13 GoodGymers gathered this evening (after a slow start, thanks to my inaccurate address on the listing) to lend a hand to the estate’s dedicated gardening group.

The Columbia TRA gardening team is made up of residents who enjoy getting involved in and around the estate’s gardens, and our visit tonight was all about supporting their ongoing efforts.

With the recent dry weather taking its toll on the estate’s many garden areas (not that we’re complaining after the rainiest start to the year in history), it was great to be joining Ed, Ed and Maddie to give the plants a much-needed drink and support ongoing preparations for new growing areas.

After a little coordination, the group split into teams: one group tackled the orchard watering, where the challenge of the night was figuring out how to coax the hosepipe into action (way to go, Chris).

With the water flowing, the team proceeded to fill buckets and watering cans on the first floor, giving the young fruit trees and surrounding plants a good soak under the watchful eye of Ed and Maddie.

Meanwhile, another team got to work moving piles of rubble across the estate (and didn't let up for a second). This was part of groundwork being done for a future garden project—an exciting addition that the gardening group has been planning to bring more life to a different corner of the estate.

Big thanks to the residents who welcomed us in and to everyone who kept the wheelbarrows rolling and the buckets flowing. An extra big shout-out to Lara who joined us tonight for our first task - amazing tough work on your first GoodGym activity, Lara! Hope to see you again soon.

And a whopping cheer for our brilliant Task Force, for helping manage and wrap-up tonight's task.

Next week, we're Limehouse-bound to see Kamal to finish the preparation of the yard...

Until then.