Mon 5th Feb at 6:40pm
Tower Hamlets Report written by Laura Williams
This blustery Monday evening saw us heading to a brand new task in Limehouse.
Starting with a short fitness session outside the café, GoodGymers joined one-by-one enjoying the use of the outdoor furniture for seated leg lowers, tricep dips and a most effective hamstring stretch.
The Royal Foundation of St Katherine is a retreat centre and ‘urban oasis’ in Limehouse, established by Queen Matilda in 1147.
Task owner Larry, previously of St Leonard’s Priory Park, is heading up the project to transform a disused space around the popular Yurt Café into ‘a monastic-inspired garden of reflection with herbs, sensory plants and new seating.’
Our task tonight was to dismantle the planters, pot up trees and shrubs - and fill the skip!
GoodGymers wasted no time in putting the PPE to good use. Armed with sturdy gloves, protective eyewear, hammers and screwdrivers, several teams headed to the planters to start the dismantling.
A task requiring a bit of strength, plenty of strategic thinking and a fair amount of patience, the GoodGymers made good progress. Removing the sides of the planters, examining the wood, sorting debris, no sooner had they finished one planter, they headed over to the second.
Meanwhile a second team were tasked with digging up a larger planter towards the end of the row; salvaging some trees and shrubs, re-potting them and moving them carefully to one side.
It was a hive of activity: sifting through dozens of objects from surplus plant pots, coconut shells to well-established snails, the team worked continuously until after 8.
Finishing with a final few frenzied trips to the skip and a discussion on the optimum spot for our last pic, we concluded it had been an excellent night.
We return to the task next month, with a two-part task to help Larry blitz the clearing project in time for the redevelopment!
...Meanwhile, next week sees us heading to the Cranbrook Community Centre, for some more leaf-clearing and other gardening tasks.
Until then.
Mon 5th Feb at 6:40pm
Come and enjoy a thoroughly good workout at this brand new task in Limehouse!
Read moreSun 10th Sep 2023 at 1:30pm
Tower Hamlets Report written by Fiona M
Two Goodgymers helped out the regular foodbank team to sort food and toiletries ready to be handed out to clients on Monday. We sorted, counted, stacked and weighed the new donations. Then it was all hands on deck for the final countdown to 3:30pm to unload a fresh food delivery.
Mon 6th Feb 2023 at 7:00pm
Tower Hamlets Report written by Laura Williams
A fantastic team of 14 met in Devons Road this evening, with Ken and Terry from the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.
Why were we here?
Ken explained that this planting project undertaken by the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is helping to create a green corridor through this area of East London.
What does that mean?
Well, by populating the Lea Valley Green Route (the area from Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, out to Bow Docks and on to the Lea Valley), with bulbs, plants and trees, we’re essentially making more nature available to more residents.
It will allow more wildlife to move between the Lee Valley, and the Lee Valley Park, into the Borough.
Creating ‘stepping stones’ in this way, between green space and urban street spaces, benefits everyone: green spaces that are inhabited by wildlife, trees and plants, not only mean more areas for all residents to enjoy, they can also help to reduce the effects of pollution, often an issue in large cities.
Terry talked us through the mix of trees we were settling into the ground, which included:
Purging Buckthorn (Google that one)
Grey Willow
Wayfaring
Spindle
Oak
Beech
Hornbeam
Dogwood
Wild Privet
Various factors were involved in the choice of the trees, including:
Comfort (avoiding too many thorns, so litter-picking isn’t too much of a mission).
Butterfly appeal (the Brimstone butterfly seeks out buckthorn on which to lay its eggs).
Green-ness (beech and hornbeam tend to hang onto their leaves).
…And a general ambition that plenty of berries and flowers will come out at different times with this mix, and attract insects.
Our large team set about this big planting mission, all around the park, following careful, precise instructions from Ken.
Tree after tree was produced for the GoodGymers to expertly settle into their new home.
No sooner had the obligatory pictures been taken, and the final few poorly-lit areas been populated with trees, than Ken called it a wrap.
200 trees in less than an hour! Way. To. Go.
We collected tools, loaded the wheelbarrows, posed for one last group shot, before saying our cheerios for the night.
The big cheers this week go to:
Clare, whose first GoodGym event it was! Well done Clare, hope to see you again very soon.
Johnny, for saving the location day, and speedily dropping the all-important pin.
Kevin, our brilliant head torch technician…
And most of all, to Ken and Terry for three, fabulous Monday nights out in Tower Hamlets.
Next week
...we’re back to Devons Road, for another big gardening task with St Leonard’s Priory Park!
Until then.
Mon 6th Feb 2023 at 7:00pm
Come and join Ken and Terry of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, as we plant a lot of trees.
Read moreSat 21st Jan 2023 at 1:00pm
Sat 21st Jan 2023 at 1:00pm
Come and join this busy task for the second of our two regular Saturday shifts.
Read moreSaturday 17th December 2022
Asad Kara done a 6 month mission streak.
Asad just completed a six month streak of doing missions. That’s so many bags of garden rubbish cleared and jobs done to help someone out and put a smile on their face. Give Asad a cheer to encourage them to keep up the good work.
Loading...