew the 'short saw' and was cutting down thicker branches inside the fence. Abdulkadir and Adbikani took on sweeping and bagging duties, while Richard and Subham manned the barrow, taking away the green waste for composting. Rachel and I chopped and cut along the fence, helping tidy the bigger bits.

We managed another 50+yards of fence and this side is nearly finished. Andy says there's another couple of fences to cut along, so we'll be back again soon to help them keep things tidy while the evenings are light.

This mission started with a very cheerful group prayer for the staff at North Finchley Community Grocery, followed by a not-too-lengthy wait outside in the jolly glorious, Monday morning sunshine. Once the delivery van arrived, it was full steam ahead!

Empty trollies and cage trollies were brought down to the pavement, just outside St Barnabas Church, but were very quickly loaded up with all manner of delicious produce (most notably, a surprisingly large amount of mango, which delighted the staff, as well as the customers who were all too eager to purchase some!). These were all then taken back up and inside the church, where they were offloaded onto small dollies for transporting ease, and for the staff to sort and organise.

Once all of the items were organised and divvied out, it was our job to take the spare produce down to the basement where we stored the items away in the fridge, freezer and on the shelves. We also helped with the dismantling and returning of the empty cage trollies to their home for the week.

This was also the day that I found out that I really need to cut down on the chocolates if I want to comfortably fit in to the St Barnabas Church lift with five dismantled cage trollies…

A few people came online to do yoga.

Yoga talk

Balancing and spreading your toes helps to create a strong, stable base (something you can’t do in your shoes). This not only helps you to keep your balance in a tree pose (or a similar one-legged pose) but it can also strengthen your feet, helping to prevent foot problems. Yoga helps you get acquainted with your feet!

After the recent heat waves, the Finchley Garden definitely needed some TLC. GoodGymmer Subham joined Energy Gardens lead Anna and resolute volunteer Lisa to do the needful So lots of watering and some clearing of dead plants but many plants thrived in the heat, including the rapidly growing not so long ago planted tomato plants and the plum tree, bearing fruit at least a month early. The tomato plants actually needed some frames hastily built. As always, great to get thanks and well wishes from busy commuters!

I was one of the 11 Goodgym-ers who signed up for this task, and this was my experience. I completed the task on my way home after finishing a long day shift.

I’d also like to share a little story from earlier that day. On my way to work, I was walking (and occasionally jogging!) across the common carrying my litter grabber. I noticed a lady feeding the hawks with some bread, which I thought was lovely. However, when she finished, she simply threw the empty plastic wrapper onto the ground instead of putting it in a nearby bin.

She was walking just ahead of me, and I found myself wondering whether I should politely remind her that it wasn’t the right thing to do. After a moment, I felt it was the right time to say something. I walked past her, slowed down, and kindly said, “You can put that plastic in the bin, you know.”

She looked at me, noticed the litter grabber I was carrying, smiled, and seemed to acknowledge what I’d said. Perhaps seeing me with the grabber made her think, “That makes sense.” I’ll never know, but I hope it encouraged her to dispose of her rubbish properly in the future.

I walked away feeling surprisingly empowered. It reminded me that sometimes it’s all about choosing the right moment and using a respectful approach. A simple, kind reminder can make a difference.

I hope that small conversation made a positive impact. If we all help each other in little ways, we can keep our community clean and make it a better place for everyone to live.

Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Cecilia D🍀

Note: By the end of my litter pick, my bag was mostly filled with recyclable items.