Three GoodGymmers headed to Merton and Lambeth Citizens Advice in Mitcham for our first task supporting the team there, with a mission to make the front of the building more welcoming for visitors. Whilst there were a few weeds to evict along the way, the main challenge quickly became clear: trees and bushes had gradually encroached over the public pavement outside, substantially narrowing the route to a busy Mitcham bus stop. Armed with loppers and determination, we set about reclaiming the footpath one branch at a time.

After a considerable amount of lopping, chopping and branch-dragging, the difference was striking. Several feet of pavement width were reclaimed for pedestrians, making the route to the bus stop much easier to navigate and giving the frontage a far tidier look. The task may have been modest in size, but the impact was obvious, and this was just the beginning: we'll be back in a few weeks with a full GoodGym crew to take on the much larger challenge lurking in the back garden. A successful pilot prune!