It was time for another shift at the Mary Seacole Nursing Home garden to progress construction of the gazebo. Out host and project mastermind, Varda, had already moved things along a little since our last visit and was clear on what was to be achieved today:

1. Move gazebo into position
2. Mark the final position in the soil
3. Move the gazebo so as to dig holes where it legs are to stand
4. Fill holes with concrete
5. Move gazebo into cement holes
6. Fix in place with pegs

Due to the size and weight of the gazebo, the shifting elements of the plan at least were deemed to be a 4 person task. Soon Alisha and Nathan turned up and the team was quorate but not before Charlotte responded to a panicked cry for extra help, offering to join us asap.

Plans unravelled slightly on discovering that the 'ready cement' wasn't a as ready as assumed and that sand was also required to mix in with it. Cue some urgent research into sand suppliers and a trip to the local (in east London terms) hardware store.

The team hit a further snag, or more accurately, a manhole cover, buried just below soil level, precisely where they planned to dig one of the cement holes. Cue further options analysis, measuring of available space, discussion about how the roof is to be hoisted into place when we reach that stage and ultimately a decision to move the gazebo 40cm east, square with the adjacent building and never mind the shrubs.

So, with Plan B agreed, Varda left the determined GoodGymmers to dig for glory while she went in search of the hardwear store and promised sand. Nathan took this opportunity to recruit a redundant concrete slab and very professionally place it in the spot where land needed raising not digging, to level it out.

Sadly, by the time Varda returned with Plan B supplies, time had run out to do any further work, which means there were be yet further opportunity to get involved next time.

Big thanks again to the team who helped out today.

With spring just round the corner, there was plenty to do in the Mary Seacole Nursing Home garden and there was a wonderful bumper crop of GoodGymers on hand to help out. Particular shoutout goes to Ishbel, who joined us today for her first ever GoodGym task.

The session started with three working groups. The first were tasked with planting a number of bamboo plants along the back fence to soften the view. John, Audrey, Louise and Yaz soon realised that the soil could have done with some softening up too but with considerable effort and perseverance, they got the ground prepped for planting.

Meanwhile, the second group (variously Sooz, Nathan, Grace and Anne) got stuck in to prepping the planters in the middle of the garden for a fresh lick of paint. This task required a special trip to the local supplier of heavy duty sandpaper and wire brushes (thank you Nathan).

The main event, however, was the grand gazebo assembly, for which there was considerable prep-work. So the third group (which comprised a shifting membership of helpers needing a break from digging and sanding), got stuck in, painting bitumen onto the Gazebo's feet to protect against the wet soil and the elements, while task leader, Varda, diligently studied the instructions to ensure everything was assembled correctly.

During this time, a tug of war broke out in bamboo corner, with several GoodGymers trying to liberate pot-bound bamboos. The comment, 'It's like the turnip story', required some explanation but did ring bells when retold.

Eventually, the point we had all been waiting for came, when bits of gazebo had to be attached to one another. The two 'short' sides (3m long) were assembled first and then moved into location, before the longer beams were added to hold the short sides together. Ladders and chairs were enlisted to give the height necessary to put bolts in place. The morning finished with the dance of the heavy-weight lifters, to nudge and jiggle and ultimately maneouver the now tall, heavy, and rather awkward structure into a reasonably stable position.

It was agreed this was as far as we could progress the gazebo assembly for today (step 5 of 26!) so look out for more listings to play your part in the making of the gazebo very soon!

A big thanks and well done to everyone who who came along this morning and got stuck in. It was great fun and a real team effort.

A big welcome to three new GoodGymmers today: Charlotte, Alisha and Anthony. Great work on your first mission!

It was a beautiful sunny day and everyone walked, ran or jogged to the task today, basking in the rays.

We were welcomed by Eslam who explained how the sustainable project works by bringing together organisations, local companies and volunteers to support local green spaces around London.

Sooz and Nathan got started moving compost into new piles to make room for new composting materials.

Alisha, Anthony and Charlotte took on some heavy duty efforts turning massive amounts compost in three beds, and preparing the coffee chaffs for layering the new compost.

A brilliant session and much thanks to Eslam for his guidance.

We can't wait to come back!

Welcome Natsuko to your first GoodGym session! And a welcome return to Nathan.

All 5 GoodGymmers found their way to Mary Seacole nursing home and - with the weather on our side for a change - we made amazing progress on the new zen garden for staff tranquility.

Everyone planted their own trees, and we're excited to watch them grow as we come back for more tasks here!

After a lot of reading and reviewing of instructions, Nathan, Natsuko, Sooz, Miranda, Jess and Grace soon set to work constructing the columns and outer structure of the gazebo. There was hammering and drilling action, and a fair amount of head scratching! A lot of progress was made, but we were finally defeated by the enormity of the gazebo. With a third of the construction complete, we hit pause, ready for another day.

So stay tuned for the next phase of this task... as gaze-no becomes gaze-yes!