Four intrepid GoodGymmers made their way along the River Wandle on a fair Friday morning to help Deen City Farm set up for their weekend fair. The main task was setting up several gazebos, and after figuring out how they worked (plus a DIY repair to one of them!), we were a lean, mean gazebo-constructing machine!

A last-minute change of heart meant we needed to swap a fully constructed double gazebo from one paddock to another. No problem either for our crack team! With a few extra (farm)hands and military precision we had them both up and over the fences like a well-oiled machine.

Although our tasks weren't meant to be farm related, a few local residents did decide to get involved - from a riding horse interested in our tent pegs to Meg the Shetland cow 'horning' in on our selfie! Farm life 👩‍🌾

The Ridgway Community Garden is looking so much better than when we first came along, but all gardens need constant care. And so we're back to help the wonderful volunteers by pruning, digging out and replacing dead plants, and not forgetting the perennial weeding. As always, it's great to see how much we manage to achieve in just an hour and we're all looking forward to next time.

This task was all about trying not to cover ourselves in green paint while sprucing up the playground fence at Garfield Recreation Ground. Luckily the afternoon rain had stopped so we had a healthy turn out of 10 GoodGymers, with a group of us running over to the park. It was lovely to welcome local councillor Eleanor Stringer, fresh from re-election last week, first-timer Ralph and GoodGym superstar Louise, who came all the way from Tower Hamlets. The enthusiasm and hard work of the group meant that we glossed up our allotted section of the fence in record time and made good progress with another unpainted section on the other side. Afterwards we enjoyed a well-earned drink at the Garden Shed pub and raised a glass to brushing up our painting skills.

It was a small but mighty team of four this week as we returned to John Innes Park to support the Friends group. We started at the circular bed that we seem to have now adopted. It’s always satisfying to see the progress we’ve made on this particular patch, and a quick clear-out and watering ensured it remained in top shape.

After a round of watering next we moved on to a much larger challenge: a massive bed completely overrun with alkanet. Known for its stubborn roots and hairy leaves, the weeds didn’t stand a chance against the team’s persistence. By the time we finished, the bed was transformed, with a large pile of weeds for the compost and leaving the area looking much tidier.

The garden looks like it used to be loved a long time ago, with sheds, stone patio and a potting table. The brambles and weeds had largely taken over, so I cleared a path to the main shed, and as much of the patio as I could. Filled two full bins with cuttings, but it still needs a lot of work. when finished it would be a lovely garden.

I had the delightful opportunity to lend a hand to Friends of Morley Park. I had never been to Morley Park, so it was a joy to discover another green space in Merton. My jobs consisted of bagging up gravel in an area that is hopefully going to be able to be planted in soon, cutting back stinging nettles under benches (to avoid sore bottoms!) and plucking weeds from the grass. I hope to be back soon