Goodgym Hackney were out in force to get a new month of good deeds off to a flying start. Particular shout out to Evie, Indi, Lucy, Dimitrios and Andy who were joining us for the first time. Great to meet so many enthusiastic, friendly volunteers.

We were back at Stoke Newington Common to help our friends at SNUG (Stoke Newington Common Users Group) plant new hedging. There was a wonderful selection of trees and roses to plant, including dogrose, elder, spindle, hawthorn and blackthorn, although without their leaves, it proved hard to differentiate between some of them.

With so many volunteers (SNUG were out in force too!), we were able to split into two groups, working at two locations on the Common - one by the bus stand to create a hedge between the common and the pavement, the other along the fence by the railway line to help mask the metal railings. The climbing roses were particularly well suited for this job.

Holes were soon being dug, plants selected, supported and protected with canes and tubing, and pressed firmly into place to help them bed in.

After a good hour and a half, we had run out of space and canes. So we gathered up tools and unplanted hedge plants, and made our way back to base camp where SNUG very kindly shared hot drinks and home made cake, which was very much appreciated by all.

SNUG have already been in touch to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. They were thrilled to see so many GoodGymmers and are most grateful for all GoodGym's help.

Two GoodGymmers joined the SNUG (Stoke Newington Common Users Groups) at lunchtime to bag up mulch in Springfield Park ready to feed the young trees of Stoke Newington Common.

Sooz got stuck into the muddy mulch on arrival and the team had already filled 25 sacks of quality compost within the first half an hour. On a visit from Camden, soon John joined the party and made light work of the task, shovelling and bagging the best of the mulch.

The GoodGym and SNUG team together filled a whopping 60 refuse sacks full of mulchy compost ready to feed the trees on the Common.

A lovely cold sunny day and the perfect autumn task.

Stay tuned for the next SNUG task when we'll be helping unload all that compost at Stoke Newington Common!

This week, the trolley was back in action with it's full compliment of wheels. This went some way to making up for the depleted number of volunteers.

With the task now down to a fine art, task owner and goodgymmer made good progress, helped briefly and periodically by a couple of other local tree volunteers unable to stay for the full hour but wanting to help out as much as they could.

Within an hour (and after another hot day), all baby trees had been given a drink for another week.

It was time to water the thirsty trees of Stoke Newington Common again, and two goodgymmers were on hand to help the regular volunteers of Stoke Newington Common Users Group (SNUG) do the job.

No sooner had we filled the bottles of water and arrived at the first watering point, but the wheel fell off the wagon.

Undeterred, the continued the task by hand, carrying two bottles each to the baby trees. Despite our efforts last week and the lower temperatures recently, the water was much needed so we will be back lending a hand again very soon.

3 GoodGymers helped the Stoke Newington common user group water 15 baby trees and 50 newly planted shurbs with 500 litres of water.

Big effort after such a dry week in Hackney. 7 rounds if filling up the trolly full of bottles and watering all over the common.

some very thirsty trees and shrubs were very grateful for the hydration and promised to grow big and strong in the warm weather with the big feed!

we will be back next week with another helping hand!

Wetting the Baby tree's heads to celebrate Vinney reaching 50 GoodGym GoodDeeds!!

Helping our friends at the Stoke Newington common user group who keep all the good stuff going strong on the common.

After our weeding efforts a few weeks ago the shrubs on the mound and baby trees were looking health but thirsty. so after grabbing the trolley and filling up 120 liters of water we hauled it first over to the mounds to water the shrubs then after a quick refill of the water over to the newly planted baby trees to keep them happy, healthy and hydrated!!

All complete we headed off to celebrate 50 GoodDeeds for the GG legend Vinney!!