Three GG Amigos arrived post ParkRun activities to assist at Valentines Forest Garden.

Ed and Linda went with one of the Forest Farm volunteers to collect tools from nearby. Meanwhile Peter got talking to a couple of passersby and soon had them inspired to help out.

One of the new volunteers was allocated to helping us and we soon had a nice little chain gang going. Ed was breaking up the sodden wood-chip, our assigned helper loaded the rusty, very squeaky wheelbarrow and Linda transported it to Peter who neatly smoothed it out across the paths. The efficiency of this system and the fact that the annoying squeak was subdued if the wheelbarrow was pushed faster meant the job soon got done.

It was hot and thirsty work so the provision of mint and lemon flavoured iced water was most gratefully received and then we were our way.

It was a morning of false starts before we got going at the Valentines Forest Garden. First Linda balked the pre task Park Run in favour of Marshalling then our new member Florence almost joined in with the Valentines Community Sevice Team in error 😳 A huge welcome to Florence who persevered in her mission to find us and was pretty soon mucking in and proving a valuable member of the team.

James did complete the Park Run but still had the energy to lift logs and shift wood chip. Ed, also fresh from Marshalling, laid the logs and some cardboard to form a new stretch of path while Florence shoveled wood-chip to cover which Linda leveled by scuffing her feet over it... much like a scene from The Great Escape. 🤣

With the path completed we all helped to create a small ditch and bank ( there was a proper term for this which I didn't retain 🙄).

Carol from The Forest Garden Project was very impressed and appreciative with how quickly we got the tasks done.

It was a nice session, in good company with a lot accomplished. Well done us 🤩

When the host park of a Redbridge Park Run have a community task at 10 am on a Saturday morning of course Redbridge Good Gym will attend.

Park Run warmed up and ready to work James and Linda joined the Valentines Forest Garden volunteers. Some local children had been using the garden as a play area running around over new planting. It was thought due to the natural look of the plot and the logs outlining the paths being dislodged that the children had been unaware of the boundaries.

Now joined by veteran Park Run marshal Ed we set to work on operation build fences. Linda lopped small branches to make stakes (thanks to James lengthening the loppers to save her poor old back), Ed hammered in the steaks around the existing path boarders and James expertly weaved bamboo and soft twigs cut by the other volunteers.

When we ran out of suitable sticks for stakes we called it a day as a considerable amount of fencing had been achieved. There is still a lot to be done but there will be other weeks and Forest Garden volunteers were very appreciative of our efforts.

Jenny, James and Linda participated in Valentines ParkRun with James achieving another PB! Well Done Buddy 👏🏻

After a brief pit stop to refuel Val had cycled up to meet us and we moved on to the Forest Garden. Jenny and Linda went to retrieve the cardboard fellow GGer PVT had collected for this project from her car whilst James and Val started removing the plastic tape and labels from the cardboard already at the forest. Sharon arrived shortly after to help with this and the subsequent laying down of the cardboard. We were then joined by Jenny's partner and new GG member Padraig, he and Jenny were given the strenuous task of shifting wood chip onto the cardboard to serve as weed sheet. While Val and Linda spread the wood chip evenly, Sharon and James moved on to help weave a wall for the insect sanctuary between the tree stumps. James was then given a machete to cut some more branches for weaving, a job which he took on with much enthusiasm...maybe a little too much enthusiasm 😂

Rakesh the task owner arrived and asked Jenny, Padraig, James and Val to move some rather large slices of tree which are to be to be assembled into a seating area. This was clearly heavy work but being the GG troupers that they are they didn't complain and even went on to do another task at the local food bank who had put out a last minute cry for help. Sharon and Linda stayed on to finish up with the weaving.

Sending out a huge welcome to Padraig on behalf of Good Gym Redbridge, he wasted no time in getting stuck in with the rest of the gang and even went on to do the double. 🙌