✅ Rain: check

✅ Wind: check

✅ Mud: check

But that didn't deter 13 GoodGymers from showing up at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve to undertake the sixth visit to what I think is probably the toughest task since I started.

So what's the story?

The Nature Reserve has been able to upgrade the pond of this important area, as part of the Mayor's Greening Fund project portfolio.

It's allowed the team to fund paid internships, and boost this area of biodiversity, which also serves as a dedicated local space whose objectives include improving both physical and mental health of all residents.

Where do we come in?

However, it's a big project, and emptying one large space, only to refill another large space with sand and mud takes, well, a lot of work. A lot of dark, damp evenings shovelling, wheeling and lifting heavy stuff.

But there they were, out in full force last night. Take two large sand mounds, umpteen wheelbarrows -ditto shovels and coffee sacks - and turns out you have the ultimate total body workout. (And, let's not forget to mention the members who showed up for the Middleton Green workout beforehand - way to go).

Don't Stop Me Now

The team didn't stop: from the moment they picked up the first shovel, to the last wheelbarrow being returned, it was one huge hive of activity. Mainly working in pairs, the GoodGymers shovelled sand into coffee sacks, wheeled them to the edge of the pond, before carefully tipping them out of the barrows and dragging them to join the lining line-up. Toughgoing, with treacherous terrain to boot, a huge amount was achieved.

"Look at that," said Michael as we approached the end of the evening. "Seriously, that is a really enormous help."

Quite.

Well done, everyone. That was a Monday night truly well spent. You rock.

Until next time

That just leaves me to thank Liz for this week's spectacular pun, and to shamelessly promote the second session at the pond this week: a 60-minute full body workout on Wednesday, once again, as a small team help Michael start lowering the sacks into the pond.

Until next time.

This evening we visited the Canal Club Community Garden by Victoria Park and what a hidden gem it is! We were met by Sally and Dominic who put us straight to work weeding a huge paved section outside the main garden. At first glance it was an intimidating area to clear (lots of large weeds which nearly sent us toppling over!), but in full GoodGym fashion we got stuck in. Well done to Isa for taking on a challenging plant on the playground fence! A few passers by commented on our excellent work and while we were clearing Dominic found a surprise pearl in the undergrowth!

By the end of this mission we were thrilled with our work - the area had been transformed in just an hour! We had enough time for Sally to show us the beautiful gardens. On the canal front this was such a treat - full of plants to attract wildlife, a pizza oven, a little 'igloo' and strings of fairy lights. It really is magical. This tidy up was in preparation for their Celebrating Creative Communities event on Saturday which looks wonderful! There will also be live music until 10pm, so do pop along and show your support!

Thank you to TaskForce member Tracey and Area Activator Laura for taking fab photos. Welcome back to Jennifer on her second mission - we hope to see you again soon! And thank you to Becky, Si and Jo for a soggy run home through Victoria Park!

Next up Isabelle is leading a mission on Saturday to St Paul's Church in Shadwell to meet the Tabard Growers and shovel soil - sounds like a great arm work out!

22 of us gathered last night for our two-task Monday extravaganza.

We spaced ourselves nicely out in front of the beautiful Cranbrook Community Food Garden to enjoy our first workout, where we whizzed through some stretches, balance moves and standing waist exercises. Limited content with no floor or surface to lean on, but the team wereexceedingly tolerant of my limited repertoire.

It was a wonderful start to the evening not just because we put the working day behind us, exchanging keyboards for courgettes, but because this was also our time to welcome Alex and Becs to our Task Force! What a time to join! We are so excited about you joining our unbelievably talented, dedicated Task Force squad. What a fit. Here's to many happy, sociable, exciting weeks ahead for us all.

And so to work.

Becky G was heading up our task de-suckering (is that a term?) the big White Poplar tree at Meath Gardens. Now you may read this and think, "What are they going on about?" but let me tell you: this was a big gardening gig. The council have threatened to take the beautiful vast tree down unless it was tamed, and so the fantastic Friends of Meath Gardens called on us to help tame this tricky tree.

Nothing to see here. Just a yellow skeleton among the trees.

A team headed to the canal, and while some cut brambles and branches, others participated in a litter-pick. And in the process, found a skeleton attached to the outside of a bridge. A yellow plastic skeleton (sorry, should have specified earlier). Which became the focus of the evening. Sorry, White Poplar.

Meanwhile, Leo was heading up the Cranbrook crew who were planting; fixing those fickle vegetable bed trellises, and scurrying around productively as usual. Janet and Eileen who head up the Community Centre and garden are so appreciative: what is great fun for us, and provides an opportunity for us to be together, helps them enormously as local resources are currently a little thin of the ground. And despite their drive and dedication, they do need a hand.

We all met by the canal after 8, and while some opted to call it a night, a few of us gathered by The Mystical Tree (an old tree trunk) at the front of Meath for a little stretching and a bit of extra breathing, to the backdrop of Massive Attack. Heaven.

And so to our shout-outs...

• Well, always it's to our Task Force. Our truly terrific team of individuals who enable us to enjoy weekly activities (Friends of Meath Gardens sent over an eye-wateringly long list of dates to help out, and because our Task Force picked up every single one of them, we can enjoy this regular Monday night gig). Thank you tonight to Becky, in particular, who took time out from moving house to heading up this Community Mission and to Leo for Cranbrook task.

• Thank you to Chris, our HTFM (Honorary Task Force Member) who was on hand, as always, to advise on, ahem, dubious-looking litter-pick items; First Aid, and other top bits of consultation.

• Thank you to Isabelle for coming up with this week's pun in record time (Isabelle had little choice when faced with the option I was proposing...).

• And a HUGE warm welcome to Conor, whose first GG outing it was. Such fun! You did so much - thank you. See you soon?

And that's it for now. Well, until next week when our Isabelle heads up a Monday mission to Hollybush where you'll be fixing netting to a fence, weeding...Ooh, it sounds like a lot to do, so do come on board.

Until then, have a good week and take the greatest care.