After a short run down from the Crook Log Sports Center we met up with Ann at the Cannon. She had already started picking up paper blowing around in the wind! We managed to tidy the whole area and around the Library too. Ann managed to secure the lock on the gate which was proving to be tricky and we headed home just before the sunset 🌅.

This is our new monthly session working with Jason, the head gardener at The Community Hospice.

Our focus was the long border, taking out unwanted plants so the plot can be re-planted when it's been properly prepared.

'Team Roses' got physical digging out several rose bushes to allow the remaining Tender Loving Care roses, bred especially for the Hospice, to be the stars of the show.

'Team Sedge' also needed muscle power to uproot the grassy clumps of Carex pendula that were attempting to crowd out other plants.

'Team Leek' took a more delicate approach, carefully removing the invasive Three-cornered Leek plants - Allium triquetrum - that had been stealthily invading the area. Getting out the entire bulb and roots was the aim of the game here, all with the aroma of onions!

It's always amazing to see how much a team of enthusiastic GoodGymers can achieve in such a short time.

After tidying away the tools we enjoyed tea and coffee in the Hospice café.

We'll be back on the fourth Saturday of each month. Come along and together we'll help Jason realise his plans for the gardens of this wonderful charity.

We had a great time today at the Community Hospice Shop in Welling.

Our visit began with a comprehensive tour of the premises, guided by our host, James, who gave us an insight into how everything operates behind the scenes. We also received a health and safety briefing—an essential part of the process when dealing with such a vast amount of donated items.

We learned that this location serves 16 charity shops across the borough, which means an incredible volume of donations constantly needs sorting. It’s a big task.

With our team—Caroline, Ann, Zita, and me—ready to get stuck in, we rolled up our sleeves and set to work sorting through bags of donated clothes, linens, shoes, handbags, and even the odd toy here and there.

The sorting process itself was a real eye-opener. Donations were separated into various categories: 🔹 Quality – pristine, gently used, or worn-out items 🔹 Gender & Age – men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing 🔹 Specialist Items – vintage or designer labels, set aside for specialist charity shops 🔹 Condition – freshly laundered and neatly folded vs. those with stains, paint marks, or signs of heavy wear.

It was interesting see what had been donated. There were some high-end and vintage items, lots of decent quality stuff all the way down to unusable. The good news? The majority will be resold, raising essential funds for the charity.

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. The three-hour session flew by, and we met some nice new people along the way. I imagine we’ll be back before long—there’s always more to do, and it feels good knowing that every bit of effort goes towards such a worthy cause.