The last week has been hot. Really hot. Heatwave, national heat alert hot. It has sapped the energy of even the most sun-loving people. As the weekend arrived, the temperature finally dropped to something that felt like a proper summer's day, and six of us joined the team from the Friends of Festival Gardens.

Our mission was to uncover the established shrubs that had become smothered and choked by bindweed, with a scattering of nettles and brambles adding to the challenge.

When we arrived, we were faced with a towering mass of greenery, dotted with delicate white bindweed flowers. As we started to pull it away, we discovered why it's so aptly named. The bindweed had wrapped itself tightly, and repeatedly, around the existing shrubs, making it a slow but satisfying job to release them. Gradually, a variety of shrubs and even sections of the pathways began to reappear.

This area, beside the impressive pagoda, forms part of the Chinese Garden within the park. Today we worked together to uncover the garden once again and allow it to breathe.

There's always something special about working alongside the Friends of Festival Gardens. They're a hardworking group who are always welcoming to new members and make Goodgym feel right at home. Together we spent two hours freeing the plants from the choking effects of the bindweed, helping to reveal the beauty of the garden beneath.

Congratulations to Leo, who completed his 30th Goodgym task today!

What better way to spend a Sunday morning than volunteering together with the Friends of Festival Gardens? The temperature may still have been hot, and we’d all worked up a sweat but it was a pretty cool way to spend a summer Sunday morning.