Never mind the Bank Holiday, GoodGym Tower Hamlets were out in good numbers for another visit to Margaret and Ash’s community garden. We met two new Good-Deeders – and 50% of them even managed to find the notoriously tucked-away Rocky Park in time! Good to meet you Ellie and Elena, hope to see you again soon. We also welcomed back Priscila, who was already heading for another GoodGym session the following night. And we congratulated Kitty and Michael on their recent Marathon efforts.

Our main task was to dig three large holes into which to insert olive trees which had outgrown their plant pots. We set to work so quickly that we’d soon excavated three deep, wide pits, into which the trees were carefully re-housed with the addition of some compost, and now have plenty of room to expand and thrive.

Additionally, we were tasked with weeding the neighbouring area, having eventually reached a consensus on the vital question “what is a weed?”. We also picked a few bits of litter which were blighting the area – including an unfortunate rat which had met its end midway across the grass.

Next Monday night we’ll be helping at Ocean Youth Connexions in Limehouse. See https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-big-monday-night-task-may-visit-to-ocean-youth-connexions.

And don’t forget you can join one of our quiz teams at the Coburn, near Mile End and Bow Road stations, next Sunday. Sign up at https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/quiz-time-at-the-coburn.

The gorgeous Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park covers 27 acres and is home to a wide range of wildlife and plants.

Volunteers offer support to Park Manager Ken and his team to help manage the site, including the maintenance of its many pathways.

16 GoodGymers gathered this evening to help remove cow parsley from one of the pathways.

We welcomed Jasand Carina to their first Monday night task before Ken greeted us with a short briefing, tonight's pun and some good guidance on the task ahead...

Why cow parsley?

Cow parsley can spread rapidly and dominate open spaces, overshadowing smaller plants. Managing its spread helps keep a balanced and varied landscape.

The team spent a productive hour in the overgrowth, performing many squats to carefully uproot the stems, and taking it in turns to wheel loads around the corner to the green waste pile, before hurling armfuls of greenery onto this great big green mountain.

By the end of the evening, pathway clearings were more visible (see Emma’s before and after pics) showing immediate results of tonight’s effort.

It was gone 8 when we gathered gloves, forks and wheelbarrows and headed to the nearest bench for our final group pic! Ambling back through the park, we concluded it was something of a relief to enjoy a task in the daylight, complete with warm sun.

Until next time.

On a bright April Monday evening, a group of 15 GoodGymers gathered at the Rocky Park community garden nestled in the heart of Hollybush Gardens.

Led by Margaret and Ash—and enthusiastically supported by canine companions, Basil and Wicked—the team rolled up their sleeves for a productive session of digging, lifting, and laughing.

The garden is currently undergoing a transformation, with particular focus on the planters and borders – GoodGymers have been attending regularly to help progress the project.

We were divided into three teams to tackle different tasks: One group focused on turning and depositing soil into the compost bays (better than leg day, in my opinion). Another team tackled a sizeable planter, digging and turning the earth in preparation for new planting. Meanwhile, a third team worked with precision and care (I think), relocating dozens of newly potted donated trees and shrubs.

The pace was brisk, the company sublime and the tasks certainly gave some participants a solid Monday workout.

As we approached 8pm, tools were collected, wheelbarrows stacked, and the ideal group shot spot identified.

After perfecting the pic and making a quick final fuss of the dogs, Best Task Owner in the World, Margaret, presented the team with Easter eggs, accompanied by Lobo’s Milky Ways, ensuring the team’s glycogen stores were fully replenished for the journey home.

A splendid start to Easter!

Until next time.

Margaret and Ash had the dubious honour of having not 1, not 2, but 4 Taskforce members attending their task on this gloriously sunny Saturday. We headed off to Keddlestone Community Centre (a leafy oasis in the heart of Bethnal Green) to finish building a shed. It soon became apparent that none of us had built an Ikea flatpack successfully let alone a shed - but what we lacked in experience we made up for in enthusiasm. A majority decision was made (without me) that I would write up the report. We then headed off to the pub to celebrate completing the task. We are back with Margaret and Ash this Monday.😊