We had a NEW TASK tonight helping Mary and Rachel from Barnmead Road Allotments clear a big patch of brambles so that the area can be turned into a community garden. Many hands and some decent tools made light work and we managed to clear a good chunk of the area in just 45 minutes (see photos). After working up a sweat, we were treated to some delicious fruit (and spare strawberry plants!) by our lovely hosts while Catherine made friends with an allotment cat .

Great work team!

A small but mighty gang of two James', two Cats and a Hannah met at St John's Church tonight to help Karen and the Thursday Lunch Club volunteers spruce up the grounds as a thanks to the church for letting the club use its hall. Armed with loppers, rakes and wheelbarrows, the volunteers made great progress clearing back brambles and ivy to make the path to the hall more accessible and the area generally more presentable. Special shout out to newcomer James who got stuck straight in with the chopping and had to be prised from his loppers when it was time to leave!

Great work tonight gang!

You can find out more about the Thursday Lunch Club here. It's a great initiative so please do reach out to Karen if you can help with your time or donations.

The weather was HOT tonight as we made our way to Cator Park to give the (no longer so tiny) saplings in the Tiny Forest some much needed mulch and water.James, Clare, Kelsey and I were on wheelbarrow duty, getting a good upper body workout shovelling and transporting mulch across the park. Meanwhile Tony, Catherine and Kat took care of our young trees, spreading the mulch and getting rid of pesky weeds.

Thanks to all who came and great to see how much the Tiny Forest has come on!

Back to Dorset Road Allotments and s new chicken coop they've found for us to dismantle! Our first project has now been seeded with grass and is awaiting some benches to make a picnic area, but the work is never done because this new coop can make way for a new area to lease. Jeanette, committee member for the Allotments, said it was a 2.5 year waiting list, so any new space will be gratefully received.

We did a good 3km run from Bridge House to Dorset Road and headed over to this new spot to inspect the work. With tools provided, Fiona, Cat, James and James began demolition and weeding operations whilst Clare and I ferried the pieces over to the waste area.

We made massive progress and will be back in a few weeks to continue, so join us then :)

Snow way?!

Two unexpected things tonight:

SNOW, or some blossom that looked like snow, and a LIZARD loose in Cator Park. We didn’t see it but we were shown pics. Wild.

Before all that excitement, we met at the bridge house, named ourselves, partially numbered, and told everyone our favourite races/future races.

We jogged a cool 2-3km to the park via the snow to meet Gill, Lou and Ian aka some of the friends of Cator and Alexandra parks for some Tiny Forest weeding, mulching and watering of the thirsty trees.

Lou showed us a pic of the lizard, which someone probably let loose. No one saw it.

300 trees, 1000 weeds and several wheelbarrows of mulch later and we were done. Nice one everyone 🦎