5 Goodgymers made their way to the gardens of St Margaret's House on a clear November evening. Emily (Operations Manager) and John (Head Gardener) helpfully directed us to the tasks that needed doing, primarily giving the ivy bushes a haircut and loose leaf gathering.

Shout out to Jo who was the the first goodgymer on the scene and promptly got to shearing the ivy after a consultation and shampoo (or so I can only assume - I wasn't there).

John arrived stealthily and joined Jo on the job, which was at the very least a two-hander given that it had been a while since the ivy's last trip to the salon.

Soon enough, the darkness drew in (thanks to daylight saving) but it wasn't all doom and gloom - Ilana and Kareem arrived and happily got involved in the ivy/leaf sweeping business.

By the end of the session, the ivy bush was looking very sharp indeed, just in time for the weekend.

In the backdrop of the majestic mulberry tree (which keeps the leaf sweeping trade booming by raining leaves every time the wind sighs) we finished the task by taking a customary group photo.

Before leaving the premises we popped into the chapel which was holding a dazzling exhibition of film noir-inspired block prints, painted ceramic tiles and pots.

Aga, Michelle, and Kareem had a fantastic time helping the Felix Project, a charity dedicated to rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste. The Goodgymers gathered with other volunteers to fill the pallets with trays and boxes of various nutritious food products, from fresh fruits and vegetables to baked goods, ready to be redistributed to local charities and community organisations. The task was not only fun but surprisingly easy to complete—everyone worked together seamlessly, and it was heartwarming to see so many people dedicated to helping out. Knowing that our efforts contribute to supporting those in need in our community made the experience even more rewarding.

Writes Emma,

"On a rather muggy Monday evening, a determined group of GoodGymers gathered at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park ready to tackle a task that was nothing short of monumental: raking the cut grass from the meadow site near the Soanes Centre.

Ken from the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (an independent charity) kicked things off with a quick intro, sharing the park's vital role as an urban sanctuary for both nature lovers and local residents.

But this wasn’t just your average raking session. We were on a mission to create the ideal conditions for a wildflower meadow to thrive - working like ‘a swarm of locusts’ to clear the cut grass (as enthusiastic and methodical, but with better vibes).

Armed with rakes, wheelbarrows and a can-do attitude, we set to work. It was a lively, albeit dark, scene - grass flying, barrows wheeling and everyone chipping in to create a landscape where wildflowers can flourish.

Each sweep of the rake felt like an effective addition to a workout.

By the end of the hour, we were tired but satisfied by the HUGE mound of raked grass we had created. I would say that the meadow looked fantastic, but to be honest, we couldn’t really see it. We’ll take Ken’s word for it.

The night wrapped up with a big thank you from Ken, and a reminder of our celebration on Thursday for our work with Larry at the Yurt Cafe for the Foundation of St Katherine.

A huge thank you to the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park for leading the charge. And to the fantastic GoodGymers, as always.

Here’s to more meadow missions and green adventures in the autumn months ahead."

And one by one our little group grew tonight, until there were no fewer than 13 GoodGymers working on the new hazel fence at the pretty St Leonard's Priory Park up in Bromley-By-Bow.

We said hello to first time GoodGym-ers Gurprit, Anton, Anna, and a warm welcome to Tower Hamlets to Anna!

Starting with four teams (one chopping hazel, one weeding, one digging fence-holes and one repairing our less-than-perfect previous hazel fence), it was definitely a case of learning on the job as we pruned, stripped and chopped; weeded and wove, blitzing multiple jobs at one time.

With the team working flexibly, rotating out of one task to another, particularly as time sped on ("Hazel! We need more hazel!"), it was a busy but sociable evening, with the countdown to sunset well and truly on.

A decent workout was had by all, whether digging up weeds or sawing tough branches.

It was after 8 before the team were generously stacking up the kit, and wheeling barrows to the back of the park.

With Kareem providing decent tech assistance, the all-important group pic remained in tact, despite the lack of light.

A great effort, everyone - and a final shout-out to Charlie, who came up with tonight's belter of a pun.

Next week

...we're back to Hollybush Gardens, for our first visit of Autumn with Margaret and Ash.

Until then.