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.

One by one GoodGymers gathered at tonight's task in Clarkson Street.

We were here tonight to help Margaret and Ash of the Teesdale and Hollybush TRA relocate a large mulch pile around the corner in the orchard area of Rocky Park.

Mulch helps the soil stay moist, reduces the need for watering, and keeps weeds in check. In the orchard, mulch protects tree roots, adds nutrients to the soil, and helps fruit trees grow stronger and healthier.

What looked like a manageable pile turned out to higher, denser and wider than it appeared, and so even with numerous wheelbarrow runs across the estate, the mound of mulch remained.

We took turns in filling wheelbarrows and shuttling them along Clarkson Street around the corner where Margaret was steadily raking the mulch across the orchard area.

We boosted step count, worked upper body and honed agility skills wheeling the barrows up the makeshift ramp.

And the time flew.

It seemed like we'd been working for no time at all before we were sweeping residual mulch off the pavement, gathering tools and - get this - enjoying ice lollies courtesy of Margaret.

Having posed for the all-important group shot and voted on the pun (thanks to Rose for tonight's winner - but thanks to Anna​ and the team for some top suggestions too ;) ) we headed out into another warm, sunny June evening.

Next week we're Columbia Road-bound for an SOS, sandpit-emptying task at a local school. Do join if you can!

Until then.

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.

Mrs D wanted some weeding done and to get the ivy off her fence. Next door garden was very overgrown and someone had chucked a Lime bike over the back wall, unwanted brambles and ivy were spilling into Mrs Ds garden. I cut back the ivy and brambles and pulled out some Virginia creeper. Got rid of some stinging nettles in the rest of the garden we then weeded the front garden. We chatted the whole time , Mrs D thanked me with a bottle soda. A lovely afternoon.

After a busy away day discussing all things Goodgym, such as how Ed got so good at clipart, why Notion is the most controversial tool ever, and what exactly is a shrink ray, it was time to get to work in the garden.

Calthorpe community garden is a beautiful space where everyone is welcome. Originally destined to become an office block in the 80s, local residents gathered together to save it. Happily, they succeeded and it was turned into a beautiful thriving space which supports people's physical and mental well-being as a sustainable urban oasis.

We zipped up our spanking new jackets, and feeling more on brand than ever before, we got to work.

Nada, Jack and Dave made a clean sweep of it with the help of some enormous brushes, making sure the pathways were sparkling. Jacob and Darren covered litter-ally the whole site ensuring it was rubbish free, while Ed and Kim shifted a table we can only presume was made out of osmium. Meanhile Chalomi was making sure everything was running smoothly while also keeping tabs on all the cats in the King's Cross area and Ivo project managed the mission.

Maybe it was all the GG muscle, maybe the jackets gave us superpowers, but just half an hour later the place was tidy and welcoming.The only way to celebrate a job well done on a drizzly June day? With ice cream of course!

We made our way over to a very fancy ice cream parlour, and that's where the hard work really began. How to choose? Luckily Jacob subtly dropped into conversation that he'd recently returned from Italy so was able to advise, and Ed, Kim and Jacob kindly decided to order all the flavours for us to try. They also came up with an amazing new ice-cream based TV concept, so this time next year we're going to be millionaires.

Great work everybody!

Dashing through Tower Hamlets ( in slow motion) dressed in small red costumes carrying safety equipment, Darren and I were asked my Mrs D to trim her Bay tree and two others. Unfortunately the tools were in the shed and she couldn't find the key . We managed to ask neighbour to borrow some shears and got back on the job. We did a quick job of trimming some potted shrubs, Mrs D then found the key and we trimmed a taller red tree using the ladder and loppers from the shed. By the time we'd done that we didn't have time to get the bay tree done. Botch job?
Mrs D seemed happy with the work so far but might need some more help to get it complete.