Six GoodGymers helped Urban Green in Elswick Park on a surprising mild and sunny autumn morning. We arrived at the park and couldn't find Urban Green after Chris cycled cycled round the entire park and still couldn't find the van we were a bit stumped. Luckily Tomsaved the day by nipping home picking up some litter pickers, bin bags and a sweeping brush.

Chris had to head off shortly after with no we where to leave his bike. The rest of us littered picked for an hour in the park and along the road at the top, collecting 8 bags of litter between us with me and Jack emptying our bags into the bins and and continuing on.

Tom got really into sweeping leaves off the path at the top of the park and made a friend who helped him push the leaves out of the path and was shocked that he was helping out despite not living on that road.

Even thought the task didn't go according to plan we were pleased with out litter picking efforts and the difference we had made. Well done Ellie on her first good deed with GoodGym! Ellie also found the most random litter of the day a random plastic bag of lentils!

Sam and Tom had been singing praises of FAB bakery last week and this week and as it wasn't too far away most of us ended up pop there afterwards to stock up on sour dough bread (which they slice for you) and enjoy sweet treats.

Another evening of being suspiciously thin on the ground but a small and perfectly formed group gathered tonight, which included our fab run leader Richard for his first Strawberry Lane session. It was great having him back!

The task tonight had actually been changed twice behind the scenes (an area activator’s work is never done) but on hearing that our Urban Green Newcastle friends are struggling at times to keep on top of the litter and jobs in Leazes Park we took advantage of an otherwise free night to head there armed with litter pickers and lights, to lend a hand.

I’d been warned about the Northern Lights festival set up so we decided to walk the perimeter of the park and look for an open entrance. As it happened, there was so much litter to collect on the way there and around the paths to the Town Moor, that it didn't matter too much when we discovered we weren’t able to get in at all! There were so many cans and bottles, a few of which were accidentally opened on their way into the bags that by the end of the session my gloves were soaked with (I hope) beer! The hot topic tonight was parkrun and we shared many tales of volunteer memories and favourite courses. It was really nice tonight to do the whole session as a group!

Before long we had collected two very full bags of rubbish and clocked up lots of steps to start our weeks off right.

Damu is looking after the session next Monday and as always lots of jobs will be waiting at Stepney Bank Stables so come and get involved in that if you can.

Seven goodgymers helped Urban Green with bulb planting in St Lawrence Park on a crisp and damp autumn morning.

Urban Green supplied a massive bag of daffodil bulbs which when thrown over a shoulder the wearer looked a lot like an economical santa delivering the present of future flowers.

The actual task was pretty simple anyone taking a channel of a grass slope each and dig a hole for the bulb and then cover it back over. After a tea break half way though we moved on to another grass area in the park where we all took a a section and planned a strip of bulbs.

Unfortunately no before and after pictures as the daffodils will flower in the spring or possibly the one after if deep enough! Hopefully we will get to see the fruits, or flowers, of our labour then.

We are back helping Urban Green in Elswick Park the 16th of November if you want to come along and get involved!

Giving lots of baby plants nice snug homes for the winter was the aim of today's task down at Hodgkin Park.

We had bulbs for daffodils, snow drops and blue bells, and various areas within the park to plant them.

It was a fine act between speed and balance as we had lots to get through, and the beds were quite steep.

We managed to work three separate areas in the park and even though next year will probably be too soon to see the plants spring in to bloom, when they eventually do, it should look beautiful!

It's the end of an era! Today a superb task owner led his final community mission with GoodGym and what a task it was!

A big group of us gathered in St Lawrence Park in Byker, the group including many regular faces and a few we were welcoming back- hey Emma and Charlotte ! There was also a triple celebration going on today as both Tanya and Damu celebrated 100 good deeds and gained their wings, while Sam gained the cloak of goodness for her 50 milestone. Give them all a cheer for so many days of dedication to GoodGym!

Mike has orchestrated and led over 100 sessions for us and they are always a real treat in hidden gems of parks. There was a lot of reminiscing today about tasks gone by (if you don't know about the rocks in Kenton Park, ask anyone there that day as it's forever etched in memories!) and there were so many great days to reflect on as we've worked with Urban Green Newcastle to make our city parks safer places to be. Today's mammoth hedge cutting task was another example of how we can work together to do a big job in a short space of time. The before and after is quite astounding!

Mike's tasks always end with tea and biscuits but today it was with a twist as we had Louise and Sam's amazing baking, as well as no-alcohol prosecco to toast with. We also gave Mike his very own GoodGym tshirt to remember us by... he has certainly earned it.

Good luck and thank you Mike, we will really miss you.

Leazes Park is a serene escape nestled on the heart of Newcastle, offering a peaceful retreat with its scenic lake, lush greenery and historic surroundings.

Today we tackled the recurring issue of weeds and bushes over growing the pathways around the lake. Not only does this keep the pathways a safe space for the community to enjoy, it protects the historic paving.

It was lovely to have a large group of volunteers, and we quickly split into two groups to work opposite ways around the lake. There is a knack to getting the weeds out from between the paving stones and despite how easy Mike makes it look it’s definitely a good upper body work out!

With so many pairs of hands, the weeds stood no chance! Our newcomers were a delightful addition and conversations centred around taking the leap to try something new - like a new city to live in or new hobbies and meeting new people.

By the end of the session, we’d made the park a welcoming space for everyone to feel at home in. Check out the before and after photos.