Mo, Samantha, Marjorie joined the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods (FOLAW) for their monthly conservation session yesterday.

This was Marjorie's first ever GoodGym task and here's how she found it...

"My first volunteering session at Lesnes Abbey Woods was a really positive experience. The group was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and respectful, making it easy to get involved and work together.

During the session, we helped remove bracken and wild honeysuckle from the heathland to give the heathers more space and light to thrive, supporting the conservation of this important habitat.

It was very rewarding, and I enjoyed contributing to the local environment alongside such a great team led by Marc from FOLAW".

It's great to have you as part of Team GG Bexley, Marjorie. And well done everyone for your hard work 💚🌿🌱.

I joined Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly litter pick, where ten of us braved the heat.

Three volunteers stayed to scour the ruins area which was pretty quiet today.

Seven of us branched out to Knee Hill and the woods area which was quite cool and shady. We speeded around the route and collected a few bags of rubbish each so it was a successful couple of hours.

At one point we was greeted by a field mouse who wanted to lend a hand with the litter pick 🐭! We also found a thermostat - the heat didn't need to be turned up today 🥵.

We came back together and did a stroll back to Chestnut cafe where it was an order of cold canned drinks all-round as we sat to cool of in the Monks Garden before heading home.

We'll be back again next month - we'd love to have you along for a lovely chatty morning in nature which really makes a difference.

We had a really enjoyable Sunday morning teaming up with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Wood.

During the session, we set about clearing a large area of bracken to let the heather thrive. Thankfully, the recent rain made the task easier, as it helped loosen the roots and made removal more effective.

While working, we also had the opportunity to learn more about the woodland and the history of the heath, which made the experience even more interesting and rewarding.

It was great to be part of a group effort contributing to the care and preservation of the environment.

We were very lucky with the weather, which made the morning even more pleasant and allowed us to make good progress with the work.

We'll be back again to help with more woodland conservation on the first Sunday in July. Tasks vary from month to month, so why not join us for a lovely dose of fresh air and active volunteering in beautiful surroundings. Oh, and the coffee from Chestnuts Kiosk is an added treat to round things off!

Mo and I volunteered with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods, helping with litter picking to keep the area clean and welcoming for visitors.

While there, I also took part in geo-caching around the park - fun teamwork as we explored the area.

This monthly litter pick is a rewarding way to get a dose of fresh air and a notch up a good step count, with a bunch of friendly locals. Why not join us at the next one?

Helping nature on a sunny Sunday morning 🌿☀️.

We love supporting the many fantastic groups making a difference right on our doorstep.

Today we were with the Friends of Lesnes Abbey helping with woodland conservation.

Marc met us and the other volunteers with a wheelbarrow of tools ready to go. We headed up to The Heath - and it definitely was up - taking turns to push the barrow through the woods, and collecting litter as we went.

Once at the top, and after Marc's safety briefing, we got to work pulling up bracken and cutting back the holly, being careful not to tread on any new shoots of heather.

Keeping the invasive intruders at bay will allow heather to gradually reclaim the area, restoring The Heath to it's former glory.

After an hour or so we said goodbye to the others (who carried on working) and headed homeward, stopping to pose in from of the glorious azaleas as we went.

Tomorrow is a bank holiday, and we're off to do something completely different, sorting donations for a local baby bank.

Variety is the spice of GoodGym!

Three of us joined Friends of Lesnes Abbey and Woods for their monthly litter pick with a big turn out of volunteers.

We split into three groups, with some litter picking around the park, others up Knee Hill and the woods.

We collected the usual rubbish, plus hats and pants, along with many hair clips.

A local resident thanked us from her balcony for our work which was really nice.

The sun was shining as we gathered for a well earned drink before the session ended.

We'll be back again next month - we'd love to have you along for a lovely chatty morning in nature which really makes a difference.