In mid-August heat 10 wonderful GoodGymers caught a lovely evening in Kentish Town!

Cressfield Close is an unassuming cul-de-sac — houses and quiet — and yet hiding special community spaces!

There's the city farm — with goats and guinea pigs and sheep and more — and there's also the sheltered housing, which was our home for the evening :)

This lovely group — Alex, Alison, Claire (on their first Camden good deed – great to meet you!), Danny, Jackie, Jessica (on their first good deed — welcome!), John, Lydia, and Steve — were welcomed by residents Marie and Michael, and we got quickly to our evening work.

The communal garden is a bountiful space (fruits, vegetables, and flowers aplenty) and we were tasked with targeting the thistles and weeds that have sprung over the summer.

Armed with trowels and forks, this group donned gloves and made light work of everything — and all while connecting and sharing stories :)

Thank you, everyone! See you soon!!

10 wonderful GoodGym folk made a green-fingered difference in Kentish Town!

Five of us – Alex, Danny, John, Matt, and Steve – started out from Somers Town yesterday evening.

Matt ran from Battersea Park – John sprinted from Euston Station – Danny ran down from Kentish Town – and Steve wove his usual route up from Bloomsbury!

Together we followed a steady route towards Willingham Terrace (situated in a very hot Kentish Town) and met five others – Alison, Caitlin, Helen, Lydia, and Sarah – each of whom made their own journeys (on foot and bike) to our good-deeding venue.

Hilda has lived on this estate for decades and she's transformed the green spaces – there's a bountiful allotment that was once a verge – and it's all thanks to Hilda's perseverance and creativity.

Yesterday was our second visit and we were focused once again on the communal square's hedgerow.

Weeds were pulled – grass edges were established – and four great big bags of cuttings were collected and disposed.

The difference was huge – and all under an overbearing July sun!

Thank you, everyone!! See you next time!!

This group of 9 gifted joy to Camden's older residents this week!

Our lovely group of Londoners – Charlie, Danny, Gosia, Jackie, John, and Steve – welcomed 2 very wonderful Cardiffians – Dylan and Rosie – this week! It was brilliant meeting you both!

In humid and warm climes, our friendly group started the night with a swift meander through Camden and Kentish Town, and we arrived at Cressfield Close Sheltered Housing in happy spirits :)

Popped between Gospel Oak and Kentish Town, this cul-de-sac hides many a wonderful surprise – some like to visit the city farm (and their friendly goats) and others (like us yesterday) like to explore the (beautiful) communal garden for older residents.

We met our favourite hosts – Marie and Michael – and they were prepared with water and tools, as well as tasks aplenty.

Charlie and Danny turned a patch of planting soil – making it wonderfully ready and waiting for summer bulbs!

Dylan and Rosie tackled a square of weeds and grass – and made the heavy work appear light, leaving it clear and ready for planting!

And Gosia, Jackie, John, and Steve didn't let the hedgerows become obstacles – they crawled and knelt and reached and dug – and they turned a weed-filled patch into a silky-smooth area fit for a flower show!

Thank you, everyone! It was lovely to see you!! And we hope to see you again, Dylan and Rosie!!

Lismore Circus Community Woods is an urban space in Gospel Oak, staffed by volunteers, which is where we come in. They can always do with some extra help and there were ten of us!

First we had to move a fallen tree. Then we set to work on the hedges, which were growing over footpaths and a cycle path, and were generally looking rather untidy. Fancying ourselves as skilled hairdressers, we thought about working on perms, wedges, buns, braids, and mullets, but in the end just made some nice fringes.

By the time we’d finished, the paths were free of overhanging and overgrown foliage, and the hedges were cut back to leave a proper edge to the path.

A special welcome to Victoria, who we’d previously met at Hampstead ParkRun, and was here for her first ever good deed! See you again soon Victoria.