Good session with Smithfield Garden Club, clearing lots of litter from an area near The Wheatsheaf in Northern Quarter 🚮

Welcome to Tyla for the first time, joining a bumper group for a rare Wednesday night task.

Louise and Phil were in charge with Robert, landlord at the Wheatsheaf, also lending an able hand. We got bag rings, gloves, bin bags, a makeshift sharps bin, and brooms with dustpan to do a loop of the area.

Some notable collections:

• battery 🔋
• mattress 🛏
• hoover
• various clothing 👖
• lots of broken bottles, glass, cans

We also trimmed one of the communal beds and had an introduction to the amazing work the local group had done to develop the area, including some of the planted areas that were looking good 🌳🌱🍃

Stefanie, Peter, and Ben made the trip to Gorse Hill Studios for another task as part of their Green Rooms project. We joined Katie, Duncan, Lisa, and Rebecca from Gorse Hill Studios.

This evening we were at the Studios to continue in the outside area. Our task was to plant 10 hedge trees and another taller Aralia elata 🌳🌱🍃

With the soil still dry, stoney, and full of rubble and 20+ year old crisp packets, the going was tough with deep and wide holes needed. Looking like a scene from Holes, we used forks to loosen up the soil and spades to dig out as much earth as possible. In addition, the tree roots needed releasing from their compact tangle to encourage growth, not an easy task.

After a couple of hours, copious biscuits 🍪 and a cup of tea 🍵 , we managed to break the back of the task with ALL the trees planted and looking splendid in the evening sunshine 🌞 We topped up with compost and generously watered, hoping the stormy weather this week will keep them well hydrated.

We cleared up and said our farewells. I'm still astounded we got all of them planted so strong effort 💪

Welcome to Charly for their first GoodGym Manchester outing!

This week's session moved to Thursday after a change in plan from Katie. We were out on the allotment this week with a list of tasks:

• Remove bind weed (an endless task...) 🌱
• Install the fencing
• Plant out tomatoes 🍅 from the poly tunnel
• Weeding and laying membrane
• Laying woodchip

Peter was in his element with plants and brought along some squash to plant in a little pumpkin 🎃 patch.

We installed the fencing, weeded like demons, and laid as much black matting or membrane as possible using pegs to secure down. With a tonne bag of woodchip, we emptied the bag to leave a healthy layer covering a part of a communal area.

Finally, we watered what we could and cleared up before heading home.

Really productive task despite the heat 🥵 and Katie was really happy with the progress. We'll be back.

Let me begin.

Peter, completing his 20th Good Deed, and Ben raided the cupboards and the shops to take much needed items to a food bank collection point at Asda in Hulme for Manchester South-Central food bank. In all we donated:

• tinned meat 🥩
• tinned fruit and veg 🥕🍍
• rice 🍚
• rice pudding
• UHT milk 🥛
• long life juice
• tinned beans 🫘 and spaghetti 🍝
• plastic bags (always handy to re-use)
• peanut butter 🥜

The trolley was well filled once we had unloaded, and the run 🏃‍♂️ back was certainly much lighter and quicker! We had a quick stop at Parakeet Parkway on the way 🦜

We'll have another donation drive before the summer holidays in July too, so keep an eye out for that.

We came to do good, we came to do good, so get out your seat and run around... (I'll work on it)

Welcome to Eloise for her first GoodGym MCR outing this evening! Great to meet you and hope to see you at another task in the future.

This evening, we met at the task at Gorse Hill Studios, to help make the first steps in the development of their Green Rooms initiative. With lots of weeds, overgrown raised beds, and a grand plan in mind, there was plenty of work to do 🌳🍃

Hannah, Peter, Stefanie, and Ben took on the raised beds and bushes nearby, while Eloise tackled the ivy and bushes on the other side of the green space along with Katie from Gorse Hill Studios. In amongst the ivy and bushes, several Christmas trees were found 🎄 still with the stand attached, alongside a few footballs ⚽️. With loppers, clippers, and plenty of elbow grease, they managed to prise out the overgrown vegetation.

Meanwhile, the wood being rotten on the raised beds made it easy to disassemble but the weeds made it a much tougher task. After removing the plastic undersheet through which many weeds had taken root, we kept digging away, making sure to allow the local moths and snails 🐌 to safety. In amongst the weeds, we found strawberry 🍓 and gooseberry plants, still thriving despite the weeds, many of which we managed to save and plant into pots to perhaps use in the Green Rooms fruit & vegetable garden.

We managed to remove as many of the weed roots as possible and thoroughly dig over the area, removing the wooden border around the area too. Peter was a dab-hand using the loppers and made light work of the hedges growing through from next door, unearthing a bug hotel 🐛🪲🐞, while some nifty saw work from Ben removed the majority of another bush growing through. The disused compost bins were emptied of weeds and rubbish and the soil dispersed.

A final sprint finish saw us weed the path to the shed that made the area looked more welcoming, especially after the removal of a wall several days before. The break for tea & biscuits was very much needed to keep us going ☕️🍪, with the weather closing in a bit too 🌧

Really active and fun task that made a big difference to a local community group. We will be back in stages to help out when we can so keep an eye out for those in future! Great work team 💪👏

The Green Rooms Idea

The 'Green Rooms' project at Gorse Hill Studios aims to transform under-used outdoor spaces into vibrant, accessible green areas that engage the community and enhance biodiversity.

The 'Garden Rooms' will feature a sensory garden, vegetable patch, and wildlife habitats (including a pond), while the 'Green Theatre' will provide a multifunctional outdoor learning and performance space.

The Rhubarb Community Cafe, run by volunteers and young people, will serve produce grown on-site, providing work experience and nurturing community connections.

These spaces will support horticultural therapy, environmental education, and local events, promoting well-being, sustainability, and a deeper connection with nature.