Despite the weather was not on our side, Brighton GoodGym-ers were fully lined up to run and happily gather at the Waterloo Street Garden for restoring the original charm of this cute street garden, between Old Market Theatre and Waterloo Street.

A few weeks ago, the Friends of Waterloo Street Garden called for Brighton GoodGym ’s help! The recent garden dis-adventure, due to an act of bad-behaviour, had deeply upset the regular users of the garden, when they found several big plants ripped in half, terracotta pots smashed, and benches turned over. Any little helped to tidy this all up! Including the arrival of enthusiastic Brighton GoodGym-ers ready to help out on a wet day – to their surprise (or not) 😊!

Yesterday turned to be a ‘fast and furious’ group session grabbing a window of less rain and limited daylight to plant bulbs in the pots to flower joy back into the garden next spring. Friendly chit chatting among GoodGym-ers and Friends of Waterloo Street Garden seemed to have already resumed the unique magic of this lovely open air street ‘salotto’. We might wish to pop in again this coming Saturday for their workshop of watercolour painting – weather dependent of course 😊

Delighted by the lovely warm and sunny evening, yesterday’s Brighton GoodGym group session helped the Waterloo Street Community Garden, a secret beauty and well used community space between The Old Market and the Waterloo Street Arch. The Old Market opened in 1828 as a covered marketplace for sales of meat, fish and vegetables, supplying the residential development of Brunswick, which was originally independent from Brighton and Hove village. Now it is an independent mixed-arts venue under the name "TOM – The Old Market".

Last year we helped the Friends of Waterloo Street Community Garden to win an outstanding award from the Royal Horticultural Society in the Britain In Bloom competition. And this year, 11 of us were here again to timely help our friends to maintain the royal title! So, we moved all the pots to clear the area and reach every hidden corner to then join a sweeping fest with brooms and dustpans!

Best of luck, dear friends!

5 GoodGym-ers ran 1km (a hyper-local mission!) to help out at the Waterloo Street Community Garden, a much loved community space 100% staffed by volunteers, 100% organically tended and 100% funded by donations and applied-for grants.

Shimmering with true secret garden vibes, the space is accessed through an ornate arch guarded by a statue with legendary local status. Once inside, you cannot help but be cheered by the lush tropical palms and colourful blooms nestled in an array of pots lining the secluded courtyard.

We donned our gardening gloves while the cheerful and industrious volunteers already hard at work set us to task moving and sweeping, weeding and cleaning. As we worked, the group explained more about their upcoming visit from a respresentative from the Royal Horticultural Society's 'It's Your Neighbourhood' programme. This programme supports local communities in greening community spaces through support, mentoring and connecting communities with network of other like minded groups across the country. Registration to the scheme is also incredibly useful for small, grassroots (pun intended) groups in applying for ongoing funds to keep their spaces thriving.

The brewing storm clouds finally burst just as we finished work, giving the garden a much needed water and the GG crew a refreshing run home.

Excellent pun courtesy of Philippa :)