A really solid turnout for a Monday evening as 10! of us went gardening in Stroud Green. Quite a few ran from the stadium which is particularly impressive. Eslam was on good form as he talked through all the recent activity in the garden. It was a case of divide and conquer here as half the group shoveled compost into a wheelbarrow while the others offloaded it into a new heap. We got the task done with time to spare which is testament to the turnout. A good mix of old and new.

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.

Emily, Alice and new goodgymer Carola (welcome!) helped out at Caledonian parkrun. We led the warm up and then took up our marshal positions along the course.