This morning, six (yes, six) GoodGymmers met up to do a mission in Newham for Mrs D.

Mrs D has a lovely front and back garden that has become overgrown as her mobility has decreased. GoodGym were asked if we could help by clearing some of the garden.

With both a front and a back garden to work in, we decided to split into two groups. After hearing the complicated-sounding instructions for the back garden, Clair and I decided to work in the front garden, forming Team Hare-ibo. Before we left Team Pane-Event (consisting of Sharon, Kevin, Yangki and Patrick), we decided to empty a random plastic box of standing water into a corner of the garden, where it promptly decided to smell of poo and slowly trickle towards the GoodGymmers. Team Pane-Event, you're welcome 😜😆

Team Hare-ibo

Team Hare-ibo's job was a general tidy of the front with a focus on trimming the hedge. Despite filling over five black bags with green waste, uncovering a hare plaque/sign, and it looking a lot neater in person, the photos make it look like we mostly replaced (or covered) Yangki's bike with black bags. At least I remembered that I had some Haribo in my bag on the train home, and we enjoyed some jelly sweet consolation 😄👍🏻 (Sorry for not remembering sooner Team Pane-Event 😅) We (I) also got some snuffles on my leg from an adorable pug. Snuffles!! 😍😍😍

Team Pane-Event

As I wasn't in the back garden, Patrick's written the report for Team Pane-Event. (Side note to say that the chocolate cake in the photo was enjoyed by Sharon post-mission. I think it's Haribo envy though 😉) Here's Patrick's report:

While Liz and Clair were clearing a path and looking after Yangki's bike at the front, the party at the back were bringing light to Ms D's day, home and goldfish!

We'd never seen such a big group of people giving up a spot of Sunday Brunch to complete an older person's mission. We were shown around the back where it was difficult to access the garden and hard to see what was there behind the overgrowth: a fence, a pond and even a kitchen window apparently! Clair and Liz dumped a trough of smelly water then disappeared to help out at the front. Nice.

That left four at the back. Patrick put on his tunes then everyone got to work while catching up about experiences from the Sikhs in the City race and discussing future race and travel plans. Kevin and Sharon trying to upsell the idea of Nuclear races where you zip line into a pond, but you get a hot Ribena to warm you up. One for the maybe pile...

Yangki was looking after the finer details in the bed by the kitchen door and carefully scooped out the leaves from the newly exposed pond and made sure to leave the goldfish in there!

It was like a scratchcard of green stuff; first revealing the fence, then the edge of the pond and then the window! Kevin got stuck in (and occasionally stuck thanks to the thorns) and check out the photos: seeing is de-leafing. We had regular check ups from Mrs D to make sure we cut back the right amount and once with the least repugnant pug ever. At the end, she was D-lighted with the easier access to the garden and extra light coming through to her home. Nice job; Mrs D was thrilled and the bonus is that there was no smell from the water when she came to see the finished result!

Gratuitous Epilogue

Overall, we think that we made decent inroads into the garden over 90 minutes, although the back could probably do with one more visit from a group of 2-4 people to finish off a random corner. A satisfying Sunday morning session!

Great working with you guys, and I'm sure I'll see you around soon! 😄