We joined Margaret and Ash from the Teesdale & Hollybush Tenants and Residents Association for our second May visit to help with some gardening tasks.

A group of us gathered at the Town Hall for some stretches and a pleasant evening jog over to the Hollbush Estates. There, we rallied more troops and received our mission brief.

We handed out the tools and started helping Margaret and the team to clear and tidy one of the community allotment spaces for the Hollybush Estate. While some of the group got stuck into weeding, others shovelled soil and dismantled the allotment beds. The wheel barrows raced back and forth to Rocky Gardens where the soil was put back to good use.

Many hands made light work of clearing the space, and it was satisfying to see the signs of our work. Well done everyone for clearing the space and making it feel loved again :-)

Tonight’s task started with a fitness session on Middleton Green, consisting of a short routine of body weight exercises and some running courtesy of Emma and Rohan.

It was a beautiful evening for a few push-ups and a lap of this pretty park.

At 7pm we headed around the corner to meet Margaret who was well prepared as usual. This evening’s task? Filling planters with soil!

A well-organised task

The task started very efficiently with wheelbarrows lined up, bags of soil at the ready, and an efficient system in place.

After a team effort of climbing over the wall with the polytunnel frame, we formed several teams to start on each bag of soil. Shuttling up and down the small path, lifting barrows over the wall and raking soil into planters, we achieved a lot in a short space of time.

At shortly before 8, the whole team gathered to haul one huge back of soil along the path, to position it in an easily-accessible spot for Ash when he resumes this work tomorrow.

Gathering wheelbarrows, rakes and gloves, we made our way back to Rocky Park, via the toolshed and the heavenly jasmine climber.

After posing for that all-important group pic, we finalised the details of our next visit to the gardens on May 20th. (Check out the listing for the next visit here).

A wonderful, sunny mid-week task. Well done everyone.

Until next time.

Great to have 6 GoodGymers weeding away at Wilton Estate community garden!

Meeting Ulus after a 12 minute run around London Fields who tooled us up with the requited implements and we were away!

Removing all the bind weed in sight! Pulling out the rest if the over grown bed ready fir planting season!

60 minutes of graft and we had made great progress and set the garden up perfectly for the planting efforts on the weekend!