We joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly litter-pick.

Today's star find was a Dracula Pez dispenser!

Aside from this it was rather slim-pickings on the route we took, but we had some laughs as we looked out for rubbish along the woodland paths and around the abbey ruins.

We'll be back in a couple of weeks for the Friends' conservation session. We'd love to see you there!

Our monthly conservation session with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods saw us working in the heathland area, clearing the brambles and holly to allow the original heather and gorse to re-establish themselves.

After the long climb up through the woods - a good workout pushing the wheelbarrows of tools - we emerged into the sunshine and got to work cutting back the prickly invaders.

There were a couple of saplings that had to be cut down too, as heathland shouldn't have many trees blocking the light.

Along with the regular volunteers we cleared a large patch then it was time to head back down to the Chestnuts kiosk for a nice cup of tea.

We'll be back again on the first Sunday in March. Hope to see you there!

What can you expect to find while litter picking? Well, it’s more of an unexpected treasure hunt than you might think!

On our latest community mission, we found a lone mitten, a stray shoe, and even some leftover fireworks – talk about variety! 🥿🎆🧤

We teamed up with the fantastic Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods at their monthly session. Not only did we give the area a good clean-up, but we also got a great workout in – the perfect combination of doing good while staying active.

Ashton even got an extra workout on the trim trail!

Don’t miss out on our upcoming sessions! Whether you’re a seasoned GoodGymer or a curious first-timer, come along to make a difference, stay fit, and maybe even discover a few treasures along the way.

Report written by Marianna.

It was raining cats and dogs but we braved the weather to join the volunteers at the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their first session of the year.

Bracken- and bramble-bashing was the order of the day, pulling up the plants to make way for the spring flowers and wildlife to thrive.

Raking, chopping and pulling up, along with climbing the steep path and steps up to where we were working, gave us a great workout. Plus there was lots of chatting throughout.

It was lovely to welcome Maisie , and well done on your first GoodGym good deed!

Afterwards we enjoyed hot drinks at the Chestnuts kiosk.

We'll be back again next month. Perhaps the spring flowers will be making an appearance by then... come along to find out!

We're always made to feel very welcome, and get a good workout, at our monthly session with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Wood.

This time we took on a patch of brambles alongside one of the woodland paths. We worked hard cutting and raking them back, then pulling or digging out the roots to slow their regrowth.

Clearing out these thorny invaders allows woodland plants such as foxgloves, bluebells and daffodils to thrive. It will be lovely to see their colours next spring!

When the rainy drizzle turned into a downpour it was time to head to the Chestnuts coffee kiosk to carry on chatting over a well-earned hot drink.

We'll be back on Sunday 5 January so why not make it a New Year resolution to come and join us?

We joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly conservation session.

We were working on the heathland which meant a looooong, and at times pretty steep, climb pushing two wheelbarrows full of tools to the top.

After instructions about what to do and how to use the tools safely, we set about cutting back the holly so that the indiginous heather can thrive and reclaim the area.

It was a nice chance to chat with the other volunteers and enjoy being outdoors in a gorgeous setting. 🍁🍃🍂

We had to leave before the official end time, but that's not a problem at this friendly task. You can stay as long or as little as you like.

We'll be back next month. Hope to see you there!