A tragic scene awaited 5 GoodGym-ers as we joined the Friends of Woolwich Common for today's litter pick. A huge area of the common was burned down in a fire earlier in the week, and whilst the exact source of ignition is under much speculation, the dry summer had not helped, leaving much of the area vulnerable.

On a much more positive note, so many areas were unaffected due to the quick work by local fire teams, leaving plenty of space as the haven it is, for wildflowers, wildlife and vegetation of all kinds. So, armed with litterpicks and rubbish bag hoops, a smoky aroma followed us as we set out in various directions, ready to clear as much as we could, Cans, bottles, vapes, plastic, glass, newspapers & crisp bags soon filled up those bags, and nature gave us a little materials science lesson in how various materials burn - or don't, as the case may be, in the areas affected by the fire.

It's not the first fire on this common, but nature also teaches us it will fight back, and as the seasons change, the plant life will gradually begin to take root again, which hopefully we can help with in some small way by clearing away the artificial stuff threatening that growth.

Have a great week & catch up soon! 😊

Eight of us hit the streets last night with purpose, energy, and plenty of good vibes. Our destination? The ever-welcoming Hervey Road Playing Fields. But before we got there, we had a very special delivery to make…

On our way over, we helped spread the word about the upcoming Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre (PPMCC) Community Day, dropping leaflets through letterboxes. It's going to be a fantastic event, and you can sign up to help man the GoodGym stall and soak up the community spirit here.

With the leaflets delivered and our legs nicely warmed up, we headed on to Hervey Road. When we arrived we found Jenny, Ivar, and Annie already hard at work, weeding and pruning back the lavender with impressive focus. The rest of us joined in, tackling a good amount of weeding and bramble-pulling to help get the space looking its best. The combination of teamwork, elbow grease, and a few laughs made for a hugely satisfying session.

Thanks to everyone who came along, until next time!

💥 Coming up this weekend in Greenwich:

🌿 Saturday – Gardening at Mycenae Gardens Join us for a peaceful and productive morning of planting and pruning in this much-loved community space. A perfect way to start the weekend!

🚮 Sunday – Group Run & Litter Pick at Woolwich Common We’re heading out for a run followed by a community litter pick at Woolwich Common. A great way to combine fitness with a bit of environmental impact.

Next Wednesday we're back at the Memorial Hospital for a special session with a bonfire, tea and creative session - don't miss out!

8 Greenwich GoodGymers made their way to St Alfege Primary School Community Garden in Greenwich this evening.

Our task was simple: clearing as many weeds as possible... Our main target was the raised beds, which since our last visit have been planted with crops including beetroot and some impressively large radishes. The makings of some great salad there! So keeping the weeds from taking over in these areas is key.

We also made a start on clearing a larger area of overgrowth which required a bit more digging and getting to the root of the matter. We were very impressed by the gardens grapevines, beautifully draping over a pergola area, the perfect spot for a group photo.

(Mean)time got away with us, and it was time for a quick water for the plants and a little post-session social for us, where conversation was slightly overwhelmed by the bells of St Alfege Chuch. Weeding bells indeed.

Welcome back to Olga for her second group run with us!

Next week we're back at the Prince Philip Maritime Museum - see you then!

A sunny August morning took 2 goodgym-ers to Hervey Road Sports Field Gardens, a haven for wild flowers just off Shooters Hill Road.

We met Annie and were briefed with 2 straightforward tasks: weeding & watering. Some new plants had been put in last weekend so after a few dry days they were a little parched! 3 gentle waterings over the session hopefully revived them a little. The rest of our time was spent clearing weeds & grass from the beds to allow space both for existing wildflowers to grow, and new seeds to sprout, helpfully guided by expert Annie, so now we know our Feverfew from our Alison...! 

The time flew by and we were ready for some final watering & on to the rest of the weekend. See you all soon! ☀️