On Wednesday 14 of us went to do some weeding at Peckham Rye Park and Common Tiny Forest (which has grown a lot since our last visit!) followed by a game of bowls at Peckham Bowls. We did get caught in the rain on our loop of the park but it stopped by the time we got to Tiny Forest. And luckily was dry for the rest of the evening.

13 inspiring GoodGym folk made a wonderful difference in Kentish Town last night!

Some people can distinguish a grass from a weed and a weed from a flower. I am not one of these people.

But many of these intelligent beings... everyone apart from me... were present in our special group!

Our group in red 👉 Alison, Danny (on their first good deed - hello!), Helen, Imogen, Jackie, John, Majid (on their first good deed - huge welcome!), Sarah, Siobhan, Steve, and Will 👉 arrived in Kentish Town (not far from the Prime Minister's house!) to meet the wonderful Hilda (who was also on their first good deed!!) 👉 and we were there to help her cultivate a healthy hedgerow 🌳💚

I watched in awe as this group identified the 'keeps' from the 'get-rids' while also sharing stories and connecting. The weeds were piled – bag upon bag – and the remaining wild flowers and bushes noticeably started to breathe. And I resorted to taking photos and walking up and down in an attempt to look busy.

Across 60 bright evening minutes this group opened space in the hedgerow – and the fruits of their efforts will carry through into June and beyond – this would have taken a single soul 13 hours to match!

Thank you so much, everyone, for a well-spent evening ☺️

Here's to next time!

🌩️ Thunder, Tasks & Trivia Triumphs! 🌿🧠

A distant rumble of thunder kept us guessing as we gathered for this week’s GoodGym session, but it takes more than a bit of potential drama to throw us off course. Despite a power outage on the tube delaying our task owner, we were well-prepped with a list of garden jobs sent over in advance – and as always, we were ready to dig in.

Before setting off, we limbered up with a quick warm-up and this week's question was pub quiz themed: How many pubs are there in London? Guesses ranged wildly, but Jordan was closest to the correct answer – a a whopping 3,500 pubs! That’s a lot of potential quiz venues…

🌱 Once we arrived at the garden, we got straight to work. There was no shortage of tasks to keep us busy:

• Shifting lemon trees into position
• Plenty of watering to revive thirsty plants
• Weeding pathways and beds
• Sweeping away debris
• Turning compost and moving it around the garden

The garden was soon buzzing with activity and teamwork and the time flew by.

💪 With a few minutes to spare after finishing the tasks, we squeezed in a post-task fitness session featuring:

• A 3-minute mountain legs challenge
• A 3-minute arm burner, in honour of International Chest Day at the gym – we're very on-brand! The result? Some burning muscles and a sense of achievement!

🏆 Then it was quiz time - the team headed off to the pub. With the muscles having been given a serious workout it was time for the brains to get a turn in the hotseat. I'm happy to report the team absolutely smashed it, scooping gold. Huge congrats to all our GG geniuses!

📍 Next week, we’re heading to Paradise Cooperative to lend a hand. If you enjoyed working in the garden this week, don’t forget we have a weekly community mission to help out at the Doddington Community Garden Kids Club – check it out and sign up here.

Have a great week everybody!

"We’ll be running through Camden Town" – I said – "the sidewalks may be heaving" – I warned...

...but little did I know that Camden is trialling pedestrianisation!

And so our wonderful group sped through quiet (and) wide (and) spacious roads on our way to Belsize Community Library!

This lovely group – of Alex, Alison, John, Steve, and Will – got quickly to our evening tasks.

Alex, Alison, John, and Steve grabbed window cleaning spray, cloths, and (the magically named) squeegees – and they brought transparency to windows that were opaque with grime and dust.

At the same time, Will and Alex M hunted for litter and dust behind the sofas and on the shelves, removing everything with the help of every cleaner’s friend: the Henry Hoover

Thank you, everyone! You made a lovely difference! And you turned a normal evening into one filled with community!