10 GoodGymers made their way to The Prince Phillip Maritime Centre in Kidbooke for tonight's task, daydreaming of favourite holiday destinations as the sun started its daily descent.

A mixture of tasks awaited us, starting off with adventures in DIY, putting together a potting bench and a shelving unit for the greenhouse. Divided into two teams, we gave TV gameshows a run for their money in a race to be the first to complete their structure (obviously ensuring thoroughly stable and well-connected results).

Out to the garden now, where we put the newly built equipment into place and gave the recently potted seedlings a sprinkle of water. The centre's herb garden is looking in Mint condition 🌱 and hopefully will be joined by the various plants from the greenhouse once they're strong enough.

A spring task isn't complete without a little gardening, so while some got on with some wedding & watering the raised beds, others in the team made a start on our final piece of Arch-itecture. Time, however, was as ever our Arch Enemy, and whilst we made a great start on this last building task, completion is delayed until our next task at this venue. As a wise man once said, 2 out 3 ain't bad (and we definitely managed 2 and a half...!)

Great to see everyone & thank you all! 😊

Great to be back at Nightingale Estate for this special session for the launch of our Workout for the Future Campaign. We were joined by Deputy Mayor Mete Coban, who visited to see the impact of GoodGym's work in the local community. And welcome to new runners Gemma and Suzi

It started with Denzel , Dan, Louise, Katie, Robert and Ivo running 2k from Usual Objections, a running shop that provides top quality running clothes. Definitely check them out if you are in the area, you can even see the clothes being made in front of you.

After a catch up and a warm up we ran to Nightingale Estate. Cheered on by the local school kids and a nice sunny run through the Hackney streets and Hackney Downs Park.

We arrived to join our fellow GoodGymers and got introduced to the Nightingale Parklet which is an important green space for local residents on the estate. After a briefing by task owners Nicky and Alice we set off to clear weeds, tidy up the green space and some of us helped a resident clear their front garden of weeds and a metal wired fence which is a bit of an eye sore.

Deputy Mayor Mete Coban joined the team to help with trimming foliage and lifting garden waste. Good job everyone!

We ended the session hearing from residents about why these green spaces matter so much to the estate. It was a great way to kick off our new campaign.

Great job all, see you next time.

A misty March evening took 12 GoodGym-ers to St Richard's Community Church in Charlton for this evening's group run.

After a welcome & ice-breaker discussing the one food we'd eat forever, it was on to tonight's various tasks. Some of us headed off to do some litterpicking, others bagged up some heaps of cardboard mush left over from the woodchip pathway project, and others continued our ever-present battle with the weeds in the back yard. The vegetation heap was looking a little higher by the time we gathered round for a group photo & farewells.

A big welcome to Naomi on your first task! Thanks all & see you soon 😊

You might know how it feels to shuffle and squeeze along Columbia Road, trying to tease out a deal on a bulk buy of bouquets on market day. You might think that it’s the Sunday fix of floral carnival that draws in the crowds and buoys the Tower Hamlets spirit. You might imagine that the Flower Market is a hard act to follow.

Well, here's news: the help from Goodgym Tower Hamlets supports the lesser-known and under-appreciated nature that really steals the show in this neighbourhood...

For this first Monday FUN-day in March, a troupe of Goodgymers took to the horticultural stage, stepping into the street lamp spotlight to tender the community gardens sprinkled about the local housing estates, managed by the Columbia Road Tenants and Residents Association (TRA). The task: mulching (more on that later) and weeding, ahead of the imminent surge in new growth on the way. Yes, Spring blossoms are coming!

In the lead-in to this community mission, @Darren set-up the option of some pre-task group exercise, inviting any cyclists from the south of the borough to ride up together from Limehouse Marina. @Sooz followed Darren's lead, cycling the same route, with @Ilana, @Lucinda (more on them later) and @Dan each separately trundling their way to task, overcoming bike maintenance and docking station challenges that came their way. So, at least five cyclists amongst our number, rolling (sort of) smoothly onto site.

With the arrival of twelve more Goodgym walkers and runners, a mission team numbering seventeen assembled near the foot of Sivill House. But, before getting green fingers stuck-in to task, the twilight hour called for a touch of theatre, my dears: showcasing a gentle warm-up routine of jogging and stretching, as appropriate preparation for the moderate physical labour ahead. The visiting film crew just about kept pace with their camera to gather video material for the latest GG promotional video. With thanks to Sooz for bringing some Junior Parkrun stretch highlights into play here. Some stellar performances may yet clinch Oscar nominations.

