YMCA Stanley Court offers a safe environment and supported housing to people in need, helping them to get ready to moving for greater independence to achieve their true potential and overcome difficulties they might have experienced. Everyone living at Stanley Court can benefit from a range of opportunities to learn new skills, including volunteering and active participation in the gardening group.

Today GoodGym call was to help YMCA to revive the gardening group by preparing a green area to get suitable for future seeding, planting of flowers and growing of vegetables.

We were expected – as advertised on a poster to the residents!

Within 45 minutes we had peeled off the bindweed, chopped back the shrubs, weeded the overgrown patio entirely. We filled 15+ green bags with weeds and left the area looking much tidier, ready for future revamping!

The YMCA gardening group is open to all. You can come in for a taster session or attend regularly and learn a new skill while enjoying the fresh air. So, we did and finished off our group session with fitness exercises in the Saunder park nearby. GoodGym-er Rosie, lead the group back shining her 50 deeds' GoodGym T-shirt!

A short time ago in a garden not too far away...(cue dramatic music).

In period of unprecedented heat, a brave alliance of nine Goodgym runners challenged the tyranny and oppression of an awesome amount of weeds.

After being regaled with tales of Angela and Jason's trail running exploits and Nancy's 50th Parkrun, we were ready to take on a new challenge at a different destination! We took the short trip from the seafront up to the YMCA to take on the might of their unloved garden. Ruled over for many years by weeds, dirt and all manner of debris, the group set to work clearing space.

The dead daffodils, sneaky sticky weed and limp leaves didn't know what hit them with a blitz of activity transforming the garden. Beating back the overflowing beds even revealed the long lost path to the shed! Our whirl of activity drew attention from the residents who were delighted to be reclaiming the space and already thinking of ways to enhance its future. Such was the speed of our attack some of us had time to stand back and admire while Jay, Philippa and Rebecca soldiered on clearing the debris. The garden was brought back to life ready to be used again.

Fresh from victory we journeyed back to the seafront for some short lamp post intervals to take us back to base. A great evenings work and we can all bask in the knowledge that an old space now has new hope...