13 GoodGymers have supported Olden Community Gardens with 9 tasks.
Saturday 18th April 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 16th May 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 20th June 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 18th July 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 15th August 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 19th September 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 17th October 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 21st November 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday 19th December 2026 10:00am - 2:00pm
Monday 23rd March
Written by Hermione Taylor
Tonight kicked off with me leading my first GoodGym run, kindly assessed by Steph Ducat - while I'm happy to say I got everyone there in one happy piece, I'm a bit ashamed by the short length of it...! Next time, I'm gonna train you harder!
We then returned to the scene of Saturday's pesto-making , continuing on the mission to rid Olden Community Garden of the pesky invasive species: Three Cornered Leek.
Digging the plants out of the rocky, steeply sloped banks of the orchard - carefully ensuring that all the bulbs are lifted from the ground - made for tricky work in the dark, but satisfying too. Once dug, another team carefully separated the leaves from the roots, so that Islington council can safely dispose of the stubborn little bulbs.
We all went home with a bag of Three Cornered Leek leaves, ready for some pesto making back at home. Perhaps we should host a taste-test next Monday?!
Saturday 21st March
Written by Hermione Taylor
3 GoodGymers joined volunteers from Olden Community Garden yesterday in their mission to clear the orchard of a pesky invasive species - the dreaded (but very tasty) Three Cornered Leek.
Olden Community Garden is a 2 acre haven nested by the railtracks next to the Emirates Stadium.
The ground around their sunny orchard is covered in this invasive plant, spreading thickly across the ground like, well, a weed, smothering any other life that tries to grow there.
So on Saturday a group - including none other than GoodGym fan and actor Rob Delaney - gathered to convert this pesky weed into tasty pesto. It was a full team effort, with a production line consisting of:
The Weeders: digging up the Three Cornered Leeks with forks and trowels, separating their bulbs into one bucket, their leaves and flowers into another. The Washers: washing the leaves in buckets of icy cold water, separating any stray twigs, roots, or other leaves. The Dryers: drying the leaves out in a salad spinner, and doing one final sift for stray or dead leaves. The Sous-Chefs: blending up the leaves with parmesan, walnuts, olive oil, and seasoning to make a delicious pesto. The Chefs: cooking up hearty bowls of gnocci and slices of chunky Dusty Knuckle bread to be served with our fresh-from-field pesto.
No GoodGymer went hungry. We all got to take home a jar of pesto at the end of the day, and a bag of leaves to make some more. The Three Cornered Leek bulbs will be collected by Islington Council as it's an offence to knowingly let them out into the wild.
The community spirit was bubbling over, with all generations mucking in together. But despite a huge team effort, there is still so much more ground to clear. So we'll be returning for a group run on Monday evening - do join us!
Saturday 16th August 2025
Written by Islington runner
The Olden Community Garden is a haven of tranquility, wildlife and green things, hidden between a railway line and a cobbled residential street near Drayton Park. Kelly and David received a warm welcome - and an offer of tea and a tour.
We were tasked with bagging up all the Three-Cornered Leeks that had been dug up, for commercial composting. Sounds lovely and smells lovely, but it was too risky to locally compost this invasive species. We then sifted the contents of another compost bin, for usable fine compost - a rather inventive process involving a shovel, two wheelbarrows and a vegetable crate. After three hours of a good core and arm workout, it was time for a break and homemade cake with the other volunteers.
Look out for this monthly gardening task - a friendly volunteering team and a lovely tranquil location. And did I mention cake....?