The earlier downpour had luckily abated for the monthly volunteering morning at the garden. We enjoyed a varied session, which included weeding the raspberry patch, turning the compost, mulching, taming the sage and lemon balm and even litter picking, where Rob got lucky and found a decapitated Action Man. It was also a day for spotting wildlife, with eight newts seen in the compost pile, a friendly robin and even a mouse. It was lovely to see Alyson back with us and to meet a potential new recruit in Laura. Rob stayed on to help with more mulching and did a sterling job (observed from the comfort of the cafe, but don’t spill the beans!)

The tranquil garden is looking lovely and we were able to see how the log work we did last time has been transformed into seating. Tonight we were tasked with painting the wooden planters green and gold, as well as moving logs and clearing some brambles. It was great to see Georgina, who popped by while doing a litter pick. With her arm on the mend, hopefully she will be back at sessions soon. The nights are drawing in, so we were working in darkness by the end of the task but hopefully the results will be brush-taking! Thanks to Maggie, who lives nearby, for kindly donating some post-session chocolate, meaning that team green and team gold were transformed into team mint and team orange.

It may have been threatening to tip it down but that didn't deter our trusty crew of GoodGymers from walking, running and cycling over to Beverley Park. The weeds have been running rampant since our visit a few months ago, so our job was to pull them out, then cover the ground with cardboard and top with mulch. It was a fantastic effort by everyone before the light faded. Jon kindly rounded off the evening by sharing a bara brith cake brought back from his trip to Wales. Yaki dah!

The team was on a mission to move a mountain of soil from the pavement to the beds on the platform! We didn't quite crack the logistics of timing the bucket filling with carrying and delivering along the platform, but we certainly got a great workout from all the shoveling, lifting, and climbing up the steps. We also enjoyed the added bonus jobs of sweeping up spillages both on and off the platform (oops!) and some watering up on the embankment. It was a productive evening and a great opportunity for a social afterwards in the nearby Raynes Park Tavern to meet everyone properly.