The second biggest challenge this morning in Glade Lane Canal Side Park was finding the Letting Grow team. It was GoodGym Ealing's first task organised directly with them and at 10am, the team climbed hills and looked behind them without any joy. After a while, a wheelbarrow rolled up with it's driver, Ross, the task owner. Phew!

Ross led the team up a slippery slope to the top of a hill, which thanks to Jags, everyone would later learn was created with soil and rubble dug out of the old Quaker Oats factory site across the train tracks. It was now a development of new flats. Ross explained that the soil was full of rocks, so their team had been planting at around 1/4 of their normal speed. That sounded like a good challenge for the GoodGymers to go at.

After being shown how to dig and plant, the team started making holes starting at the top of the hill and... working down a steep slope. Everyone zig-zagged their way down, partly to make the planted trees look like they were placed naturally and also because they needed to change location when their spades hit big rocks.

"I feel like a squirrel trying to bury their nuts"
"Every time you dig a hole, there's a problem" - Chris

They were careful not to slip down the hill, but their was no way they could avoid the clay soil that got caked around their shoes and spades. As the recent rain drained down the hill, the lower holes turned into puddles which was a bit worrying for the new trees.

With the digging complete, it was time for a tea break. The Letting Grow team had found a way to perch a gas stove between 2 wheelbarrow handles to make tea. Genius! After the tea and chocolate digestives had recharged the team, it was time to plant 135 native tree whips. Compost, crumbled soil, then a heel or toe to compress it all and remove any air bubbles, with a sprinkling of woodchip on top to keep the moisture in. Time ran out to add the woodchip, so that was left to the volunteers coming in the afternoon. All the GoodGymers needed to do to wrap up was get the caked mud off their shoes and bike brakes for safety before heading off.

With the challenges of rocks and the water to deal with, we hope our 135 trees on the slippery slope will grow and thrive, helping to create better air quality and a more welcoming space in the park in years to come. Letting Grow's ambition is to plant 12,000 trees in Ealing Borough this year, so look out for future GoodGym sessions to help plant and maintain their trees.

Today was a special day at Southall Parkrun : not only having the presence of Deirdre Costigan(MP Ealing Southall) who ran by the way but because it was Southall 200th parkrun and also the 4th anniversary. Happy birthday Southall parkrun. Despite the cold, 258 park run addicted people turned up to either run or walk. Or were they there for the cake?! Loads of volunteers present including 3 Goodgymers. Jags welcomed all the newcomers, Sevan was the funnel manager and Steph Ducat was double marshal as had the position which has 2 sides to cheer. Anecdote today is that one person inaugurated Trail Park run as decided at the round about to go cross country instead of the tarmac. Deirdre's photograher had to run quicker to be able to snap her at the finish line. On the route we also had a runner blasting music from his boum box...well done in getting across the line with the extra weight but also putting the tunes in to motivate everyone.

By the way - no cake left in the park - all eaten!!!

So many mince pies, cakes, chocolates!

It was a beautiful, cold and sunny morning.

So many mince pies, cakes, chocolates!

Jags marshalled, Harvey ran, then scanned barcodes.

So many mince pies, cakes, chocolates!

Oh, did I mention...so many mince pies, cakes, chocolates!

A double header for the GoodGym Ealing team today. After helping out at Southall parkrun, we gathered with other parkrunners/volunteers/We Run Ealing and headed down to Parkside Yards Green Quarter. Our team had collect unwanted running kit to donate to the wonderful Open Southall creative hub as part of Ealing Climate Week. Our old kit will be turned into twine and re-purposed as rugs and mats for local people.

And parkrunners get 20% discount on coffee at Southall Coffee House - that's what they call a win-win!