On another chilly Monday evening, ten dedicated GoodGymers gathered at the Tower Hamlets Community Transport base to support local youth organisation, Ocean Youth Connexions.

The group took on several important tasks this evening, including clearing the fence area, relocating soil, and painting two large containers as well as a balcony railing.

Our activity with Ocean Youth at the base over the last eight months have helped to enhance the premises by improving its outdoor area, thereby assisting the charities in maintaining a safe and functional environment for their administrative and training activities.

Clearing the fence area involved removing debris, ensuring the space became tidy and accessible, while relocating the soil required the team to shift large amounts of earth to designated areas.

Three teams headed to the painting tasks: tackling the two large containers required physical effort and plenty of precision. The GoodGymers, however, managed to ensure even coverage, while working in tight spaces at different heights. Painting the balcony railing also required a steady hand and careful technique to cover intricate metalwork…

It was after 8 when we decided to call it a night, Gathering brushes, overalls, paint trays and tools, we headed back into the building, to gather for our final picture.

Another great evening down in Limehouse.

A big well done to the whole team for getting so much done tonight.

Next week, it's back to Rocky Park!

Until then.

It was a smaller but thoroughly committed team tonight who arrived at Newell Street to see Kamal at the Tower Hamlets Community Transport Hub, the new base for Ocean Youth Connexions.

Why were we here?

Ocean Youth Connexions (OYC) is a youth and community organisation established in September 2000 by local volunteers from the Ocean Estate.

OYC offers a wide range of activities, including youth club sessions, half-term and summer provision, cycling proficiency training and employment support.

Having relocated last year to the Tower Hamlets Community Transport base, Ocean Youth Connexions are playing a key role in tidying up the back yard of the space, ready for it to be transformed into a hive of activity, including hosting workshops and housing minibuses!

Community transport is an essential part of a thriving local area, making sure that everyone can get where they need to go, regardless of age, ability, or income.

It also allows community organisations and charities to offer more opportunities, making sure that cost and lack of transport don’t become barriers to taking part.

Our task tonight

Tonight we were preparing one of the containers for another big paint job, and continuing to clear the back of the yard for the new fence.

Despite being short of a few lights this evening, the GoodGymers managed well, climbing ladders, navigating wheelbarrow punctures and shifting a lot of soil.

With many trips around to the debris area, as always, this was quite the workout. Up and down ladders, emptying loads, plenty of crouching and squatting. Quite the Monday night upper body workout.

The beautiful sound of St Anne’s chiming 8 let us know time was nearly up.

With one final barrow-wheel and a run-in with a blocked sink, we proceeded to finish up for the evening.

Posing for our final pic with Kamal, we said our cheerios around said sink, rooting for Lucinda and Kamal as they gave the stubborn blockage one final push.

Heading out into another chilly Monday night, we concluded that was another fun night with Ocean Youth Connexions and we look forward to returning in a couple of weeks.

A chilly evening saw a team of 15 enthusiastic GoodGymers in the James Middleton Garden to help with the creation of a new ecology pond.

This addition to the community garden will provide a rich habitat for local wildlife (including a dedicated Frog Hotel and a Bug Hotel). Enhancing biodiversity in an already flourishing green area, the pond is set to become a thriving ecosystem for amphibians, insects, and other small creatures.

We were joining Margaret and Ash from the Teesdale and Hollybush TRA tonight, who do a great job improving and enhancing the Estate’s gardens.

The main task for the evening involved digging out an irrigation area close to the new pond. Good drainage is crucial, ensuring excess water is effectively managed during heavy rain and preventing oversaturation of the surrounding soil.

Most of the team headed to this area, putting their spades to work and making swift progress, while a smaller team transported the excavated soil to a designated corner of the garden.

Another group was dispatched to the far end of the site to re-home a sizeable pile of woodchip, spreading it around the planters. (This layer of mulch helps to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and enrich the soil).

And guess what? The time flew!

It was nearly 7:50 when we started to gather tools and pose for the final pics.

The team then rallied together to return the wheelbarrows and tools to the Rocky Park toolshed.

Another satisfying evening in East London.

Until next time.

We split into two groups at Rocky Park tonight: Team Roots and Team Big-Pile-of-Earth.

Team Roots consisted of Kareem, sleeping-bag Anna, Ruby, Sam, Kat (welcome back Kat!), and Ilana (still denying she's banned from the George & Vulture). They were concerned with digging out roots from a planting area. Our hosts Ash and Margaret had already removed some of the more complicated roots from the planting area, but there was much still to be done.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the space, a large mound of earth had been compacted by rain into the ground. It needed loosening with forks, and all worms rescued, before being shovelled into large bags, handily held open with string. This team was Maddie, me, Rohan and new-boy Gareth, doing his first ever Good Deed. Welcome Gareth, who was working so vigorously the picture was blurred! And while the other team were digging out roots, Maddie was revealing her roots (Scottish).

We'll be back there next week; sign up here: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-big-monday-night-task-february-fitness-gardening-on-the-hollybush-estate

And if you can make it, don't forget to sign up for the Kent Coast Walk on 15th March. Join the GoodGym train at St Pancras or Stratford: https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-kent-coast-walk