The September Grove Farm conservation day was a little bit like a rock star arriving late at the stage. The sense of anticipation started to build up when the GoodGymers received a message that Mike, the Grove Farm task leader, was running late.

The suspense didn't last long as Mike showed up only 2-3 minutes after his set time. But the support band was still playing! David Lloyd's forklift was dancing around the Friends of Grove Farm container after we had pointed out that pallets with cement had been blocking the entrance to the tool store.

When Afshin, Steph, Sevan, Mike, and Deborah set off to the top of the lane, near the Sudbury Hill tube station, Kash and her bass guitar (guess what tool was that) disappeared backstage (in David Lloyd's bathrooms). Later, she claimed something nasty had stuck to her backpack and hand, and the delay wasn't a case of fixing the stage makeup.

The Saturday's gig was all about chopping and raking the brambles and other weeds that (again!) overtook the patch that we had been preparing for the wildflower seeding last year. The clearance of the green stuff was quick, so the next part of our set was a litterpick. Among the ubiquitous beer cans and vodka bottles, we found three boxes of cereals of unknown provenance and known best-before date: the past. No one dared to claim the shady Cheerios and Coco Pops, so sadly, they went to the bin.

The next opportunity to get involved in the conservation work at Grove Farm will be next month - sign up now!

The August conservation day at Grove Farm felt like a proper summer day, after a bit chillier week. Four GoodGymers: Steph, Sevan, Maxime and Kash, were back to continue cutting back the thorny shrubs alongside the lane dividing the woodlands from the meadows at Grove Farm. They met Friends of Grove Farm: Mike, Bharti, Fred and Olena, who was back after a study break. The team of eight started where some of them had finished at the July session.

Ninety minutes of intense trimming, raking and litter picking made a significant difference and left the lane looking tidy and refreshed. As per Mike's suggestion, we have left the plants with berries not cut to make sure the woodland animals would have enough food for the winter months.

We will be back at Grove Farm in September for more conservation work - save the date and sign up now!

A mild July morning saw seven volunteers assembling for a conservation day in beautiful woodlands near Sudbury Hill tube station. There were four GoodGymers and four Friends of Grove Farm. Wait, where are my maths skills? Here’s a secret: the leader of the Grove Farm volunteer group, Mike, is also secretly a GoodGymer! And with his determination and skills, we can count him as two people!

Sevan and Steph warmed up for the session with uphill runs ranging from 8 to 10km, while Kash did a 30 minutes walk and hopped on the picturesque part of the Piccadilly line.

Today's task was to clear brambles, bushes and even trees that had started to overtake the pavement along the lane leading from the Sudbury Hill tube station to David Lloyd sports centre.

Loppers, shears, hedge trimmers, a saw, a litter picker, and 14 eager hands were all that was needed to clear the excess vegetation and rubbish and throw the cuttings (not the litter!) on the existing dead hedge. But was it all the clearance that the GoodGymers did that day? Well, with warm, summer weather encouraging our team to wear shorts and t-shirts, Steph, Sevan and Kash ended up pulling out the thorns from their shoes, socks, knees, toes, hands and arms throughout the rest of the day!

Despite a few scratches, the session was very satisfying. We are already looking forward to the next conservation day at Grove Farm in August - sign up with us now.

On a hot Saturday morning, Mike took two other Friends of Grove Farm: Portia and new joiner Aaron, and five GoodGymers: Josh, Maxime, Sevan, Steph and Kash, for an adventure in the ancient woodlands of Grove Farm. The daredevils cut through the thicket to make space for the tool trolley to pass through. Would all the paths be as overgrown? Last month Friends of Grove Farm cleared a wild footpath and were hoping to continue the efforts with a bigger, GoodGym-infused group.

It was quite a shock to see two employees of Greener Ealing (Ealing Council's contractors) pressing through the paths with powerful petrol-fueled machinery, leaving open, wide paths in a matter of minutes. What would take us the whole Saturday session for those two was a piece of cake! Slightly discombobulated (as we have never seen GEL working in the same areas as volunteers in Grove Farm), we waited for Mike to make contact with the unexpected competition. The guys from GEL didn't seem to know anything about the planned volunteers' activity at the paths and didn't need help ravaging the overgrowth.

When asked for plan B, Mike took us to a hedge we had tackled last time in September 2024. The plan was to open the sightlines behind the hedge and prevent nefarious behaviours as Mike put it. While others happily clung to their chosen shears and loppers, Maxime volunteered to pick up the litter. Kash disappeared in the front, clearing the way with a hedge trimmer until she encountered a litter hotspot, which Josh immediately helped tidy up. Steph Sevan, Portia and Aaron razed the shrubs next to the hedge and built a dead hedge out of the trimmings.

When Mike mentioned an abandoned bike hiding in the nearby meadow, Josh, Sevan and Kash sensing an adventure, rushed to scout the field. To their surprise, the vehicle wasn't yet another dumped lime bike, but a crashed delivery moped! After noting the number plates, the trio took it towards the road for the council to collect.

Missed this month's adventure? Sign up for the next conservation day at Grove Farm in July here!

Michelle and two members of The Friends of Grove Farm walked around the nature reserve armed with bags and pickers for litter-picking. Walking along the paths in the reserve, we were surprised to see just a few bits of rubbish. After collecting what we could, we walked out to the road and found much more interesting items littered. I found three packets of unopened pierogi and a strawberry milkshake- would have been great for a picnic in the reserve! We stopped for a water break, and took a few photos next to our litter haul. The Friends of Grove Farm members continued for a bit longer and Michelle headed off to enjoy the spring sunshine.

Four GoodGymers and Friends of Grove Farm, Anna and Mike, started the day by venturing into the wilderness of the woodlands near Sudbury Hill. Surprisingly, they encountered a familiar face in the woods!

Dr. Livingstone, I presume?

It was not exactly Dr. Livingstone, but Sue, another volunteer helping various causes in the area. Sue and Anna launched an expedition to eradicate litter in a different part of Grove Farm park, while others stayed to shed some light on the reason why visitors were avoiding the green space.

Mike explained that residents reported feeling unsafe entering Grove Farm because the sides of the path were overgrown. Who knew what dangers could be lurking behind the bushes? A leopard? A drunk? A mugger? Today's job was to open the sides of the path so that park visitors could see there was nothing there - or to make sure no predators could hide in the shrubs anymore.

Penny was cutting overhanging branches obscuring the view, Steph Ducat was lopping the thicker branches on the ground that Kash could not raze with a hedge trimmer, and Sevan was collecting all the cuttings and constructing a dead hedge. Mike was doing a little bit of everything, and, of course, directing the operation.

The 90-minute session was productive and filled with chats about safaris, the Maasai jumping dance, and baby-friendly socials at Grove Farm. We are excited to see what the future holds!