We were back at Hollybush Estate on Monday night, joining Margaret and Ash to shift the mulch we laid down several months ago, now rotted and ready to nourish a fresh round of bedding plants.

We were also joined by Michael from the Hollybush team, who came armed with a surprise for later in the evening. And a big welcome to @Dan Baker, newly arrived from Liverpool but already well at home with GoodGym thanks to his TaskForce experience. Thanks for the extra pair of hands, Dan! We also had a furry visitor, Missy the Beagle brought by Emma, perfect for the role of GoodGym mascot I must say!

With so many willing volunteers, the mulch was swiftly cleared and replaced with fresh material, leaving us plenty of time for the real highlight of the night: celebrating Margaret’s 70th birthday. Sparklers were lit and a caterpillar cake (expertly sourced by Lucinda) presented.

Margaret has been a constant, warm presence at Hollybush Estate for years. Anyone who’s volunteered here will know her trademark “How are you, darling?” and her tireless commitment to the gardens and community. GoodGym Tower Hamlets and Hollybush itself wouldn’t be the same without her.

We spent the whole session with the goats today!

We mucked out their stalls, cleared up the poo, and laid down fresh hay to make their home clean and cozy again. We also did a few trips to the 'poo palace'. After the chores, we enjoyed hanging out with them in their area— they were as curious and playful as ever.

We were lucky with the weather too — rain only showed up right at the end and didn’t last long. A full, fun, and rewarding day!

Before the task, early arrivers indulged in a spot of bat watching and we were introduced to the bat detector!

At 7pm, we gathered around as Ken took us through the ABCs of bulb planting. Then we were on our way across the park with our trowels and head torches. We dug deep (to save the bulbs from the squirrels!) and planted 200 bulbs between us around the park. Looking forward to spring to see our handy work bloom and the park come alive with tulips and crocuses!

Shout out to our newest members of the group Beth and Ryan. See you all again soon!

If darkness hadn't quite fallen by the time we arrived at Sivill House, it was certainly teetering over the edge. There was some illumination from the estate lights, and people brought head torches, but our main concern was the effect of the gloomy conditions on those all-important task photos!

Task owner and GoodGymer Ed directed us to a very large pile of woodchip which had been donated to Columbia TRA. It was happily sitting in the car park, but it really needed to be in the gardens, the other side of the estate. It didn’t look too large a pile, until we realised how far back it went…

Still, we had five wheelbarrows, plenty of shovels and bags, and most importantly a 17-strong squad of GoodGymers. It felt like a real workout as we persuaded the reluctant woodchip to separate from the security of its pile, to a new life – mulching! This technique suppresses weeds, conserves soil moisture, insulates plant roots and improves soil health and fertility. Yes, we’ve enabled all those things!

A special welcome to newcomers Angelique and Ryan, who really threw themselves into the task. Hope to see you back soon! And thanks to Fiona who took some good photos after all!

Despite the darkness, the night was still young as we headed off, with a suggestion that one of the task owners had invited us to the pub. We didn’t know where we were supposed to go, so after wandering around for a bit, four of us headed for the Royal Oak to congratulate ourselves on all our good work