Another visit to Crofton Park Railway Garden and another shed to move! We had practice of moving the first shed not long ago and now it was time to move the second shed.

A shed moving team formed and created a human chain to move all the items from inside the shed to the new shed location. It was then time to move the shed, which I didn't actually see but I did see the shed in its new position!

Other tasks that we tackled were clearing the leaves from the garden, moving the compost from one compost pile to the other and sweeping the woodchip.

Ticking everything off our list, it was soon time to head back to Glass Mill. Hopefully we'll be invited back to put up the new shed!

It’s the end of the month so it was time for the Group Run to Mycenae House, a lovely local landmark with extensive grounds that the volunteers always need our help with.

Three of us ran the mile or so from Charlton Park to the house to be met by our other members and the amazing Fiona, the volunteer coordinator. For most of the summer we’ve been doing weeding and chopping so it was lovely today to have a more constructive task, namely planting a number of new plants (although the weeding didn’t quite go away). We set to work, digging holes, popping in the plants and watering and between the 5 of us and the volunteers we managed to get 20 odd plants in, including one monster specimen that required three of us to plant it.

All of this was hard work and we were grateful after an hour to be rewarded with some of the excellent cake that is always waiting for us after the task.

GoodGym digs through decades of memories during a lively house clearance

Last night, a group of five GoodGymers led by our esteemed run leader Marta, made our way to Glyndon Community Centre for our Wednesday night task. As usual we were warmly welcomed by caretaker Andy, who guided us to the storage unit at the back. Our mission: help empty a unit filled with the remnants of an old house clearance that was packed with 80s nostalgia and retro items.

Inside, we excitedly discovered a treasure trove of items that needed sorting: 1980s chart-topping singles (Keith Harris and Orville “I Wish I could Fly”), once-loved albums (The Best of Earth, Wind and Fire), well-worn furniture, retro lamp stands, quirky ornaments, and sentimental paintings. It was fascinating to see a person’s life through their possessions.

We then had to sort the items into various piles either for donating, recycling or to be thrown out and discarded. This was very difficult as so many items were sentiments and had a story to tell.

All in all, it was a productive and enjoyable evening. Once the unit was cleared, we dutifully swept up and snapped a quick group photo before heading home, satisfied with a job well done.

In this evening's blue-sky sunshine our GoodGymers gathered in Welling, ready to bring a bit of nature and brightness to the streets.

The plan? A two-part mission with Discover Welling: first, to plant heather, hebes and other plants in the raised flower beds adjacent to the car park, and then to line the approach to Welling Station with cheery flowers.

🌿 We kicked off in the car park, where the raised beds were in need of some TLC. Armed with trowels and teamwork, we got stuck in, digging, planting, and patting down soil around the new plants. We picked out accumulated rubbish and weeds, and dug out the thistles. A sweep-up around area finished the job.

🌼 We walked around the corner to the approach leading up to Welling Station. In no time, pansies and violas were creating a splash of colour for all the commuters and passers-by.

🍏 As we wrapped up, we couldn’t help noticing apples on a nearby tree. A little bit of scrumping added a sweet note to the evening.

🦗 Then a grasshopper hopped over to inspect our work — perhaps the ultimate seal of approval from Mother Nature herself.

It was lovely to have Dulisha with us for her first GoodGym task. We hope you enjoyed the session, Dulisha, and look forward to seeing you again! And it was nice to have Adele from Discover Welling with us too.