Tonight we were back for our last monthly visit to the Canbury Community Garden 🍅 and the GoodGym flowerbed 🌸for the summer season. We were joined on our Group Run by Olly Whering, one of our local Councillors, and showed him first hand the wonders of GoodGym.

After running 🏃‍♀ 🏃‍♂, cycling 🚴‍♀ and walking🚶 over to Canbury Gardens we split into two teams one moving a shed and the other weeding 🌱the GoodGym flowerbed.

Luke, Ben, Dave and Marie-Noelle donned their gloves and removed the shed from its existing (rotting) foundations. The pallets it was resting on were starting to disintegrate so they were all removed and the ground levelled. Some old paving slabs were then broken up and used as a more solid base. Once the intricate levelling process was completed (involving a plank of wood (and spirit level, to be fair)), the shed was placed back and contents returned.

Emma, Jana and Ben got to work on the weeds 🌱 and leaf clearing 🍂and Sabir tackled the ever-growing laurel 🍃 whilst Claire went on a run 🏃‍♀ up the park for the rubbish sack. Rachel and Olly joined in on the weeding 🌱and the task was completed in record time.

No watering 💦 was required as no sooner had we finished the heavens opened 🌧 which swiftly put and end to any further activity so we headed off 🏃‍♂🏃‍♀🚴‍♀🚶to the pub 🍻for our social and a good natter.

Great to have you along, Olly. Hope to see you at another soon!

A good turn out. All 7 goodgymers arrived on bikes, shankis pony, and running. Tonight was a great workout. The area was well and truly deshedded [RIP] in the hope that a new shed finds it's way to Jubilee Square. Also a load of dead foliage was taken to rebuild the hedge.

We were all enthralled last night as Elliot Newton, (that is his real name!) the council’s biodiversity officer, showed as smooth newts in the early stages of life (called an eft) at the community pond and garden we were tasked with helping to maintain.

Four GoodGymers ran almost 3km up the hill from the Quaker Centre while four of the gang met at Vine Close. Two key tasks were set. Luke, Tom and Jana helped to clear the blanket weed in the pond - while carefully putting back any baby newts, leeches and water boatman who were hiding in it.

Meanwhile Helen, Emma, Rachel, Dave and new GoodGymer Sara uses hoes and trowels to remove dozens of grass tufts which have taken over the gravel path around the garden.

What a sense of achievement to play a part maintaining this special community site which members of GoodGym Kingston first helped to restore over a year ago.

Congratulations to Sara for completing her first task - we hope you'll join another.

And always a pleasure to be with Elliot who doesn’t let you leave until you’ve learnt a fact or two, spreading his passion for nature to everyone.

Despite the high temperatures and sweaty run to Growbaby tonight we still worked tirelessly to tick everything off the to-do list - and more.

A number of the group sought sanctuary in the cool basement when we arrived. Dave mended a shelf while Sabir moved broken items into a side room. Hazel and Benjamin sorted the baby food, sanitary products and other random bits littering the tight space. Gemma sorted through the toy boxes and refilled the basket of soft toys and Luke restocked the supply of summer hats upstairs. Upstairs Emma sorted the story books while Dave satisfyingly tidied and matched up the toys on display making the collection more appealing for the visiting families.

Growbaby is such a valuable place for the families that use it and as usual Rachel had a long list of jobs for us to tackle. It was a pleasure to leave the hub spic and span. Luckily it had cooled down a bit for our 2.5km return run back along the river to the Quaker Centre.