It was great to be at a new project today, eagerly we have been watching the progress from applications through to finally getting the keys to the site. And who better to come along and help clear and prepare – it has to be GoodGym.

Railway Gardens community space is going to be a resident-led site, transforming a derelict site into a thriving green sanctuary where local people can share, connect, grow, and play. This site will offer facilities, training, activities, and support for residents to build personal and local resilience and develop solutions to biodiversity loss, climate breakdown, inequality, food poverty, and other challenges affecting the community and beyond. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get stuck in and help with this project.

Some of us had previously been at Samye so this was task number two so were a little tired / cold but still eager to go. We had a welcome return from Tori in her Tango van, she had said her farewells earlier in the Summer, great to see you can’t ever really leave goodgym. Whilst we are on returns, it was lovely to see more of the crew from pre pandemic days – Welcome back Rosie and Ali.

Becca from Green Squirrel explained the tasks for the day, we needed to clear the land in front of a wall, the plan is for a graffiti artist to come and decorate the wall with a mural. Then if the weather stayed dry and there was time, to give the first coat of undercoat paint on the wall in question.

Now to sort and pick tools………

We took our time and each picked tools allowing for distancing, then with loppers, secateurs and finally a small branch saw it was time to get clearing. There were lots of strange conversations going on today, Mikey with race brain went from favourite words to writing letters, Flo joined in with the letters and both agreed that letters are great things. There was talk of training plans and Lucy was all about the dead mice and park bins – I think we will leave that one there.

Along the way some of the team managed to find a hedgehog, not to worry though as it soon moved along to a new sleeping hidey-hole.

As soon as there was enough space cleared, the paint crew started work. Andrew decided to write his name, or now new name Andre…. Whilst the wall painting continued, the bramble hunters turned their attention to the invasive buddleia. Soon the compost heap had become huge, the wall was bright white and it was time for our group photo. Ever so slightly out of practise it may have taken a couple of attempts, but we got there in the end. We wished Becca well with the project and took to the streets.

We WILL return SOON