Not deterred by the ominous dark clouds above and the threat of a somewhat soggy task, Goodgym first-timer Ben and I joined the very lovely Friends of Cheney Row Park to do some litter picking and clearing up of brambles.

The park - once used for landfill and more recently just a dumping ground for fly-tippers - has been developed over the past couple of years, making a gorgeous green space with paths, play areas and wildflower gardens, all perfect for local families to enjoy. But as the Council cut back the wilderness to prepare the space for landscaping, much of the rubbish-dumping legacy was revealed, and the areas that have not yet been developed or planted are still thick with deeply embedded litter. That's where the Friends of Cheney Row Park come into their own!

All local residents, who love the park very much, they are committed to creating - and keeping - an attractive and safe space. So, armed with grabber sticks, thick gloves and big bin bags, Ben and I joined them and set to work! We filled several bags with all sorts of old gubbins, most of it the ubiquitous plastic bottles, drinks cans and perished plastic bags.

My "best" find was a very scraggy old pair of jeans. Ben, however, proved to be the king of "litter" picking when he discovered half a motorbike in the brambles! No amount of attempts with the grabber stick was going to get that into a bin bag, so we quickly decided we'd best leave its disposal to the Council.

After a good hour or so, with our chosen areas of the park visibly cleaner and smarter, we were treated to a hot cuppa and a Hobnob before we cleaned and packed our tools away and said goodbye to the Friends of Cheney Row Park. An excellent task indeed!