8 GoodGymers made a wonderful difference in Kentish Town!

We took a visit to one of our usual haunts last night.

Nestled in a corner of a cul de sac — away from the usual bustle of Kentish Town — is a very special sheltered housing scheme.

With a winding garden full of seasonal delights, this group got to quick work yesterday evening!

❤️ Alex, Sam (on their first good deed — welcome!), and Steve transformed a weed strewn vegetable patch into a perfect image of fresh soil ripe and ready for next year's planting :)

❤️ Gary and John started off by weeding one flower bed... then two... then three! And then they turned their quick hands to raking and sweeping, making everything better by the minute :)

❤️ Caitlin and Jackie visited a resident's garden and made the swiftest and most efficient work of the fallen leaves, gifting this space back to the very grateful resident :)

Thank you, everyone! Here's to next time!

6 GoodGymers enjoyed the sunset hour last night!

We started in the sun and ended in the dusk, and we made a healthy difference along the way 😊

A happy trio – Lilan, Steve, and Alex – kicked open the evening with a conversation-filled (books, misinformation, moral panics..!) run to Kentish Town.

Where they met another happy trio – Alison, John, and Lydia – who’d each arrived by foot from different corners of Camden.

Our home for the evening was Cressfield Close Sheltered Housing, where a special community lives and a beautiful garden grows.

Alison and Lydia got to green-fingered business in a flash, taking tools and bags to a garden (belonging to a very kind resident) that needed a proper trim. And trim it they did. Three bags and 60 minutes later, everything looked spacious again.

Meanwhile, Lilan, John, and Steve joined the Ivy League. This creeper had wrapped itself around a wall, a tree, and a resident’s garden. Not that it could match the skills of this hard-working troupe 😊

Thank you, everyone! You all did a huge amount! Here’s to next time!

In mid-August heat 10 wonderful GoodGymers caught a lovely evening in Kentish Town!

Cressfield Close is an unassuming cul-de-sac — houses and quiet — and yet hiding special community spaces!

There's the city farm — with goats and guinea pigs and sheep and more — and there's also the sheltered housing, which was our home for the evening :)

This lovely group — Alex, Alison, Claire (on their first Camden good deed – great to meet you!), Danny, Jackie, Jessica (on their first good deed — welcome!), John, Lydia, and Steve — were welcomed by residents Marie and Michael, and we got quickly to our evening work.

The communal garden is a bountiful space (fruits, vegetables, and flowers aplenty) and we were tasked with targeting the thistles and weeds that have sprung over the summer.

Armed with trowels and forks, this group donned gloves and made light work of everything — and all while connecting and sharing stories :)

Thank you, everyone! See you soon!!

This group of 9 gifted joy to Camden's older residents this week!

Our lovely group of Londoners – Charlie, Danny, Gosia, Jackie, John, and Steve – welcomed 2 very wonderful Cardiffians – Dylan and Rosie – this week! It was brilliant meeting you both!

In humid and warm climes, our friendly group started the night with a swift meander through Camden and Kentish Town, and we arrived at Cressfield Close Sheltered Housing in happy spirits :)

Popped between Gospel Oak and Kentish Town, this cul-de-sac hides many a wonderful surprise – some like to visit the city farm (and their friendly goats) and others (like us yesterday) like to explore the (beautiful) communal garden for older residents.

We met our favourite hosts – Marie and Michael – and they were prepared with water and tools, as well as tasks aplenty.

Charlie and Danny turned a patch of planting soil – making it wonderfully ready and waiting for summer bulbs!

Dylan and Rosie tackled a square of weeds and grass – and made the heavy work appear light, leaving it clear and ready for planting!

And Gosia, Jackie, John, and Steve didn't let the hedgerows become obstacles – they crawled and knelt and reached and dug – and they turned a weed-filled patch into a silky-smooth area fit for a flower show!

Thank you, everyone! It was lovely to see you!! And we hope to see you again, Dylan and Rosie!!

Eight wonderful GoodGymers enjoyed community last night!

The start of April signaled the light and lengthening evenings, and the end gifted us brightness and heat.

Our group looked wondrously summer-y as we assembled on Cressfield Close in Kentish Town.

Home to the City Farm, this quiet cul-de-sac is also where a happy sheltered housing block sits. Our group has been helping tend their (wonderfully cared for) communal garden for years, and we got quickly to our tasks yesterday.

Guided by ace manager, Cathi, and kind residents, Marie and Michael, we settled into rhythms of conversation and work.

Caitlin and Siobhan filled two new vegetable growing pens with manure, mulch, and compost, and they left them ready for the coming weeks' incoming vegetables!

John and Jackie (later joined by Caitlin and Siobhan) worked their weeding magic on a growing patch that will soon bloom with roses - the difference they made was huge!

And Emilie, Imogen, and Steve visited lovely resident, Kit, and together they removed bag-upon-bag of weeds, shrubs, and vines - they left the space transformed!

Thank you, everyone! This was a special evening to share!

John, Jackie and Gosia proudly represented GoodGym Camden at Cressfield Sheltered Housing this evening lucky to be accompanied by - first of the year - proper spring vibes ☀️🌡.

We all met somewhere on our way there with John proudly riding his bike (wearing his super duper hi-vis space 👨‍🚀 jacket).

Just before entering we were welcomed by a local cat 🐈 who was very keen to get some cuddles from the newcomers. It was definitely cute enough to - hereby - get this special mention 🌟 in today's report 😎.

We buzzed in at exactly 18:30 and were welcomed by Cathi who briefed us on the task and also showed us available equipment and gardening accessories (incl. brand new and extremely cool - gloves with claws 🧤😼).

We were tasked to de-weed two garden plots that were covered by quite a tick carpet of weeds, with few plants 🌱 bravely sticking out, likely looking around 🔍 to find more space for themselves.

We started off with one of the plots, supporting ourselves with gardening tools as well as chairs 🪑 and pillows to keep ourselves comfortable while deweeding 🦥. While progressing we had a lovely and cozy chat about plants, parkruns, GoodGym and serious life matters 😄. We continued like that as we moved around to sort out the second plot.

We finished off the work at 19:30, which gave us just enough time to finish both plots. Luckily we took before and after which made us feel even just a tiny bit prouder from today's work ☺️!