Back on the mean streets of SE7 on a lovely sunny morning. The litter seemed to have built up recently and we managed 11 bags, a car wheel hub cap, a broken brolly, a John Lewis shopping cart (a long way from home) and a good haul of vapes in an hour. Three bags of recyclable bottles and cans included in the haul.

A nice lady asked us if we could clean up on Charlton Church Lane after the football yesterday - sadly not enough time today - and a gentleman who looked as if he'd just got up after a good night out asked us (quite seriously) if we were doing Community Service. We obviously looked a bit dangerous or maybe it was the bag of (now illegal) disposable vapes and the hub cap. Anyway, at least the public noticed us working!

Off for a coffee and a chat in M&S afterwards from where we could spot Greenwich Council on a Sunday collection, emptying bins and collecting our (Council approved) bags almost immediately! Thanks to everyone who helped.

A sunny August morning took 2 goodgym-ers to Hervey Road Sports Field Gardens, a haven for wild flowers just off Shooters Hill Road.

We met Annie and were briefed with 2 straightforward tasks: weeding & watering. Some new plants had been put in last weekend so after a few dry days they were a little parched! 3 gentle waterings over the session hopefully revived them a little. The rest of our time was spent clearing weeds & grass from the beds to allow space both for existing wildflowers to grow, and new seeds to sprout, helpfully guided by expert Annie, so now we know our Feverfew from our Alison...! 

The time flew by and we were ready for some final watering & on to the rest of the weekend. See you all soon! ☀️

A lovely Tuesday evening saw Rachel, Sarah, and Cecilia meeting in Woolwich for a short but cheerful run up to Glyndon Community Centre. Once there, we were greeted by Andy, who had a couple of satisfying tasks lined up for us. Armed with brushes, gloves, and plenty of enthusiasm, we got stuck into sweeping the car park and tackling the weeds in the garden area. Between chatting and catching up, we managed to fill four bags full of weeds and debris in just 30 minutes, leaving the space looking much tidier and more welcoming. With the job done and a quick team photo snapped, we said goodbye to Andy and set off on our run back down to Woolwich, a great end to a productive evening.

Coming up: This Saturday, we’re heading to Hervey Road for a gardening session. Next Wedensday, we’re back at St Alfege’s School for some more weeding.

Until next time!

Rachel

Holiday season has arrived, which means Harvest time is on its way too, and the Community Garden at Maryon Wilson park in Charlton is looking amazing, brimming with flowers as well as crops ranging from cucumbers to sweet peas, and courgettes to rhubarb.

Today was our monthly mission here, and a great catch up with Tim and Edna. Our main task was chopping back overhanging foliage, bind weed and similar tree growth to help make the pathways easier to navigate. (Some long armed tree-lopping-choppers, which is possibly not the technical term, were a massive help with the higher branches...!)

A good old sweep up completed our work, so it was time for tea and snacks (massive thanks to Edna) and out through the woods to the rest of the weekend 😎

Arthur keeps saying we need to bring our litter picks down to the path to Hornfair Park near our home and today I took him up on it and we spent an hour clearing the pathway and tackling a particularly grim corner of rubbish which needs a second go. A lovely lady gave him some sweets for his efforts which made it all even more worthwhile!

On a sunny Wednesday evening, the GoodGym Greenwich gang laced up and set off on an uphill mission! Our run took us up the ever-challenging Shooters Hill, to the Memorial Hospital where we were met by Maira and trundled with our tools to the lovely woodland path. Our job for the evening was to move as much woodchip as possible down to the new seating area for the regular woodland sessions for patients and staff in the hospital.

Buckets and wheelbarrows at the ready, we teamed up and got to work. Some shovelled away and others navigated the twists and turns down the path with wheelbarrows and myself and Ivar with a big old crate on wheels that made us feel like we were bobsleighing. Cool runnings at its finest.

The new seating area is looking great, and our efforts are helping make the space less muddy and even more welcoming for everyone who visits this peaceful green corner of Greenwich. With plenty of laughs, a bit of sweat, and a solid upper-body workout thrown in, we regrouped for a quick photo and enjoyed a breezy jog back down the hill.

Next week we're back to help out at Glyndon!

Until next time 😊

Rachel