It was a beautiful warm July evening, the sort that reminds you why volunteering outdoors is such a joy. With sunshine, plenty of laughter and a garden that had well and truly embraced the "rewilding" trend, we returned to St Botolph's Church Garden to help bring some order back to the wilderness.

A huge welcome back to Mel and Paul, who have both been living life at full speed recently between work, a cycling tour and campervan adventures. It was brilliant to have you both back where you belong—in the middle of a bramble patch!

Joining our wonderful hosts Val and Rik were John, Belinda, El, Ricky and Julia (me), all ready to ' leaf no branch unturned' 

Massive thanks to John and Belinda, who arrived  complete with a battery-powered hedge cutter, a handy little step, secateurs and other bits and pieces too. 

There wasn't much standing around—we all got stuck in straight away, taking on thick ivy, towering brambles and enough unruly foliage to keep a small army busy. Nature had definitely taken root!

Paul claimed the west side of the garden, battling both the overgrowth and a rather enthusiastic wind that clearly hadn't read the forecast. Meanwhile, I took on the glamorous role of chief wheelbarrow chauffeur with multiple trips to the compost heap as greenery flew in from every direction.

Once Paul's section was under control, he joined John and Ricky, who were busy uncovering the hidden area behind the old air raid shelter. With every thorny branch removed, more of the forgotten space emerged from its leafy disguise.

Nearby, Belinda, Mel and El were making fantastic progress clearing thick ivy and stubborn brambles from the church wall. Refusing to stop there, they ventured beyond the wall into the tranquil church garden itself, where they continued their assault on the undergrowth. Safe to say the weeds were firmly on the back foot by then.

Slowly but surely, the mountain of cuttings grew, the compost heap became ever fuller, and the garden started looking less Jurassic Park and more Secret Garden.

By the end of the evening there was a huge sense of satisfaction. Hidden paths started to reappear, walls could be seen again, and another treasured community space had enjoyed a proper GoodGym makeover.

A gorgeous summer evening, fantastic teamwork, plenty of banter, and proof once again that when GoodGym gets to the root of a problem, there's no stopping us.

With Julia on her holidays , it was down to Mr R to leas the task and write the report so her it is !

Four GoodGymers were back at one of our favourite good weather tasks today. For a large part of the day, it looked like the weather might be against us, but the clouds moved on, and the warmth of the evening sun accompanied us during the task.

Weed ‘i’d alright

Rik greeted us with an apology (see Julia’s report from last week) and the news that parishioners had noticed a real difference along the wall of the church we had worked on last week. Whenever we come here, we can always see the difference we make; it’s great to get feedback that the work we do is noticed and appreciated.

Weed been here before

Today’s task was to clear the weeds around the front and side of the old air raid shelter. It’s a task we’ve tackled on many occasions, but nature will have its way. Ricky tackled the side wall where the brambles had chosen not to cling to the wire we had attached to encourage them to reach skywards. Charlie, Anne, and John tackled the front. Did we make a difference? Yes, we did! It was great to wind up our efforts just as Anne brushed clean the path that GoodGym had laid many tasks ago!

From Julia

Thank you all and John for helping me tonight !

When a Task Goes Slightly Off the Rails...

After a somewhat concerning sign-up sheet showed just two names earlier in the day, we were delighted when a magnificent eight GoodGymers appeared at St Botolph's Church ready for an evening of weeding and good deeds.

Sadly, our enthusiasm wasn't quite matched by the task preparation! Due to a slight mix-up with dates from our lovely hosts, Rik and Val, we arrived to find ourselves very much left to our own devices. With no hosts in sight and only a handful of tools available, it was time for some GoodGym improvisation.

Fortunately, John's legendary backpack stash came to the rescue. Producing enough tools to keep us occupied, we set about tackling the weeds around the edges of the church grounds. It wasn't quite the grand gardening mission we'd anticipated, but plenty of weeds met their demise nonetheless.

A particular highlight of the evening was welcoming back Roxy and Mali. It was fantastic to see them again after a while away. However, one important question remains unanswered: what happened to the puppy version of Mali?! Somewhere along the line, that tiny pup has transformed into a fully-grown dog before our very eyes. You might say she’s really grown into the role

Despite the damp-squib nature of the task, spirits remained high, conversations flowed, and the church grounds are looking a little tidier than before. We may have turned up for a major gardening project and ended up with a minor one, but when life gives you weeds, we pull them out !

