Every month it gets a little brighter.

That was our feeling as our wonderful group - Charlie, Emilie, Kathleen, Jackie, John, Siobhan (on their first GoodGym good deed - welcome!!), and Steve - met at our regular haunt for green-fingered activities, Cecil Sharp House.

Spring is nearly here - we all said - even if - we still need our head torches.

With the garden lit and tools distributed, this special group swiftly started on a list of helpful tasks:

✅ Charlie, Emilie, Kathleen, John, and Steve tackled (magnificently) the sneaky weeds living between the cracks (and who were about to shoot high for spring!)

✅ Jackie bagged leaves and picked weeds behind the shed and by the front gate (making a huge and very visible difference!)

✅ Steve (taking a break from the sneaky weeds) and Alex pulled 2 severed rope-esque roots from (deep) in the ground!

✅ Siobhan (also taking a break from the sneaky weeds) filled watering can upon watering can and gifted the greenhouse a spot of hydration :)

Thank you, everyone for your time and energy - it was a wonderful evening!

Here's to next time!!

As today's gloomy light faded, one wonderful group - Emilie, Gosia, Jackie (on their first GoodGym good deed - welcome!!!), Jacqui, Nivia, and Steve - stood by 1 pallet of rocks ⛰️ + 1 (huge) pallet of compost 🏋️ + 1 (giant) sack of mulch 🐂

I couldn't shake the thought - it was the only thought I had - that we must simply (mistakenly) have turned up to Camden's Strongest Voluntary Group.

This collection of heavy things was positioned outside the Caversham NHS Practice in Kentish Town - an unlikely destination for Camden's Strongest Voluntary Group (it's usually held in an out-of-town industrial estate) - and we were there to ferry ⛴️ this collection of garden essentials to the Caversham's quite beautiful Listening Space garden.

While I scoped things out (searching for other voluntary groups lifting weights and pumping iron) this ace group made light, happy, and swift work of everything. The route between the pile and the garden became a flurry of wheelbarrowing + carrying + running + laughing. My dry day became bright, and all because of these lovely people.

Finishing early and with smiles, we said our goodbyes to Jo and the Caversham (now home to rocks, compost, and mulch), and we all agreed how good it will be to visit again soon ☺️

This wonderful group - 11 in number - brought GoodGym to the Mount(ain) today!

I must admit my ignorance.

Until this morning, I (mistakenly) believed that London was a mount(ain)-free city.

I knew about hills (like the fearsome incline between Chalk Farm and the Gail's in Belsize Park), but I knew nothing about mount(ain)s.

This all changed when we arrived at the gorgeous Waterlow Park.

I had thought (again, mistakenly) we were there to tend a wildflower mound, but apparently it is more than a mound - it is a mount(ain).............

.........anyway!

This lovely group - Caitlin, Emilie, Emily, Karen, Kathleen, Khai, Mike, Natalia, Sally, and Steve - painted an active, social, and fun picture of community today ☺️

Guided by April, our brilliant host from Friends of Waterlow Park, we cut bucket-load (upon bucket-load upon bucket-load) of dried grass from the mount, leaving it well-pruned ahead of yellow rattle being sewn over the coming weeks. The hope (🤞) is that the mount will bloom this summer, and we will be back to see if it does!

Thank you, everyone, for your work and company - you made for such a fabulous morning!!