Botley School had 3 more bags of shingle that needed transferring to the school quad. We helped shovel, wheelbarrow and rake the shingle, which was very satisfying! We then had some time left over so we helped with weeding too. The quad will have a grand reopening in a couple of weeks so it was nice to help get it looking smart!

And for us yesterday evening that included:

• bike tyres
• buckets
• an old garden fork
• window frames
• storage drawers
• household rubbish
• wine bottles and of course PANTS!

Returning to Boundary Brook is always a joy. This time we were tasked with litter picking the edges of the nature reserve, both inside and out. It is frankly bonkers what we find on litter picks.....

After an hour and a bit we had amassed a mountain of litter ready for the council to collect, and fortified by cherries (thanks Trevor) we set off into the sunny evening for our run.

Good work team!!

On Sunday morning, a group of us volunteered with GoodGym and Cancer Research UK at Oxford’s Race for Life.

We took on a range of roles—from pacing and marshalling to handing out well-earned snacks and medals at the finish line. A special shout-out to Emma for completing her first GoodGym task and for bringing extra energy with her fantastic handmade signs to cheer everyone on!

The atmosphere was really positive, with strong support from spectators and a great turnout for the 5km and 10km races.

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part and raised an incredible amount of money for Cancer Research UK!

This evening we had a glorious time at Marston Forest Garden. After an enthusiastic greeting from Anthony, Isobel and Oboe the dog we wandered through the site to the Medicinal Herb Circle.

The whole site has burst into bloom in the last few weeks, fruit has started to ripen, flowers popping up and the trees are thriving.

This evening we were tasked with weeding the herb circle in readiness for one of Isobel's glorious brick labyrinths. Armed with tools and fortified by watermelon and DELICIOUS flapjacks we set to work. After an hour and a bit the area looked much better and Isobel sent us into the allotment to forage for fruit and herbs.

Already looking forward to our July session!

Mrs H is surviving the heat! She hasn't quite finished one of the books but is enjoying it very much.

Oxford Preservation Trust have a piece of meadow land up on Harcourt Hill which they want to use for grazing. A water supply has been sorted, fencing is on it's way, and the final job on the list is to get the ragwort explosion under control.

Common ragwort is one of the most frequently visited flowers by butterflies in the UK and more than 200 species of invertebrate have been recorded on it. However, despite it's benefits to biodiversity, it needs to be got rid of on grazing land. Ragwort poses a significant threat to livestock, particularly horses and cattle. While animals generally avoid it in its green state due to its bitter taste, they can ingest it when it's dried in hay or silage, or when other food sources are scarce. While ragwort is not a neurotoxin in the strictest sense, it can cause neurological symptoms in animals due to the liver damage it causes. The plant's toxins primarily affect the liver. When the liver is damaged, it can no longer properly filter toxins from the blood, leading to a buildup of these toxins and impacting brain function, resulting in neurological signs.

Hugging the shade, we set about digging and pulling up as much ragwort as we could. We managed a good haul, almost filling a tonne bag with plants. This is definitely an ongoing task, but we feel like we made a good start at it.

With the temperature finally starting to drop by the end of the session we had a beaut of a run post-task up towards Boars Hill.

Welcome to GoodGym Becca!