We visit the Community Hospice once a month to support their head gardener, Jason, with gardening and general maintenance in the beautiful grounds. Today we were also joined by Denise, one of Jason’s dedicated midweek gardening volunteers.

After collecting tools from the shed, we got to work digging, planting and watering to settle five peony plants into their new home. With luck they'll bloom later in the year so we can enjoy the results of our work.

We moved on to some weeding, gently picking out the unloved plants without disturbing the soil too much.

Then we grabbed saws, loppers and secateurs to take out rampant lilac bushes and brambles in an area being prepared for future planting.

Before we knew it, our time was up. We returned the tools to the shed with the feeling of a great workout and an even better sense of achievement.

If you can spare a couple of hours on the fourth Saturday of the month, come and join us for an active session in great company. You’ll be helping to make a real difference while supporting a fantastic local charity.

What a glorious sunny morning for our final session of the year at the Community Hospice, working alongside head gardener, Jason 🌞🌿.

Today we embarked on new project, to take out a series of Buddleja davidii plants - aka 'The Butterfly Bush' - in a patch of ground that will eventually become a new flower bed. Big plants, big plans!

But what about the butterflies you might say? Jason explained that Buddleja is an invasive species and having been left untended these shrubs need to go. There are plenty more insect-friendly plants in the garden to support biodiversity.

So, for starters we cut back the branches. Sophie took charge of the telescopic loppers, reaching the lofty heights, while the rest of us tackled the lower growth.

Then it was out with the saws to cut through the thicker main stems. Such a buzz when each big portion came out and the view through to the area behind started to emerge.

Finally, lots of cutting with secateurs into smaller pieces from our felled timber, ready for the compost heap. This bit was surprisingly relaxing, just snipping and chatting.

Meanwhile, across the garden Rachel and our youngest helper carefully weeded a border. What a difference they made too.

Afterwards a few of us headed to the Hospice cafeteria for lunch, and some cute penguin biscuits.

That's one Buddleja down... just five more to go! Fancy lending a hand next time? We’d love to see you there 🌱💪

Wow! what a great night we had collecting for the Community Hospice with Santa and the Bexley Rotary Club.

There was an army of volunteers out on the pavements tonight including our own GoodGymers, the Mayor of Bexley and her driver, air cadets and even a pooch 🐕.

Santa looked spectacular in his sleigh waving at all the local residents that had come out of their homes to catch a glimpse and throw their odd coins, sometimes notes, into the collection buckets. People were very generous I must say!

As well as a great atmosphere, it was great exercise. Check out Julie's fitness data in the photos!

Well that's it, until next year when we can do it all again!

Merry Christmas to you all!

In a couple of weeks we are helping the Community Hospice collect donations alongside Bexley Rotary Club's much loved Santa Sleigh. Our task this evening was delivering leaflets to houses along the route so they knew when Santa will be visiting their street.

It was an earlier-than-usual start as we were heading for our Xmas meal straight after the task.

We set off briskly, admiring the Christmas lights and decorations as we weaved our way in and out of driveways. On route we arrived at the Xmas House ablaze with lights and it's own Santa sleigh 🛷 🎅🏻 on the roof! What a spectacle!

After photos we carried on with the leaflets, racing around the roads to cover as much ground as possible. Unfortunately Manish had an encounter with an excited pup 🐶 and needed to get some medical advice. We wish him well and hope to see him soon.

Leaflets delivered, it was on to our Xmas social where there was lots of merriment and celebrations. We have had an excellent year at GoodGym Bexley and as we reflected over the achievements we all raised our glasses 🍷. Sarah is very near to completing her 500 good deeds - wow what an awesome achievement! Massive well done to her!

Johnny won the GG quiz and Lisa came second! Well done to them! We even got our dancing on Tik Tok!

We can't wait for the next party night!

With most of us coming from a thwarted leafleting task earlier in the morning, and Ceci meeting us at this task, we were back at the Community Hospice for a second session of thorn-thrashing - cutting back a prickly area of brambles so that hidden fruit trees and other suffocated plants can thrive again.

We had cleared about half the area last month, and this time we were determined to get the rest done. Before the rain.

And we did just that!

Just as we were taking the tools back to the shed, the rain set in. It was definitely a lucky escape as the forecast would have seen us getting very wet much earlier. Or perhaps the weather gods recognised that GoodGymers giving up their time to help others deserve a break!

The hard work done, a few of us enjoyed a tasty lunch and good natter in the Hospice canteen, then headed home.

Jason, the Hospice's head gardener, is sure to have plenty more for us to do on our next visit, and the more hands the better, so come along and join us!

At our monthly sessions at the Community Hospice the head gardener, Jason, always has lots for us to do.

Today we were clearing brambles and nettles from a corner of the garden that had gone feral.

Sturdy gloves are always useful for tasks like this, but Jason's supply of yellow leather gauntlets were a gamechanger! The prickly and stinging plants didn't stand a chance!

It was a big patch, but we got about half done: check out the before and after photos above! The rest will have to wait until next month.

Just as it was time to finish there were a few spots of rain in the air, so we quickly put the tools - and gauntlet gloves - away and some of us headed to the Hospice canteen for a tasty lunch and lots more varied conversation.

I wonder if I should ask for a pair of those gloves on my Christmas list!