It was a sunny Saturday afternoon when three GoodGymers headed out to help Ms A reclaim her garden from a jungle of brambles and thorny bushes. What once might have been a peaceful patch of green had been completely taken over — the kind of garden where even the bravest secateurs would think twice before stepping in.

Armed with gloves, loppers, and plenty of determination, the trio got stuck in. With the sun shining and good chat flowing, we quickly found our rhythm — cutting, gathering, and tackling the trickiest tangles.

After just over two hours of steady snipping, sawing, and bundling, a whole third of the garden was cleared. The transformation was already visible, with space beginning to reappear where the brambles once ruled.

Though there’s still more to do, the garden now feels on its way back to being a space Ms A can enjoy again.

If darkness hadn't quite fallen by the time we arrived at Sivill House, it was certainly teetering over the edge. There was some illumination from the estate lights, and people brought head torches, but our main concern was the effect of the gloomy conditions on those all-important task photos!

Task owner and GoodGymer Ed directed us to a very large pile of woodchip which had been donated to Columbia TRA. It was happily sitting in the car park, but it really needed to be in the gardens, the other side of the estate. It didn’t look too large a pile, until we realised how far back it went…

Still, we had five wheelbarrows, plenty of shovels and bags, and most importantly a 17-strong squad of GoodGymers. It felt like a real workout as we persuaded the reluctant woodchip to separate from the security of its pile, to a new life – mulching! This technique suppresses weeds, conserves soil moisture, insulates plant roots and improves soil health and fertility. Yes, we’ve enabled all those things!

A special welcome to newcomers Angelique and Ryan, who really threw themselves into the task. Hope to see you back soon! And thanks to Fiona who took some good photos after all!

Despite the darkness, the night was still young as we headed off, with a suggestion that one of the task owners had invited us to the pub. We didn’t know where we were supposed to go, so after wandering around for a bit, four of us headed for the Royal Oak to congratulate ourselves on all our good work

There was a really good turn out and all amazing people....

The weather was good and I think it's fair to say everyone put in an awesome amount of effort and had a really good day.

There is an amazing feeling of well-being when such a great bunch of people come together for a good cause.

Kevin

Camino Ultra London, a remarkable grassroots endurance distance event company, returned to the Golden Fleece, Wanstead Flats for their 5th edition of the Epping Forest 50km race.

Goodgym have been wonderfully fortunate to see the race grow and grow over the years, and to have build a great tradition of volunteering at some of the most fun aid stations ever!

Area Activator Simon joined David, Darren, Paula and Carole for the early morning shift at race registration - bag drop assistance before the 50km started at 8am. The nerves and excitement were palpable at the start of a big day out! (Great to see Goodgymmer Olivia Waller ready to head out- wonderful running!).

About 7 miles away, up the green corridor, the rest of the Goodgym crew were busy setting up the legendary Butler's Retreat aid station before the lead runners of both the 25km and 50km distances came through. Despite the windy conditions, the team put up a solid marquee and tables full of water, treats, sports nutrition, homemade energy balls and loads of pickles for runners refueling on route. A wonderful party atmosphere created by the best volunteers - Thank You!

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Camino Ultra's Official Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/camino_ultra?igsh=dmxrdnIycnAwd3J0

Photographer on course - Gigi Giannella

https://www.instagram.com/gigigiannella_photo?igsh=MTQ3d2p2NnlpbXFoeA==