Our monthly session at the Community Hospice this morning saw us heading down the garden path, well actually two of them!

As usual, we met Head Gardener Jas in the café, for a quick catch-up over a cuppa before making our way to the tool shed to collect the equipment we would need.

With the sun beating down, Jas kindly directed us to jobs in the shade.

Johnny returned to the block-paved path leading to the main entrance, armed with a scraper and on a mission to finish what we'd started a few months ago. The remaining moss and weeds didn't stand a chance!

Meanwhile, Jas, Alice and Sarah headed into the woodland area to work on a path that was steadily disappearing beneath a sea of bracken. Wearing trusty yellow gauntlets, we moved along the route pulling up the ferns as close to the roots as possible. Some of the plants weren't ready to be evicted and put up some resistance, but that just made for an excellent workout!

By the end of the session, the entrance path was looking fully neat and welcoming, while the woodland trail had been reclaimed and was once again easy to follow.

With our work done we headed back to the hospice cafeteria for plenty more chatting over a tasty lunch.

We'll be back again next month to see what Jas has in store for us. He likes to keep us on our toes and always has a new task up his sleeve, which helps make these sessions varied and interesting. If you'd like to join us next time, you can sign up here.

With Britain in Bloom judges due to arrive next week, Team GoodGym Bexley joined forces with Sidcup & Partners for a final push to help Sidcup put its best foot forward.

Five of us met Colin from Sidcup & Partners outside Sidcup Station, where he explained our task: in a change to the original plan of painting some flower planters (for which Vic was wearing her well-used 'we are doing some painting' GG t-shirt), we were asked to give the sensory garden outside the ticket hall a thorough weed and litter clearance.

Earlier this year we'd helped reclaim the area from a jungle of weeds, ready for new planting, and it was great to see how lovely those plants are now looking. The weeds, however, hadn't given up without a fight, so it was full steam ahead evicting the latest unwelcome arrivals while also collecting the litter that had found its way into the beds.

With the sensory garden looking much tidier, we just had time to turn our attention to the path leading to the station car park, clearing some sneaky weeds there too to create a blooming good first impression from the moment commuters and passengers exit the station.

After an hour of pulling, plucking and picking, the area was looking tidier and well on track for the Britain in Bloom judging. Fingers crossed our efforts help Sidcup get top marks!