13 inspiring GoodGym folk made a wonderful difference in Kentish Town last night!

Some people can distinguish a grass from a weed and a weed from a flower. I am not one of these people.

But many of these intelligent beings... everyone apart from me... were present in our special group!

Our group in red 👉 Alison, Danny (on their first good deed - hello!), Helen, Imogen, Jackie, John, Majid (on their first good deed - huge welcome!), Sarah, Siobhan, Steve, and Will 👉 arrived in Kentish Town (not far from the Prime Minister's house!) to meet the wonderful Hilda (who was also on their first good deed!!) 👉 and we were there to help her cultivate a healthy hedgerow 🌳💚

I watched in awe as this group identified the 'keeps' from the 'get-rids' while also sharing stories and connecting. The weeds were piled – bag upon bag – and the remaining wild flowers and bushes noticeably started to breathe. And I resorted to taking photos and walking up and down in an attempt to look busy.

Across 60 bright evening minutes this group opened space in the hedgerow – and the fruits of their efforts will carry through into June and beyond – this would have taken a single soul 13 hours to match!

Thank you so much, everyone, for a well-spent evening ☺️

Here's to next time!

Why does sweeping never end with just sweeping?

This is my experience of GoodGym...

"...yeah – that sounds about right – maybe just start with some sweeping over there..."

...and before you know it... you've built a gazebo or painted a bench!

Just sweeping was how our wonderful group – of Charlie, Danny, Emily, Gosia, Gus, Imogen, John, Michael, and Steve – started at the beautiful Cecil Sharp House on Wednesday evening.

In perfect May sun, sweeping strewn leaves is a good place to start – I even thought perhaps it really will just be sweeping – but then...

... Emily grabbed a hose and started dousing the (bountiful) flower beds around the house – I even flowers inch their heads towards the flowing water, and then...

...Charlie, Danny, Gus, Imogen, and John descended on a pile of... well, I'm not too sure what it was really – wooden crates, fallen branches, cut ivy – a pile of things that needed discarding! I turned my back and before I knew it... the van's boot was cleared, the crates had been snapped, and everything had been tidily bagged up! And then...

...seemingly everyone was busy planting seeds (all manner of wonderful flowers) in a row of planters! And not to forget...

...the sweeping that everyone started with... that was all finished too :)

And we finished off by cutting some fresh mint (all gifted to us by our brilliant host, Susannah) to take home – very wonderful!

Amazing work, everyone! Thank you for a lovely evening!