Jenny, Alex, Vic and Ivar met up with the two-legged (and one four-legged) volunteers at the pet cemetery to brighten up the place once again. A very generous hornbeam tree who decided that autumn couldn’t come soon enough had left a thick carpet of leaves for us to sweep up. We all brushed up on our sweeping skills, broomed where no Goodgymer had broomed before, and we were all broommates by the time we finished. The difference was remarkable.

With the leaves gone, the cemetery looked peaceful once more. Every plaque tells the story of a much-loved pet, and we hope our efforts helped make it a fitting place to pause, remember, and smile.

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!