On a lovely spring morning, twelve runners ran to Bedminster to help spruce up some beds and planters for Urban Buzz. Our work helped support a local community group who have been very buszzzy improving the street environment all along West Street.

Strides of March: After a quick brief on the planting tasks, a team of eight set to work on the flower bed, whilst two teams of two took on the planters. Light work was made of the planting, allowing a bit of varnish to be applied to a community notice board.

Varnishing act: Task done, we had a short run back followed by a quick warm down. Several runners stayed on for a bite to eat at the Mud Dock cafe.

Well, we could hardly have asked for better weather could we?

It was a pretty short run today to Dame Emily Park where we helping Urban Buzz with a variety of tasks around the park. Chris, David and Nick began with the removal of a large bush before moving on to reduce the amount of sage in one of the flowerbeds. Richard and Josh got to work on the compost whilst Dave and Russ took to raking the area. Everyone else began planting wildflowers around the area, making use of tiny tools (See pics!) and green fingers.

We made quick work of all the tasks that were planned for us and were able to enjoy a quick tea break. Perhaps the highlight was the fact that we were allowed to take home as much the Sage we cleared out as we wanted - it's not every week we get fresh herbs! Ursula was overjoyed with how much we had got done, we completed everything that needed doing - good work everyone!

And a big shout out toFrancis, Ani , Luci and Todd for attending their first task!

The GoodGym Christmas party last night had created some heavy heads and heavy legs this morning (especially with an early start for some of the group to get to the Bristol Food Tour social later that day). It was good to have Callum join us for his first run with GoodGym Bristol - I promise we are usually a bit perkier than that!

We ran to Riverside Park to help Urban Buzz for the final time this year. Zdeni, Alex and Andy joined us from impressively getting up even earlier to do the Eastville Parkrun Community Mission. Hayley explained to us that they have been planting various bulbs along the verge of the park and the motorway. So far they had already put cowslips in and it was our job to add 2000 crocus bulbs alongside them to spring up next year. With the news that the Urban Buzz team had put 2000 bulbs in the week before in an hour, we got to work quickly to prove our bulb-planting skills. We were aiming to make the bulbs look 'naturally' planted and the team got to work with waves of shovelling and even a smiley-face design.

Before long (but not quite as quick as the Urban Buzz team...), we had successfully planted all 2000 bulbs. We waved goodbye to the Urban Buzz team and headed back to base, having blown off our cobwebs ready for the Saturday ahead (and just in time to avoid the gale-force winds!).

A humongous turn out today with over 30 of us braving the drizzle and heading over to Arnos Vale cemetery to help Hayley plant more pollinator friendly flowers for Urban Buzz. We even had our favourite GG tourist Beth join us - and without any prospect of shed smashing!

Well ... at least we thought we were heading over to Arnos Vale cemetery. On arrival a quick phone call made it apparent that my cunning scheme to over-promise on a visit to a Victorian era Necropolis was in fact an over-promise and instead we were heading for the (frankly almost as nice) Arnos court park.

Once there we split into two groups to plant daffodil bulbs and crocus bulbs with the specially designed - and unimaginatively named - bulb planters, taking care to steer clear of 'desire lines' (where peeps cut through and walk their dogs and stuff).

In 25 mins we planted literally thousands (possibly millions) of bulbs so fantastic job to everyone today!

Congratulations to Charlene for hitting 50 good deeds today! And thanks to Nick for the pun :)

Let's face it, the weather was not ideal, but just think of all the happy smiling faces on all those pollinators next summer when they arrive at our new wildflower-rich open space in Callington Road nature reserve!

Hayley met us all and after distributing some spades and trowels, explained that we were to pick out four patches and distribute wild flowers evenly across them to form another of her special Urban Buzz sites in this lovely nature reserve.

Massive kudos for all of you who turned out in two-coat-plus-poncho weather conditions and still managed to maintain a smile while planting all those wildflower plugs. Special mention to Matt who's hands hadn't yet thawed out from a very chilly cycle ride earlier in the morning and to Tom who returned to GG Bristol for an afternoon better suited to arks than quadrats.

And last but - not certainly not least - thanks to Alison for inviting us all in for a warm cup of tea afterwards :)

It may have been gloomy but we were (mainly) smiling as we raked grass-cuttings and then grass from the wild flower meadow strips Urban Buzz had planted at Southmead hospital.

Rarely has a task looked so much worse when GoodGym have visited!

A much-appreciated tea and biscuits break was followed by a bit more raking, then the shaking of new seed which will hopefully overpower the grass that escaped our expert raking.

Apparently the wild flower seeds need cold weather to start their germination, so they should do brilliantly!