The good news is that Rik and Val will be expecting us next week, when hopefully we'll be tackling the task that was originally planned. Unfortunately, I won't be there as I'll be away on holiday, so the group will be in the very capable hands of John

I'm sure he'll keep everyone rooted to the task... and if not, he'll probably have the right tool for it hidden somewhere in that backpack!

After what felt like a very long winter break, tonight marked our triumphant return to the Heene Church Rooms garden that we last visited way back at the end of October. And oh, how it had missed us… or perhaps more accurately, how the weeds had thrived without us!

Thanks to an exceptionally wet winter paired with surprisingly mild temperatures, the garden had turned into a full-on jungle. Tonight’s mission? Nothing short of a major weed-busting operation.

The good news: the evenings are officially on our side again! It was still light at 6pm when we arrived, and stayed that way right through to our 7pm finish — a sure sign that spring (and GoodGym gardening season) is well and truly back.

Our brilliant team tonight brought both energy and excellent chat. Soon-to-be parents Sarah and Ryan were on top form, with Sarah proudly showcasing her impressive 6-month baby bump whilst Barbara turned heads with a stunnnew hairstyle, adding a touch of glam to the gardening gloves.

Fresh from soaking up the sun in Gran Canaria, Belinda and John arrived glowing , proof, if ever needed, that a bit of winter sun does wonders. It was also fantastic to welcome Gill, who cycled in like an absolute hero, and Ricky, who kept us all guessing with hints of his upcoming top secret holiday.

Between the catching up, laughter, and a bit of gentle speculation about Ricky’s mysterious getaway, we somehow managed to make a serious dent in the wilderness. Beds were cleared, weeds were banished, and order was (partially!) restored.

A joyful return, a cracking team effort, and lighter evenings ahead — what more could we want? 🌱

With a visit from the Bishop imminent the GoodGym faithful gathered under the Bells of St Botolph’s to assist Rik and Val in ensuring she could see church grounds looking their best.

Dressed to impress

After achieving 50 Good Deeds status last week, Ryan arrived excitedly in his new shirt. Check out the photos to see how good he looks in black! Imagination required, perhaps!

All welcome here, except….

Except Iris! We’ve done our best over the years to give Iris a clear “not welcome ‘ere message”. It’s fallen on deaf ears. Today Ricky got stuck in to battling with that Stinking Iris, discarding every clump encountered. We will not be defeated!

Oh, Ivy isn’t welcome either….

Most of the team got stuck into the eviction of that constantly creeping ivy. Tendrils clinging to branch, trunk and wall were no match for the determined band. All welcome, unless you’re not, was the battle cry of the evening.

Taking it to the edge

John looked for the easy job - Sarah arrived late, so it wasn’t already taken! With brush in hand, and definitely no hoedown the edge of the bed was rediscovered. Nap time anyone….

Cleared that up then

A final flurry of clearing left the area suitably presentable for any visiting dignitaries to see what a well cared for church St Botolph’s is.

** Final Push in the Community Garden**

After months of battling the weeds and weeks of returning to transform the space, tonight we reached a huge milestone in the church-run community garden.

Our mission has been twofold: to reclaim the beds from the relentless weeds and to create a central path lined with bricks to give the garden structure and accessibility. Bit by bit, week by week, the path has grown longer and the beds have become clearer — and tonight the team came together for one last big push to get it finished.

Armed with gloves, tools, and buckets of energy, the group cracked on straight away. Bricks were carefully laid in, weeds pulled out by the roots, and soil turned over ready for planting. Everyone mucked in, swapping jobs, sharing tools, and keeping the momentum high. By the end of the session, we stood back and admired a fully laid path right down the middle of the garden, with flower beds either side weed-free and ready for the next stage of planting.

Huge thanks to the brilliant team tonight: Paul,Roxy , John, Gillybean, Sarah, Ryan,Belinda , Megan, El and Ricky. Your teamwork and determination have completely transformed the space.

And of course, a very Happy Birthday to El — thank you for bringing delicious cake to keep us fuelled and make the evening extra special.

A big well done, everyone — what a fantastic way to celebrate all the hard work that’s gone into this project!