With temperatures in Ealing reaching 33 degrees, Sevan, Steph and Kash showed up in the evening at Bodyline Studios equipped with bottles full of water. Some were wearing vests, others caps - anything to fend off either heat or UV.

The GoodGymers decided on a walk to Lammas Orchard through Walpole Park - quite a different place than the one remembered from the January's evening group runs! The sun was still high up, so adults and children enjoyed walks, bike rides or relaxing on the grass.

On arrival at the orchard, Sevan, who led the task, passed to Steph and Kash the instructions from Trevor from Ealing Transition. Since there was only three teammates, they had to prioritise. According to Sevan, Trevor was really keen on GoodGym taking care of the thorny brambles that grew in the hedgehog enclosure and were stealing minerals and water from the young trees planted there this year. That was the job the trio tackled first, stepping into the fenced area and working with utmost precision.

"Look for primroses and don't trample them. Don't chop them. Don't chop the trees." - Sevan.

With those restrictions in mind, the chopping machines like Steph and Kash opted for using loppers rather than shears to tame their destructive tendencies. They didn't find any hedgehogs hiding under the brambles, but discovered planted saplings, 3 or 4 tennis balls and a winter hat - the latter two not particularly useful at the time.

When the brambles became sufficiently pushed back, Sevan grabbed a watering can to water the flower bed and top up the water level in the frog pond. The GoodGymers, despite low in numbers, left the orchard having made a visible difference and having set up the young trees for success.

The brambles and other undesirable plants virtually explode in the summer months, so next week we're on the chopping duty again - this time in Half Acre Woods in Hanwell to cut back the summer growth and keep the paths accessible to public. Sign up now to give our team an extra pair of hands!