Sunny, warm and picturesque: that's how we like our tasks in Tower Hamlets.

And so it was a group of 9 came to meet Marcelo from the Parks team this balmy Monday evening.

Some of us met at the Town Hall Hotel steps, glad to be free of makeshift home work stations for the day, armed with the perfect excuse to head out. Others met us at the task, at the north east corner of huge, bustling, beautiful Victoria Park, on bike and foot.

Trash treasure

There Marcelo met us, complete with gloves galore; sturdy bin bags and bin bag hoops, the ultimate volunteering accessory (the bin bag hoop enables you to bag your trash treasure with infinitely more ease, much-appreciated when tackling dubious-looking damp items, and weighty vodka bottles).

We were dispatched all over this hidden woodland area, close to the Park's yard, which Marcelo explained didn't get a lot of visitors. We discussed the future of this area, which, although a bit of a litter hotspot, is also a sanctuary to much wildlife, with bundles of potential.

As always it was a companionable, active way to start the week. After navigating uneven, rocky, dense terrain for nearly an hour, we grabbed our litter bags and accompanied Marcelo to the commercial bin.

Piling the trash high, we posed for our final pics, promising to return soon for Woodland TLC Part II.

Next week,

...we're back at the Cemetery Park, to continue clearing those woodland paths.

Until then.

A small group of runners gathered at the Cranbrook Community Centre to help Janet and Eileen give the garden a good tidy.

Why were we doing this?

Cranbrook Community Centre has been serving the Cranbrook Estate and local area for many years, and Janet and Eileen are active members of the TRA.

They often need a hand clearing the area around the Community Centre. Tonight's task involved cutting back high hedges, gathering leaves from the borders, and raking weeds, leaves and litter from the Community Centre garden.

A fabulous hour's work

What initially looked like a lot of work for our small team, was in fact no match for the productive GoodGymers who blitzed the tasks in less than an hour.

Si and Leo headed out to the side hedge with secateurs and loppers; Emma and Eimear to the front borders and Liz and Fiona to the garden front and back.

Bags and bins were filled; debris disposed of, photos posed for... It was a lovely, companionable way to spend a warm and bright Monday evening. Shout-outs to the whole team this evening, (including Emma who came up with tonight's lovely pun).

And then it was 8 and we were saying our farewells, assuring Janet and Eileen we'd return soon.

Until then.

Skies were blue, sun was out, temperature mild...It was the perfect backdrop to a terrific Monday evening task.

We were due at the Hollybush Estate at 7pm, to help Margaret trim the laurel hedge, by the family area.

Why were we doing this?

The laurel hedge bordering the fences of the estate's allotments and garden is pretty, no doubt. It creates an important microclimate for the raised vegetable beds belonging to the estate's residents.

However, it can grow a little high, and it can grow outwards, taking over vegetable beds, making the area hard to access, as well as becoming a bit of a pest to pedestrians as they navigate narrow pavements on the other side of the fence.

And so it was up to a 14-strong team, to help Margaret of the TRA chop the laurel and other greenery back, bagging and binning, sweeping and clearing as they went.

It was hot, it was hunger-inducing but it was successful. And it was an upper body extravaganza, as the team reached for the higher branches, working skilfully in pairs to tackle the hardest-to-reach top of the hedge in the absence of a step ladder.

As always time, flew, and it wasn't long before we were tying the handles of the last bin liners; sweeping up the final lime-green laurel leaves and posing for that farewell pic. And congratulating our Liz on her 50th good deed :)

We split into three groups at 8pm: those running back to the hotel; those heading home for dinner, and those stopping at the pub to rehydrate.

Until next time.