The task was brief - laying more woodchip on the paths and use areas, and followed quickly by making willow rings around the fire-pit. Amy, Dave and Asan quickly demonstrated their creativity. Meanwhile marshmallows were being roasted on the fire, champagne and zero alcohol sparkling wine bottles were opened and cake brought by Sarah and Mark was devoured. With world cup football beckoning several goodgymers made their way to Wood Green Spoons where Latoya and Julie were saving a table. A great evening and Mark confirmed, to the relief of all, that he was now done with his extended birthday celebration. Thanks to all for a wonderful time together!

A final period of preparation before the 2-4 pm Celebration of the newly opened Urban Forest Tribe site at Scout Park.

A quick flurry of activities led by Paul, founder of Urban Forest Tribe, got things ready for the opening. A wonderful afternoon followed with about 40 people (adults, teenagers, children, etc) showing up for a fun-filled afternoon which included face-painting, making willow rings, painting wood medallions, and Mark's favourite - reclining in one of the three hammock under the trees.

Home made lemonade, self-make fruit kebabs, and delicious cup-cakes kept the crowd well fuelled and hydrated. Amy and Mark were there and represented GGH and Paula was very warm in her appreciation for the support that GGH has provided over the last several months.

The kids had a lot of fun in their new space - so did we!!

One brave GoodGymer, Amy, showed up to help Urban Forest Tribe founder Paula, and her husband (Steve) and son (Steve), with final tasks to be done ahead of tomorrow's opening celebration. A four-hour tasked morphed in to a full-day commitment with Amy showing the staying power, on a hot day, to be there until the end. Amongst other tasks, the team installed fencing (metal sections) along a perimeter boundary - providing protection from an adjacent workshop and tree trimming operation. Shout-out to Amy - Paula indicated how impressed and thankful she was for your participation!!!

Another great session at Scout Park with Urban Forest Tribe - hosted by founder Paula, and family members Stephen and Stephen. Rope was placed around the poles to create clear boundaries, 3 "balance boards" were put in place, and an enormous amount of wood-chip moved from a storage pile to pathways and use areas. The Urban Forest Tribe area is looking great!

On the morning of 14 March, four GoodGymers arrived at Bounds Green Scout Park to support work on the area being developed for “forest school” use by Urban Forest Tribe (UFT). We were warmly welcomed by task owner and UFT founder Paula, along with her husband Steve and their son, and were delighted to be working alongside several community volunteers. A GoodGym team had helped the previous Saturday, and our challenge was to continue preparing the space so children’s activities can begin in late April.

The weather was kind, the mud quagmire from the previous weekend had eased, and everyone quickly got stuck into a variety of tasks.

While Steve and his son built an outdoor wooden table from scratch, Amy — undeterred by last week’s mud — teamed up with community volunteers to clear an area of creepers and overgrowth and level the ground ready for the new table. Carola and Emily, both from GoodGym Islington, took on the fire‑pit circle, getting a full workout digging out soil tightly bound with roots. The excavated earth was used to reinforce a wooden retaining wall, and the discovery of a large amount of clay filled a container for Paula to offer to a local pottery group.

Mark worked with Paula, later joined by Amy, to clear an area where plastic and metal drum containers and other discarded items (including metal bookshelves) had been dumped. The rusted metal drums and bookshelves in particular posed a safety risk to children, so it felt especially satisfying to get them cleared and ready for collection.

Meanwhile, a mountain of woodchip was half‑depleted as pathways and seating areas were refreshed — and a few children who had come along with their volunteering parents demonstrated just how much fun a woodchip pile can be, giving us a glimpse of the joy this space will soon bring to local families.

By the time Paula called time at 2:30pm, a huge amount had been achieved. It was time well spent, spirits were high, and the sense of community was unmistakable.

It was an occasion of firsts - our first task with Urban Forest Tribe - the first GoodGym Haringey task for Amy and Diana - the first task that I listed (coached by Sarah) and led

We met Paula, the founder of Urban Forest Tribe and the task owner, and her husband Steve, in Bonds Green Scout Park at 10am Saturday morning. Paula is a remarkable person - passionate about what she does and energetic, focused and determined. The sort of person who doesn't take NO for an answer, instead asking WHY again and again - usually ending in her favour. Definitely a brave person focused on improving the lives of others. Her answer to a question about impact in National Park City London's website: "The most positive impact (I've had) has been supporting families of children with SEND helping them feel connected to nature in a safe, non-judgmental green space. It's so powerful for children to experience their local park, feel the soil, plant a tree, and simply enjoy being outdoors without feeling judged. Creating this space for them to thrive in nature is incredibly rewarding." Amy and Diana are gems - they found their way to the park and to the site and threw their energy and enthusiasm into digging up wood-chip, loading it on to wheelbarrows and taking it to an an area being developed for hammocks and seating on a raised wooden platform that Steve was building. The path leading from wood-chip pile to seating area was a bog with considerably bravery needed to prevent wheelbarrows from being sucked below the surface. After a tea break, and a final burst of energy, we finished soon after 12:30 - hugely satisfied with what was achieved and confident that the children would enjoy their time in that beautiful site even more than we did. We look forward to going back and to having other GoodGymers also experience this initiative . It has a strong sense of purpose and inclusion - that's a fortune we can all relate to and share in.

more details https://nationalparkcity.london/ranger-story-paula-harvey

https://nationalparkcity.london/do-london-differently-podcast-ep-23-tribe-roots-for-resilience