Following a session planting hedge trees 🌳, Ben made the 2.5 mile run, admittedly on the way home, to drop off items to the foodbank collection point at ASDA in Hulme. In all there was:

• tinned sweetcorn 🌽
• tinned mushrooms 🍄
• tinned tuna 🐟
• tinned spaghetti 🍝
• tinned mandarins 🍊
• jar of jam 🍓
• UHT milk 🥛
• Apple juice 🍏
• rice pudding 🥫

Decent run and made the trolley a little bit fuller before running home 🏡

Stefanie, Peter, and Ben made the trip to Gorse Hill Studios for another task as part of their Green Rooms project. We joined Katie, Duncan, Lisa, and Rebecca from Gorse Hill Studios.

This evening we were at the Studios to continue in the outside area. Our task was to plant 10 hedge trees and another taller Aralia elata 🌳🌱🍃

With the soil still dry, stoney, and full of rubble and 20+ year old crisp packets, the going was tough with deep and wide holes needed. Looking like a scene from Holes, we used forks to loosen up the soil and spades to dig out as much earth as possible. In addition, the tree roots needed releasing from their compact tangle to encourage growth, not an easy task.

After a couple of hours, copious biscuits 🍪 and a cup of tea 🍵 , we managed to break the back of the task with ALL the trees planted and looking splendid in the evening sunshine 🌞 We topped up with compost and generously watered, hoping the stormy weather this week will keep them well hydrated.

We cleared up and said our farewells. I'm still astounded we got all of them planted so strong effort 💪

Juno 🐕 and I did the course check and helped set up at Fletcher Moss parkrun event number 256. 379 runners and walkers 🏃‍♂️🏃🏼‍♀️👣 completed the 5 km course on a stuffy morning.

Thank you to all 24 volunteers who helped make the event happen!

Welcome to Charly for their first GoodGym Manchester outing!

This week's session moved to Thursday after a change in plan from Katie. We were out on the allotment this week with a list of tasks:

• Remove bind weed (an endless task...) 🌱
• Install the fencing
• Plant out tomatoes 🍅 from the poly tunnel
• Weeding and laying membrane
• Laying woodchip

Peter was in his element with plants and brought along some squash to plant in a little pumpkin 🎃 patch.

We installed the fencing, weeded like demons, and laid as much black matting or membrane as possible using pegs to secure down. With a tonne bag of woodchip, we emptied the bag to leave a healthy layer covering a part of a communal area.

Finally, we watered what we could and cleared up before heading home.

Really productive task despite the heat 🥵 and Katie was really happy with the progress. We'll be back.