Eleven GoodGymers met up this week for our group run, with 7 meeting at Edinburgh Street Food and 4 people making their own way to the task. This was our second visit to help Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links (FoMBL) and it was another great evening.

We've really enjoyed getting to know Neil, whose passion for maintaining the Meadows and encouraging a rich diversity of plant life is infectious. He was on hand again to kit us out with spades, forks, wheelbarrows and trowels and he briefed us on what needed done.

With three different tasks to do and enough of us to spread out, we split the group up with some tackling the heavy work of digging and spreading mulch around newly planted trees. This help to protect them and give them the best chance to thrive.

Others waged war on some stubborn thistles, hard work but it paid off with a huge bag filled up in a short space of time.

The final team got busy planting bulbs and managed to complete the fence line we targeted so that it will be brightening up the area with purple flowers next spring.

We were expecting a wet evening with the forecast, so it was a lovely surprise that the weather was kind and we ended up with a dry evening throughout.

It is a slightly longer distance run to Bruntsfield (3.5km each way) so it was expecially great to see a strong turnout, we made good time getting there and managed to get a huge amount done in a short space of time.

Thanks to Neil and the Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links for having us back. Hopefully we will be seeing you again soon for another great task.

Shout out to Laura and Raphael for coming along for your first sessions. It was lovely meeting you and hope to see you again soon.