What a glorious sunny morning for our final session of the year at the Community Hospice, working alongside head gardener, Jason 🌞🌿.

Today we embarked on new project, to take out a series of Buddleja davidii plants - aka 'The Butterfly Bush' - in a patch of ground that will eventually become a new flower bed. Big plants, big plans!

But what about the butterflies you might say? Jason explained that Buddleja is an invasive species and having been left untended these shrubs need to go. There are plenty more insect-friendly plants in the garden to support biodiversity.

So, for starters we cut back the branches. Sophie took charge of the telescopic loppers, reaching the lofty heights, while the rest of us tackled the lower areas.

Then it was out with the saws to cut through the thicker main stems. Such a buzz when each big portion came out and the view through to the are behind started to emerge.

Finally, lots of cutting with secateurs into smaller pieces from our felled timber, ready for the compost heap. This bit was surprisingly relaxing, just snipping and chatting.

Meanwhile, across the garden Rachel and our youngest helper carefully weeded a border. What a difference they made too.

Afterwards a few of us headed to the Hospice cafeteria for lunch, and some cute penguin biscuits.

That's one Buddleja down... just five more to go! Fancy lending a hand next time? We’d love to see you there 🌱💪

Wow! what a great night we had collecting for the Community Hospice with Santa and the Bexley Rotary Club.

There was an army of volunteers out on the pavements tonight including our own GoodGymers, the Mayor of Bexley and her driver, air cadets and even a pooch 🐕.

Santa looked spectacular in his sleigh waving at all the local residents that had come out of their homes to catch a glimpse and throw their odd coins, sometimes notes, into the collection buckets. People were very generous I must say!

As well as a great atmosphere, it was great exercise. Check out Julie's fitness data in the photos!

Well that's it, until next year when we can do it all again!

Merry Christmas to you all!

In a couple of weeks we are helping the Community Hospice collect donations alongside Bexley Rotary Club's much loved Santa Sleigh. Our task this evening was delivering leaflets to houses along the route so they knew when Santa will be visiting their street.

It was an earlier-than-usual start as we were heading for our Xmas meal straight after the task.

We set off briskly, admiring the Christmas lights and decorations as we weaved our way in and out of driveways. On route we arrived at the Xmas House ablaze with lights and it's own Santa sleigh 🛷 🎅🏻 on the roof! What a spectacle!

After photos we carried on with the leaflets, racing around the roads to cover as much ground as possible. Unfortunately Manish had an encounter with an excited pup 🐶 and needed to get some medical advice. We wish him well and hope to see him soon.

Leaflets delivered, it was on to our Xmas social where there was lots of merriment and celebrations. We have had an excellent year at GoodGym Bexley and as we reflected over the achievements we all raised our glasses 🍷. Sarah is very near to completing her 500 good deeds - wow what an awesome achievement! Massive well done to her!

Johnny won the GG quiz and Lisa came second! Well done to them! We even got our dancing on Tik Tok!

We can't wait for the next party night!

With most of us coming from a thwarted leafleting task earlier in the morning, and Ceci meeting us at this task, we were back at the Community Hospice for a second session of thorn-thrashing - cutting back a prickly area of brambles so that hidden fruit trees and other suffocated plants can thrive again.

We had cleared about half the area last month, and this time we were determined to get the rest done. Before the rain.

And we did just that!

Just as we were taking the tools back to the shed, the rain set in. It was definitely a lucky escape as the forecast would have seen us getting very wet much earlier. Or perhaps the weather gods recognised that GoodGymers giving up their time to help others deserve a break!

The hard work done, a few of us enjoyed a tasty lunch and good natter in the Hospice canteen, then headed home.

Jason, the Hospice's head gardener, is sure to have plenty more for us to do on our next visit, and the more hands the better, so come along and join us!

At our monthly sessions at the Community Hospice the head gardener, Jason, always has lots for us to do.

Today we were clearing brambles and nettles from a corner of the garden that had gone feral.

Sturdy gloves are always useful for tasks like this, but Jason's supply of yellow leather gauntlets were a gamechanger! The prickly and stinging plants didn't stand a chance!

It was a big patch, but we got about half done: check out the before and after photos above! The rest will have to wait until next month.

Just as it was time to finish there were a few spots of rain in the air, so we quickly put the tools - and gauntlet gloves - away and some of us headed to the Hospice canteen for a tasty lunch and lots more varied conversation.

I wonder if I should ask for a pair of those gloves on my Christmas list!

A lighthearted report from last night’s leafletting task, inspired by Lisa joking that we were the Four Musketeers...

It was a brisk, dark evening when four valiant GoodGymers took to the streets, armed not with swords, but with leaflets promoting the Community Hospice’s Boogie Wonderland, a fundraising party night. The quartet's quest: to spread the word, one letterbox at a time, before the forecast rain could test their courage.

Jogging merrily along, the fearless foursome deployed a tactical masterpiece known only to the most elite of leaflet couriers — the leapfrog manoeuvre. With impeccable coordination (and plenty of chatting), they moved swiftly from house to house, ensuring not a single front door was missed (with the utmost respect, of course, for 'No junk mail' stickers).

Their out-and-back route conquered, the chivalrous posse posed for the all-important post-task photo — a tradition as sacred as any Musketeer oath. It was then that Lisa, inspired by their gallant efforts, bestowed upon them noble names fit for legends: Saros, Johnamis, Lisos, and the dashing M’Artagnon.

No sooner had the photo been snapped than the skies began to weep; perhaps tears of joy at such heroism. The Four Muskateers, ever undaunted, headed home glad to have been of service. After all, a little precipitation could never dampen the spirits (or the plumed hats) of their new alter egos.

All for one, and one for all — and all for the Community Hospice!

(With apologies to Alexandre Dumas and credit to ChatGPT)