A small crew of Goodgym Islington regulars (AA Simon, Steve and Sam) met up outside the Emirates Community Hub before running together to one of our favourite local tasks.

Highbury Quadrant Estate has been a really rewarding project with Octopus Community Network and the residents of the immediate housing project. 5-6 plots of land have been renovated into an amazing wild green space, featuring meadows, orchards, pollinator friendly foliage and vegetable plots.

Our running crew caught up with Ernestas, Marie Laure and Paul (who cycled or walked to the task location after work (or after helping at our community mission at Elizabeth House Foodbank). Frannie, the volunteer coordinator for Octopus Community Network was on hand with wheelbarrows, clippers, brushes and rakes for an evening of orchard beautifying!

Paul (who was the tallest of us all), snipped away at low hanging branches from the trees overhead, while Sam and Steve tackled some fearsome bramble patches completely covering a former pathway. The main objective is to make this gorgeous green patch as accessible to community groups and children as possible. Paul also cleared another forgotten pathway out towards a resident fox burrow (we have caught them frolicking during the summer months!).

Ernestas and Marie helped each other out with clearing away the waste clippings, brambles and excess green waste left on the surrounding pavements. Ernestas scooped, while Marie sweeped, and the pair made light work of this task!

As a final perk after an evening of social greening, Frannie invited up back to the tool shed, and showed us the successful plot of vegetables grown through the summer showers. Squash, tomatoes and potatoes were well on their way, but it was the runner beans that were the star of the show! Each one of us were encouraged to take some organically grown allotment beans home with us (they were huge!), to encourage more beans to propogate on the future.

Great work all! We will be back at the Emirates Stadium next week for a group run to Caxton House Community Centre!