Despite the recent rain, the plucky saplings at Fort Royal park are still struggling so the GoodGym crew were asked to come and lend a hand.

The run from the Hive served as a chance for Ruth to test out her legs before the Worcester 10k on Sunday while Kirsty arrived by bike. We all met at the top of the hill to see what Karen from Fort Royal Ranger had lined up for us to do.

A blackthorn hedge had been planted near the edges of the park so we carted barrows of water containers down to give them all a drink. Meanwhile Karen #2 brought mulch to be put around the base of each one. These actions combined help to keep the weeds at bay, give the saplings more nutrients and help hold moisture near to the base of the trees. Hopefully they will regain some strength over the next few weeks as the seasons change.

While we were working we got to admire the new mural that is being painted by a very talented artist showing a beautiful blue tit surrounded by flowers. It will be great to see this when it's finished.

There was then one more task left so we refiled the barrows with mulch and pushed them back up to the top of the hill to be met by last minute Liam who had arrived to help out too. He was soon issued a shovel and the mulch was spread beneath a large apple tree.

A fort-ifying experience for us all!