Orchard Runs and Hedge Heroics with Goodgym Barnet April 1st, 2025 – Friary Park, North London

It was a cloudless, golden evening for GoodGym’s latest outing to Friary Park, where four valiant volunteers converged from across the borough — by foot, bike, and good intention — to lend a hand (and legs) to the Friends of Friary Park.

Our mission? Water an orchard and a very thirsty hedge, both planted to boost local biodiversity and food sustainability. The orchard, a collection of young fruit trees, had had a drink recently. The hedge? Not so lucky. It hadn’t seen much water since Christmas, and it showed.

Led by Nick and Sarah, with help from Sarah’s young daughter (who enthusiastically joined our end-of-session exercises), we got to work. The hedge was a long way from the tap, so we made do with watering cans, a wheelbarrow, and a repurposed caravan tank, jogging and schlepping our way across the park in a joyful sort of sloshy relay.

As the sun dipped behind the trees, we closed with a bench-based workout: squats, dips, press-ups, and sprints. The perfect blend of graft, laughter, and effort with a purpose. We even managed a group photo on a beautiful old tree stump — captured with flair by our junior photographer.

Why do we do it? Because when community groups lack manpower and councils lack funding, an hour of help can make a real difference. We need more hands, more hearts — so why not join GoodGym and bring a friend?