Area Activator for Camden. Used to sell healthy ice cream. Prefers cake. Secretly harbours dreams of late-blossoming Olympic stardom.
13 Month Streak
0 Month Streak
68 Month Streak
๐Opposite Barbican Underground Station EC1A 4JA
We're helping a small charity called Social Action for Health, preparing their volunteer room for a facelift and revamp!
Wed 17th Apr at 6:15pm
We'll be bringing the communal garden areas at Kilburn Vale Estate back to life as we step into Spring!
Read moreWed 10th Apr at 6:15pm
We'll be bringing the communal garden areas at Kilburn Vale Estate back to life as we step into Spring!
Read moreWed 3rd Apr at 6:15pm
We're helping a small charity called Social Action for Health, preparing their volunteer room for a facelift and revamp!
Read moreTue 26th Mar at 6:15pm
Camden Report written by Alex Murtough (he/him)
Before the clocks spring forward, we always know our evening tasks will be dark... yet sometimes... we also hope for the dry!
Yesterday felt like a flipped day of meteorological halves, with the morning bright and warm, and the evening... less so!
The weather didn't, however, dampen our moods and spirits.
Emre, Steve, and I met with smiles outside King's Cross Station, and we took a happy and steady run up through Camden and over to Kentish Town.
We talked about Emre's home in Cyprus, teaching, history, and more! It was a joy to share that time and run together :)
We arrived in Kentish Town just as the sun had fully descended, and we met the wonderful Suzanna who'd arrived with a wise umbrella in hand.
Through the gates into the Willingham Close Estate we went, and we were met by the friendly Hilda and John, who give so much of their time and skills to their community.
Our task - amidst the continuing rain - was to create some breathing space for recently planted hedgerow stalks. We donned our gloves and got to pulling out the surrounding weeds, nettles, and grass, creating the air and room for these new plants to flourish.
Thank you, all, for your work and time - it was cold and wet, yet fun and enjoyable too - and we made a difference yesterday :)
Wed 20th Mar at 6:15pm
Camden Report written by Alex Murtough (he/him)
We've been heading to the American International Church since December.
Since then, we've visited 10 times, always assembling, dressing, and organising the beds for their weekly winter shelter's guests.
Wednesday last week was the AIC's final winter shelter until the autumn, and we welcomed Elizabeth, Jackie, John, Lici, Louise, and Steve to our final hullabaloo until we return in October or November.
Our group's speed reflected our comfort in this space, as we swiftly made up the evening's beds in the male, female, and volunteer quarters, and we did so to our (now accustomed) speaker filled with sounds from the 80s.
I've loved this task over the past few months. Each week we make a difference. The shelter is made possible through the collected efforts of multiple people - the overnight helpers, the evening cooks (whose creations always smell so good), the AIC's core coordinating team, and... our very own GoodGym-esque help. It's a joy to be part of something that truly helps folks who need it.
We welcomed my partner, Suzanna, for the final couple of minutes, before we headed off for a well-earned spot of pasta on Tottenham Court Road!
Thanks, everyone, and see you soon, Alex
Tue 26th Mar at 6:15pm
There's a wonderful patch of flowers and vegetables at Kennistoun House and Willingham Close Estate in Kentish Town, and we'll be helping keep things fresh, cared for, and ready for Spring
Read moreFri 15th Mar at 2:00pm
Help transform the wonderfully peaceful Ingestre Woods, improving the space for the local community
Read moreFri 15th Mar at 2:00pm
Camden Report written by Alex Murtough (he/him)
If you went down to Ingestre Woods on Friday... you'd have had a big surprise!
The woodland nestled behind Ingestre Road Estate is usually sedate, silent even, but on Friday it had movement. Twenty two lots of movement.
Weaving between trees and traversing muddy banks were several folk bagging oodles of litter. They were so swift that from a distance you could only see the glimmers of their litter pickers. Across 80 minutes, this team absolutely transformed the look and feel of this special space.
Based down in the depths of the woods were a group looking to go even deeper. They were our diggers for the day, and they were helping both us and the local frogspawn. The pond they were deepening has become a favourite habitat for tadpoles, yet our hotter summers have been drying out their home. Thanks to this group's efforts, the Ingestre frogs will be a happier bunch this coming summer.
Across the way on the other side of the estate, there used to be a hill. Until Friday that is, from when it started taking shape as a meadow. These were our weeders, rakers, and shakers. They pulled out the deeply bedded weeds, raked the topsoil, and sprinkled a wild mix of wildflower seeds. The ascendant rain sealed the deal, and the blooms to come will push all memories of bare hills from residents' minds.
Hidden within one of the estate's walkways, our final group were bringing expectant life back to a forgotten collection of flower beds. They pulled the winter weeds before carefully planting the summer bulbs, gifting the walkway the promise of seasonal colour.
Helen (who heads up Ingestre Estate's tenants' association) and I are so grateful for your help and work. The sheer amount you achieved far exceeded what we expected. The woodland is expected to re-open to the public over the coming year, and your work has made a material dent in the work that's needed to make that possible. You've also made an immediate difference on the look and feel of the estate's green spaces, and I know this will be hugely appreciated by residents. Thank you.
Wed 13th Mar at 6:15pm
Camden Report written by Alex Murtough (he/him)
I have been scrolling back through the GoodGym guidance.
Become an expert at speed scanning. Through PowerPoints and PDFs, even the odd hard copy document too. My eyes are hurting and my heart is racing. I've had 17 coffees but I think - finally - I must now give up.
I sullenly have to confirm this news.
GoodGym doesn't have any guidance on Borough Theme Tunes...
...but that doesn't mean we can't create some!!
Our wonderful core Camden group of Jackie, John, and Steve had a significant task ahead of us when we arrived at the American International Church last night. We were back to help out at the AIC to set up their winter shelter, which they run from November to March every year.
Between the 4 of us, we had to: a. sweep the large hall ready for the shelter; b. bring in, assemble, and dress 13 beds in the large hall; and c. do the same for 2 beds in the smaller side room.
We'd been moving and working for perhaps 75 seconds before Steve opened Spotify... searched for the music that seems to have accompanied our volunteering for a little while now... and hit play on Dire Straits!
We chatted and worked for 40 minutes, before packing away and looking ahead to next week and our final time at the AIC this season.
Thanks, all, for your work and for a wonderful evening :)
Thu 14th Mar at 11:21am
Excellent report, and a lovely evening, all :)))
Thu 14th Mar at 2:43pm
If Dire Straits are our theme tune, I'm defecting to GreenGym
Wed 6th Mar at 6:15pm
Camden Report written by Steve Murtough (he/him)
The below standard operating procedure was followed on Wednesday 6th March (evening) by some good people in the Camden area.
Fri 8th Mar at 10:55pm
Still repping the black top I see, Liz ๐
Sat 9th Mar at 12:36am
It's the best one! ๐
Sat 9th Mar at 11:41am
That one of the best report I've read. Missing you Guys
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