Two GoodGymers attended Walker Kitchen Allotment on an extremely cold Saturday morning, wondering just how much of the proposed weeding and planting could take place given the frozen ground. They need not have worried, as super-enthusiastic gardener Dom from North East Wilds met them there with a cunning plan to attack the compost heap with garden forks and spades, releasing lots of non-frozen soil (and a fair number of random potatoes too). Some of the soil was sifted and lots of it placed in dozens of plants pots, along with some willow that was also cut down to size on the morning. It will be interesting to see how it grows and how the allotment looks when the temperatures aren’t sub-zero.

As Anji (GG Area Activator) or my Dad would tell you, I can definitely be a fair weather GoodGymer but I actually really loved this morning!

This time of year can feel quite dull especially with the dark mornings and rubbish weather. So even though it was tipping it down with rain, I decided to get out on my bike and cycle across to the allotments at Bill Quay.

I met the task owner Bryony from North East Wilds who was absolutely lovely and so welcoming, along with her dog Charlie.

I was then met by Lucy and Amy. A HUGE congratulations to Lucy for reaching a fantastic fifty good deeds!

The allotment is used by a lot of different groups in the community. The job that we decided to get involved with was clearing an area of wooden posts which were rotten and untidy.

We got stuck in with lots of digging and teamwork with pulling the wooden posts out of the ground. It was hard work but very satisfying as you can see in the photos!

We were all very muddy and wet by the end of it, but it was such a good feeling that we were able to help.

A super seven GoodGymers got together tonight to run and walk to support a super organisation in Byker.

We caught up on a busy weekend that included a community mission and a social, and looked ahead at a busy couple of weeks coming up then set off to a very nearby task! Just up the hill from our base at Stepney Bank Stables is a cute little community allotment looked after by the brilliant North East Wilds. This is an amazing organisation that gives people with disabilities and other limiting factors to access wellbeing through gardening projects, and tonight was the first of a few visits we have planned with them.

Task owner Bryony was there to meet us and within a few minutes of looking around this fabulous little space, we had our fantastic floodlights set up and got stuck in. We had two jobs to take care of: large wood panels to take apart and move, and paths to clear to make them more accessible. Everyone got stuck in tonight: lifting, shifting, chopping, lopping, clearing and avoiding thousands of creepy crawlies.

"The group will come in tomorrow and they will be blown away by what you've done"

Tools cleared and put back and we headed back to base feeling happy about a job very well done. We can't wait to get back and continue supporting such a great initiative (and they brought chocolates to say thank you!!). We did a tummy-burning core workout to finish off and left with the glow of a Monday night well spent.