Our first group run after the clocks have changed and it was wonderful to still have daylight at the end of the group run!! We were a smaller group as numbers had lowered throughout the day, maybe too many Easter eggs.

We had the pleasure of being joined by Suki the dog, and when she wasn't off adventuring, she was keeping an eye on our bucket filling with mulch technique. On the topic of bucket filling...we were full of techniques that made us as efficient as possible.

We managed to cover the extension to the Tiny Forest in a layer of mulch avoiding all the young saplings that did a very good job of blending in.

Thanks to the Tree Keepers for joining us on their bank holiday Monday and bringing all the spades and buckets!

After a couple of group runs that happened to be at the furthest away tasks, it was good to be heading to the Tiny Forest which is closer than our recent runs.

The first group departed before everyone had arrived, they had the task of collecting the wheelbarrows and buckets from Linda's and getting them to the Tiny Forest.

They'd already started shifting the woodchip when we arrived at the Tiny Forest. The aim of the task was to have a border of woodchip around the newly planted saplings in the Tiny Forest extension to prevent the pesky weeds from growing and stealing the nutrients and water supply from the saplings.

It was quick progress so we did an extra layer and then a bit more for good luck.

Job done and it was time to head back to Glass Mill for a stretch and to hear about next weeks task which is flyering for GG. We're going to drop some flyers through local community groups and charities and also the nearby houses to spread the word.

Our task for this week was to continue the double digging at the Tiny Forest in Ladywell Fields. It's a tough workout and the soil has become full of stones as we have got further towards the end.

I had sold the group run on the fact we'd be driving in the fence posts with the fancy tool only to find Isaac had beat us to it! Great work Isaac, we should have spent less time chatting at Glass Mill.

We split into groups, as many as possible forming a line to tackle the digging and then the rest carrying the mulch to a spot closer to the Tiny Forest.

Pain stopped play

Another week, another GoodGym Lewisham twisted ankle, this time Oli's foot landed in a hole but he did manage to stay upright and not drop the bucket of mulch!

The Tiny Forest team now only have about 2 foot to dig or 2 double digs. Then its time for planting of the saplings, the community missions is happening on 9th December, all details here

P.S. Enjoy the really really blurry photos!

Digging trenches in compacted stony ground is difficult enough in normal conditions and takes even more determination after a heatwave, leaving the soil dry and hard – but we triumphed! Thanks to a fantastic show of GoodGym energy and muscle power, we dug deep not just once (lifting away top soil) but twice (loosening lower level soil and incorporating organic matter), helping to create the perfect conditions for rapid growth of new saplings soon to be planted at the Ladywell Fields Tiny Forest. Equally impressively, we pounded into place another 10 posts ready for fencing to be installed around the site of the forest extension.

This was a first ever task for Meriel – welcome to GoodGym! There will be plenty more opportunities for all of us to help with double digging and other tasks supporting this ambitious community-led project before planting day in early December.

What a wonderful couple of weeks for achievements in the Blue Borough, we've had:

1. Steve's 500th good deed, in fact it was his 502nd last night!!

2. Linda's 100th good deed, actually her 101st last night

3. Iitmari's 100th good deed, which came as a surprise but I've seen it nearing the past couple of group runs!

Congrats - you've all done an amazing amount of good in our borough and I can't wait to celebrate your next 100 good deeds with you.

Onto the task for this week, we were heading to the Tiny Forest in Ladywell Fields to help build their extension as they're planting another 200 saplings at the site. It was a good strength workout as the ground was pretty hard from all the hot weather we've had recently!

The group split into smaller groups with a group digging the next trench, we had to dig 50cm down and put that soil on the first trench and then loosen the soil below.

There was another group raking the dried grass which will be the organic matter in the soil sandwich above.

Another group tackling the pile of woodchip which had become overrun with pesky bindweed and brambles. That will be used around the extension once the saplings are planted.

Next up was a group tackling the weeding in the Tiny Forest. This was a delicate task of taking bindweed off the tiny saplings to make sure they grow big and strong.

The main task of the evening was making sure the Tiny Forest dog was kept entertained and that was a group effort!

Well done for getting stuck in with the various tasks, we'll be back mid-October, with lights to continue the hard work.

*it's most definitely head torch time towards the end of tasks so dig those head torches out!

Everyone felt (and looked) a little windswept as they arrived as Glass Mills, after a very blustery day in Lewisham, but were nonetheless keen to tackle a NEW Task for the group. Before setting off, we were treated to a brief guest appearance from George who happened to be passing, whilst currently side-lined through injury – get well soon George!

After a short run to Ladywell Fields, we turned off the main path and found ourselves in a very dark clearing needing to break out the floodlights to find our way across the meadow to our destination, the Tiny Forest project. Here we were greeted by Tony, who described our task of shifting freshly delivered woodchip from the side of the nearest road and distributing it all around the perimeter of the fenced space, created to house and protect dozens of young saplings.

Linda and Isaac were already working away as we arrived and we all congratulated Isaac on his 50TH GOOD DEED! With additional hands to manage the spades, buckets, and barrows, plus to help rake the freshly dropped chips around after dropping, the woodchip pile soon began to shrink as the tiny forest stated to take on a different look by the light of our headtorches. So efficient were we, in fact, that Tony asked us to finish a little early to preserve some remaining chips for a later scattering – thankfully he stopped us in time and we didn’t need to bring any chips BACK to the pile!

After a group photo and careful navigation back out of the clearing, we were back on the beaten path and returning to Glass Mills – great effort everyone! :o)