Who needs a head torch when we have mulch more bulbs than we can handle at the ETNA community centre?

After an entertaining warm-up, 12 runners set off from Wholefoods, weaving through the pedestrians on Richmond’s high street, then over the bridge and down to the towpath for a torch lit riverside run. We were bound for ETNA community centre in St Margaret’s where we regularly do battle with their cheerfully persistent weeds, with the aim of continuing some unfinished mulching business and making a start on some springtime bulb planting “anywhere you can see soil”.

The Bulb Babes (as they henceforth shall be known) got stuck into the mud with their many, many, MANY bulbs of which roughly 10 made it into the not-quite-thawed-enough ground. Meanwhile, Operation Sheet Lightning (cause they were laying down the sheeting quick as a flash) got snip-happy with some scissors neatly shaping the sheeting round edges and obstacles and layering the bark on top. And our new runner, Richard, got busy weeding the areas we haven’t yet mulched which seemed like an appropriate initiation for his first run given that weeding at ETNA has become something of a signature task for GoodGym Richmond (welcome, Richard!).

Whilst we settled into the task at ETNA, two of our crew set off on a reconnaissance mission to assess the scale of a potential litter picking task for a future date (Operation Litter Bug?). It was all a bit 007, but without the sexual innuendo, car chases and improbable escapes from imminent death. They safely reported back to M (ahem, Mark) before the night was done – sadly not enough litter for this ninja taskforce to tackle on a Monday night. Richmond, you are just too tidy. We haven’t had a chance to use our litter pickers for AGES.

All in all, a busy enough evening for 12 pairs of hands and still more to do for ETNA’s garden-fringed car park at a future date. Good work, team.

As mentioned ETNA are in the process of upgrading their site and therefore the services that they offer our community. They have very much expressed an interest in hearing any ideas we may have to help them raise funds. Let's get sharing, think of something fun and let's see if we can get involved and support this amazing organisation.