9 GoodGymers made their way to the Parkview Estate on Old Ford Road for an evening of well-organised, hands-on estate gardening.

We were warmly welcomed by Des, a long-time resident who knows the area like the back of his hand.

Des had already mapped out a neat list of jobs, and after a quick intro, we split into teams and got cracking.

The first group headed to the front of the community centre, where pruning shears, loppers and wheelbarrows were quickly put to use.

Shrubs were trimmed, mulch distributed, and before long this small garden area looked more purposeful and less overgrown.

Meanwhile, a determined team of four made a beeline for the green bench in the play area (no ordinary bench - reportedly the pride of the garden). A fresh coat of paint went on smoothly in the evening sun, genuinely giving the bench a new lease of life.

The third team headed closer to the road, where buddleia had taken over and graffiti had accumulated on the community notice board. Trimming the plants back and slowly prising stubborn spray paint made an immediate difference – no dramatic transformation, but the kind that makes things a bit nicer.

As the pruning task wrapped up, John and Leanne shifted roles and headed around the corner, taking on some hoarding opposite Victoria Park. Armed with rollers and steady hands, they covered a surprisingly large section before we had to call time.

As we left Des was still going strong with a paintbrush in hand.

A very satisfying evening indeed: a nice example of those physical tasks with a visible result.

Well done to everyone who came – and thanks to Des for leading the way with thoughtful planning and good humour.

Next week it’s back to Limehouse to see Kamal at the Tower Hamlets Community Transport hub.

Until then.

8 goodgymers braved the heat to come to Columbia Primary school and put some proper elbow grease into Monday's task.

Thanks to Ingrid who kindly provided gloves and equipment. Shout out to Ed from down the road who lent us a few extra spades.

A very warm welcome to Alex for coming along to his first task.

Enter the Sandmen: Chris, Kareem and Alex who got to work clearing out the sandpit which had become full of toys. Once this was done they emptied out as much of the sand as they could, which Ingrid wanted to save for future use, into bags.

Emma joined us (once she managed to find the right entrance) and was hired on the spot to be trolley team leader. The job description was moving sand to the garden down the road. It involved navigating a busy cycle super highway and not mowing down pedestrians (mainly ourselves).

Ilana, Sam and Anna were the planter posse. This industrious team emptied out the soil from two worn out wooden planters. Once completed, they came in like a wrecking ball and forcefully dismantled the planters. The way Anna kicked the planters down suggested a serious background in martial arts.

We all came together in the end to tidy away the wooden shreds of the planters and do a general sweep up of the soil.

An amazing effort by everyone involved

On a bright June evening, GoodGymers gathered in Meath Gardens for an hour of hands-on care in this well-loved park.

The team were focusing on two simple tasks: relocating salvaged logs and stumps to support newly planted trees, and giving the park a thorough litter-pick.

The first task saw us heading into a dense patch of greenery, where partially hidden tree stumps and logs lay entangled among bindweed, brambles, and long grass.

Armed with gloves and determination, we managed to free the wood from its weedy hold, unearthing a surprising amount of wildlife in the process — from industrious woodlice to clinging fungi.

We loaded the logs into wheelbarrows and shuttled them across the park to the woodland area. They were then arranged around the bases of young trees and along informal pathways to offer a natural barrier that helps shield saplings and root zones from the wear and tear of maintenance equipment and foot traffic.

Meanwhile, John and Chi took to the four corners of Meath Gardens with litter-pickers and bin bags - we later joined them after the tree task.

Our final haul included plastic bottles, vape cartridges, takeaway containers, and bundles of crisp packets! We completed our productive evening by depositing the rubbish in nearby bins before taking a final snap.

A great night with our terrific task owner, Tunde, and thanks to Chi, Asad and John for tonight's great pics.

Next week it’s back to Rocky Park to see Margaret and Ash!

Until then.