A few Goodgymers supported The Felix Project this afternoon; a charity that rescues surplus food from the food industry and redistributes it to those in need across London.

Today, some of the GoodGymers were asked to help in the kitchen and were tasked with assembling meal containers. We gloved up and arranged ourselves on the packing line. Michelle added potatoes to a container (and later switched to rice when the potatoes ran out), which was passed to Aga who added the broccoli, then Tudor who added the chicken and sauce, and finally to Nicolas for sealing and packing, ready for delivery later today. It was a swift packing line. Thanks to Aga for coining the report title!

It was Aga and Michelle’s second session with The Felix Project, and Tudor’s first session with GoodGym. Welcome Tudor! It was Nicolas’ first time at The Felix Project, and he stayed on for a bit longer after the lovely lunch that was set out for all the volunteers. Well done to all the GoodGymers who supported The Felix Project today!

For some we arrived at a new location on the Hollybush Estate at the Keddlestone Walk Community Centre, for the more senior members of our group they were in a familiar spot.

A group of 7 joined Margaret and Ash to help clean up the garden of the community centre with the main focus the litter strewn about my the foxes, one even made an appearance while we were picking up their mess. A nice assortment of diapers, bottles and wrappers were collected and thrown away leaving the garden spotless.

We were also tasked with tidying out the shed that was filled with numerous lawn movers, saws, cups, paint cans and tarps. See the size of one of the massive tarps below! Laura also made an appearance towards the end which was a nice surprise.

Thank you to everyone that came along to help out and to Margaret and Ash as always. We will be back soon on the Hollybush Estate including some weekends so keep an eye out for the listings.

Please enjoy the pictures below of the group in action, apologies they are not at the usual standard!

6 GoodGymers - Sree , Ilana, Rohan as well as Alex for their first ever GoodGym and Alisha for only their second GoodGym task - joined Ash at Rocky park for a lovely sunny afternoon.

We were tasked with moving the Rocky Park sign, leveling a soon to be bedding plant and moving the log pyramid which was host to numerous different critters and creepy crawlies.

Lobo turned up just in time for a tea break and then made his sole contribution of moving a big piece of concrete.

After numerous different holes dug by Rohan and Alex a suitable location was finally found for the sign, even if it may be a bit lopsided!

Many thanks for everyone's help!

A chilly evening saw a team of 15 enthusiastic GoodGymers in the James Middleton Garden to help with the creation of a new ecology pond.

This addition to the community garden will provide a rich habitat for local wildlife (including a dedicated Frog Hotel and a Bug Hotel). Enhancing biodiversity in an already flourishing green area, the pond is set to become a thriving ecosystem for amphibians, insects, and other small creatures.

We were joining Margaret and Ash from the Teesdale and Hollybush TRA tonight, who do a great job improving and enhancing the Estate’s gardens.

The main task for the evening involved digging out an irrigation area close to the new pond. Good drainage is crucial, ensuring excess water is effectively managed during heavy rain and preventing oversaturation of the surrounding soil.

Most of the team headed to this area, putting their spades to work and making swift progress, while a smaller team transported the excavated soil to a designated corner of the garden.

Another group was dispatched to the far end of the site to re-home a sizeable pile of woodchip, spreading it around the planters. (This layer of mulch helps to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and enrich the soil).

And guess what? The time flew!

It was nearly 7:50 when we started to gather tools and pose for the final pics.

The team then rallied together to return the wheelbarrows and tools to the Rocky Park toolshed.

Another satisfying evening in East London.

Until next time.