It was wonderful to return to one of Goodgym Islington's longest running community missions after a short break over Summer! We had some regulars returning to Crouch End Open Space and the forest paths between Highgate and Muswell Hill (including ever present John and Friends of CREOS Guro and Nicolas), with new starters like Erayna.

Tasks on offer today involved moving some newly cut down tree stumps across the woodland (to be used to dead hedging and creating barriers around wild flower patches), and trimming away the overgrown tree branches surrounding the forest paths. Area Activator Simon also assisted with litter picking around the green fields near the local school yards, while Nic did a smashing job with weed whacking with a petrol driven strimmer!

Wonderful work everyone, Thank you for joining us!

4 Goodgymers attended the monthly Crouch End Open Space (CREOS) session to help the local volunteers. When I arrived, Guro was already hard at work clearing sticks and leaves from the trenches alongside the footpath. I joined her and together we managed to clear at least 10 bags worth (though we lost count). Around the corner Caitlin took part in various tasks including building a very impressive wall of sticks, to keep people out of the woods. Nico was moving logs from the cricket ground which sounded pretty challenging as he had to avoid hitting rogue children.

As usual the lovely volunteers put on a great picnic of homemade quiche, bread and cheeses (Guro is pictured protecting the quiche from a hungry dog).

On a beautiful Sunday morning, Alison, Emily, Karen, Nico, and first-time Goodgymer Natasha joined the volunteers at Crouch End Open Space to continue working on a new path in the meadow. Local resident Joan (part of the CREOS group) had raised £1,000 for the materials and it's being built in honour of her late husband. The path will make the meadow much easier for users to cross and avoid churning up the grass into mud. Our job today was to fill wheelbarrows with earth and sand, wheel up to the meadow and fill the edge of the path. Eventually grass and wildflower seeds will be planted along here to create a nice boundary for the path. Natasha also "watered" the path which was being flattened with a (very loud) machine. The CREOS volunteers organise a picnic for the monthly sessions which was welcome after a few hours hard work. Filled with bread, cheese and cider we parted ways to enjoy the rest of the sunny afternoon.