Media work dealt with, it was sesion organiser, @Ed, who brought order with a run-through of the gardening tasks: (i) mulching at the orchard close by, (ii) mulching the trees dotted around the wider estate and (iii) weeding, well, where the weeds were. The aim and purpose: to sustain the upkeep and give a boost to these precious patches of community garden space. All the more precious for what they offer residents and visitors in return: the ever-changing and long-lasting stimulation of their nature and beauty, of course. And to keep this dream alive: a task each for a trio of mini teams.

Two teams loaded up wheelbarrows and buckets from the mini mountain of wood chip mulch close by, with @John distributing tools to get everybody involved. Standout effort and achievement from, @Fiona, @Robert and @Tom who filled up and sent out containers in record time, meeting the demand coming from hither and thither. Quick pause here: mulch is not at all as sludgy as it sounds, rather, in this case, it was a layer of wood chip applied to the soil around existing plants. Why? To conserve soil moisture and enrich its fertility, reduce weed growth, and, well, make the plants look as loved as they are.

The first team transported their mulch around to the nearby orchard, scattering wood chip so as to protect the trunks of fruit trees and the roots of fruit bushes. A light layer also offers shelter from the remaining winter's cold and wind. @Ciarán welcomed @Kevin's knowledge and clear instruction during this task, helpfully pointing out where to tread without trampling new growth of the blackberry and raspberry bushes. Up above ground level, the burgeoning new season's buds were just starting to blossom, with the apricot tree leading the way.

The second team of mulch layers carried and wheeled their cargo to three different sites spiralling off from our meeting point; each a small island of verdant lawn tucked in amongst the clusters of tower blocks. Knee-high fencing subtly marked out these preserves of green, fine spots to seek out for picnic gatherings later in the year. And, all year round, the permanent home of a dozen or so more fruit trees, including a quince and a cherry. Here, @Anna and @Ivo brought notable care to the mulch laying work, identifying the species and spreading the wood chip evenly around the base of each trunk.

The provenance of the cherry tree is worth knowing and contemplating. Striking a warming chord of harmonious global community, this cherry tree is part of a set of thirteen growing across the estate, which form a Tower Hamlets family within a wider population of 8,000 cherry trees (and counting!), gifted to sites all over the United Kingdom by the Japan British Society. The endowment of cherry trees is the work of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project, begun in 2017 to symbolise the friendship and cooperation between Japan and the UK. Long may these cherry trees blossom in our midst.

Back to task, where @Louise, @Kareem and team three recruits had been busying themselves with the weeding required to tidy up the herbaceous borders back at the central hub, just next to Ravenscroft Park. Whilst removing plant life may appear counter-intuitive to nature conservation and rewilding fashions, weeding can halt stray growth for a neater display. Further, as @Rohan explained to me very sensibly, weeding can target species that would otherwise come to dominate the space and smother smaller plants.

With mulch laid and weeds slain, the three teams re-joined as one Goodgym family, to sit down on the slightly shrunken mound of mulch remaining next to Sivill House. From our resting spot, it seemed that our efforts had gone no small way to support the hidden attractions of the Columbia Road spectacle, flora and fauna that may not usually be noticed or appreciated. Worth a detour to behold these inspiring parts of the Tower Hamlets scenery.

Sequel: Mission complete, but the occasion not so. It was high time to honour two Goodgym volunteers in attendance. With much gratitude, and a degree of awe, our group applauded @Lucinda and @Ilana for becoming Goodgym centurions! Well done indeed for your sustained dedication, bringing a whole lot of good to blossom over the course of your hundred good deeds, apiece! Sunday crowds flocking to Columbia Road might leave with colourful memories of their flower market trip. But your steady commitment and warm support is permanent Goodgym inspiration for us all.

More applause and chocolate treats followed, alongside cosy chatter and refreshing beverages, for those that wished, at the nearby Birdcage pub. And revealing their top-tips for Goodgym longevity, Lucinda and Ilana imparted some neatly complementary wisdom. Lucinda encouraged flexibility, to keep volunteering going just as much as is possible, be that more or less, amidst other demands on time. Ilana recommended keeping a regular contribution ticking over, to build in the foundation of consistent Goodgym giving: even if sparse as a single session a month, keep it going.

Speaking of which, what's the next session you're signed up for, blossom?