For the first time this year, we met as the sun was shining!! Hooray! The group headed straight to the OWLS allotments to make the most of the light & we got to work weeding & turning compost. It soon got dark, but lighter sessions are on the horizon & they can't come soon enough! We then had a run through the woods back to Heart.

Welcome to John on his first session & welcome back to Amy & Eb. We hope to see you all again soon.

Tonight we learned all about Jubz's thug life...he claims he was breaking up a fight last night but who knows?!

We headed to one of our favourite places, Meanwood Farm, where after our usual hello to the animals, we were happy to learn that the cows have a home for life at the farm. Thank goodness, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about!

Our usual compost turners were as keen as always, thanks for volunteering Rachael, Katie & Helen. Another team headed to the polytunnel to get the area ready for planting, with Christian & Jason getting started with the broadforks & Ross, Lydia, Katie and Analise weeding. Lastly, Jubz, Adam & I filled wheelbarrows of compost for the tunnel.

Another great evening, thanks all.

Following our failed star gazing trip last weekend where there was nothing but cloudy skies, tonight, of course there was a clear sky & fabulous view of the stars! Orions Belt was in clear view...typical :)

We headed to Bedford Fields for path laying & wood chipping. It was great to start with a bit of light...spring is on its way, thank goodness.

Well done to Jason on his 75th good deed, Adam completed his 45th & Lydia her 35th! You're all amazing.

It was great to meet Hope tonight, welcome to GoodGym.

Thanks to everyone for coming out & doing so much in so little time.

What a lovely group we have in Leeds!

This weekend, we headed to the Lakes on a star(less) gazing weekend. Lots of activities were planned with a great walk up Helm Crag in Grasmere where the sun came out for us. We then checked in at the YHA after watching Jubz trying to park in the very tight car park! After an afternoon of clear skies & a lovely meal, we made our way to Grizedale Observatory as the clouds covered the Lake District sky. Despite this, the astronomers gave us a talk, we touched meteorites from both Mars & the Moon & had a visit to the planetarium which is equipped with a dome which gave us an awe-inspiring view of the sky. Despite not being able to see the stars, we had a great night.

The next day, after a run by a small group & some breakfast drama, we hired some self-drive boats for a jaunt across Lake Windermere! It was a great way to end our trip.

Thanks to everyone who drove, to Jason for leading walks/runs & to everyone for coming!

It was also nice to meet Sam & Ben, who are now honorary members of GoodGym :)

We met at HEART and took a gentle run over the park before encountering a bonus uphill stretch before arriving at Shire Oak Primary. Janie met us and soon put us to work applying a second coat of green paint onto the walls of the quadrangle (the school's sensory garden). We also pruned an unruly shrub and gave the flower beds a tidy-up. Janie kindly kept up supplied with cups of tea and banana cake. Apparently Monday was Banana Bread day...who knew!

Tonight, we mainly stood in amazement at Christian's speedy digging skills!

We were digging trenches at Bedford Fields , filling them with logs and garden waste to create mounds. This is a permaculture technique that uses decaying wood as a base to create nutrient-rich, moisture-retaining garden beds. The buried wood acts like a sponge, absorbing water during wet periods and releasing it during dry spells. As the wood breaks down over several years, it provides a consistent, slow-release nutrient source.

It was a freezing night but we managed to keep warm (ish) with our hard work.

Thanks for coming out in the cold everyone:)