Finally, we made it! We had to cancel and reschedule this session several times due to heavy raining but yesterday evening the weather was on our side and we managed to enjoy our short run to Palmeira Square to help the Palmeira and Adelaide Garden Group to strengthen their community through the gardens, with each volunteer and every event. One blue bag (of green waste) at a time.

We did a green ‘clean and clear’ mission, by “combing” the freshly cut grass from the whole area of the gardens for an hour or so together with Stuart, Adrian, local volunteers and some curious visitors who step up to join the mission spontaneously, or just to play with us for a bit … why not? We bagged 5 big bags of green waste, at least.
Time flew quickly and leaving no room for a follow up fitness session, but the hard work made it up for it!

Before leaving, Stuart invited us to join his birthday garden party on the 8th of June!

YMCA Stanley Court offers a safe environment and supported housing to people in need, helping them to get ready to moving for greater independence to achieve their true potential and overcome difficulties they might have experienced. Everyone living at Stanley Court can benefit from a range of opportunities to learn new skills, including volunteering and active participation in the gardening group.

Today GoodGym call was to help YMCA to revive the gardening group by preparing a green area to get suitable for future seeding, planting of flowers and growing of vegetables.

We were expected – as advertised on a poster to the residents!

Within 45 minutes we had peeled off the bindweed, chopped back the shrubs, weeded the overgrown patio entirely. We filled 15+ green bags with weeds and left the area looking much tidier, ready for future revamping!

The YMCA gardening group is open to all. You can come in for a taster session or attend regularly and learn a new skill while enjoying the fresh air. So, we did and finished off our group session with fitness exercises in the Saunder park nearby. GoodGym-er Rosie, lead the group back shining her 50 deeds' GoodGym T-shirt!