Green Gyms

The BTCV Green Gym® is a scheme which inspires you to improve both your health and the environment at the same time. Experienced leaders guide you through a range of practical projects, giving you the opportunity to tackle physical jobs in the outdoors – improving your strength and stamina, boosting your practical skills and confidence and benefiting your local green spaces. Green Gyms are particularly suitable for those suffering from or recovering from long physical or mental illnesses, for the elderly or the unemployed.

Here in Bradley Stoke the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group hold a weekly Green Gym each Thursday from 10am to about 1pm. They are always accompanied by trained leaders and first aiders and include tea and biscuits. All Bradley Stoke Green Gyms meet in the security compound at the rear of the Leisure Centre. All you need to do is turn up. You will be warmly welcomed.

Links: Green Gym contact details; Green Gym website; BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour item; BBC web article; Green Gym poster.

Previous Green Gyms

Re-visit Middle Plantation Drainage system
29 Jul 2010
Re-visit Middle Plantation Drainage system. (Backup activity: Remove ash re-growth)


Clean Orienteering markers and Litter Pick
22 Jul 2010
Clean Orienteering markers and Litter PIck.


Tool Maintenance day
15 Jul 2010
Tool Maintenance day. (Backup activity: Litter Pick, balsam pick)


Himalayan Balsam - the Lake
8 Jul 2010
Himalayan Balsam - the Lake.


Himalayan Balsam - Stoke Brook
1 Jul 2010
Himalayan Balsam - Stoke Brook. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Clear ash regrowth Northern Plantations
24 Jun 2010
Clear ash regrowth Northern Plantations. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Himalayan Balsam - the swamp
17 Jun 2010
Himalayan Balsam - the swamp. Southern dwellers meet on site. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Follow up Saturday Task
10 Jun 2010
Follow up Saturday Task. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Himalayan Balsam - the swamp
3 Jun 2010
Himalayan Balsam - the swamp. Southern dwellers meet on site.


Trip to Winterbourne Reserves
27 May 2010
Trip to Winterbourne Reserves.


Himalayan Balsam Patchway Brook
20 May 2010
Himalayan Balsam Patchway Brook. (Backup activity: Litter Picking)


Himalayan Balsam Patchway Brook
13 May 2010
Himalayan Balsam Patchway Brook. (Backup activity: Litter Picking)


Stream Cleaning
6 May 2010
Stream Cleaning. Wellies reqd. Waders will be in use. (Backup activity: Clear Himalayan Balsom )


Weed Wildfower patches - Bowsland Meadow
29 Apr 2010
Tool Clean day. (Backup activity: clean out tool store )


Ram Hill Colliery
22 Apr 2010
Ram Hill Colliery.


Ram Hill Colliery
15 Apr 2010
Ram Hill Colliery.


Install Bat Boxes
8 Apr 2010
Install Bat Boxes in Savages Wood. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Clear Davis Pond
1 Apr 2010
Clear Davis Pond.


Litter Pick front edge Savages Wood
25 Mar 2010
Litter Pick front edge Savages Wood.


Clearing irrigation channels meet at the Breyden Gate entrance
18 Mar 2010
Clearing Irrigation channels. (Backup activity: stream clearing)


Follow up tree felling Orchard Plantation
11 Mar 2010
Follow up tree felling Orchard Plantation. (Backup activity: Litter Pick)


Litter Picking at the marsh
4 Mar 2010
Litter Picking at the marsh. Southern dwellers meet on site. Wellies reqd. (Backup activity: Clear water channels)


Tree Felling Orchard plantation
25 Feb 2010
Tree Felling Orchard plantation. (Backup activity: dead hedge along brook)


Tree Felling Orchard plantation
18 Feb 2010
Tree Felling Orchard plantation. (Backup activity: dead hedge along brook)


Tree Felling Orchard plantation
11 Feb 2010
Tree Felling Orchard plantation. (Backup activity: dead hedge along brook)


Tree Felling Orchard plantation
4 Feb 2010
Tree Felling Orchard plantation. (Backup activity: dead hedge along brook)


Tree Felling Orchard plantation
28 Jan 2010
Tree Felling Orchard plantation. . (Backup activity: dead hedge along brook)


Coppice hedgerow alongside car park path
21 Jan 2010
Coppice hedgerow alongside car park path.


Coppice hedgerow alongside car park path
14 Jan 2010
Coppice hedgerow alongside car park path. (Backup activity: Litter Pick, dead hedge)


Tool Cleaning day
7 Jan 2010
Tool Cleaning day.


Green Gym Dec 17th
17 Dec 2009
Xmas walk. We must be able to work a pub into this walk somehow.


Green Gym Dec 10th
10 Dec 2009
Follow up tree felling. In case the Saturday task is incompete or not completely cleared away


Green Gym Dec 3rd
3 Dec 2009
Clean Top Newt Pond. Move surplus water plants to the new newt pond


Green Gym Nov 26th
26 Nov 2009
Install new Bird Boxes where best required. As observed when checking existing boxes


Green Gym Nov 19th
19 Nov 2009
Check Bird Boxes - Sherbournes Brake. Annual task


Green Gym Nove 12th
12 Nov 2009
Check Bird boxes Webbs Wood. Annual task


Green Gym Nov 5th
5 Nov 2009
Check Bird boxes middle plantation. Annual task


Green Gym Oct 29th
29 Oct 2009
Check Bird boxes Savages Wood. Annual task


Green Gym Oct 22nd
22 Oct 2009
Remove tree guards around the tump area. Provided enough leaves have fallen to make them visible again


Green Gym Oct 15th
15 Oct 2009 "
Clear Bramble Bowsland Wood. This is a filler task, there is only a little bramble that would cause concern."


Green Gym Oct 8th
8 Oct 2009
Clear bramble micro alleys and footpath south of Savages wood. Thisis the circular channel cuththrough a bramble patch several years ago that requires annual maintenance


Green Gym Oct 1st
1 Oct 2009
Clean out Bomb Craters.


Green Gym Sep 24th
24 Sep 2009
Work on new newt pond as reqd Following installation of fencing. This may need leaving until after the top newt pond has been cleared.


Green Gym Sep 17th
17 Sep 2009
Clear fish from new newt pond. This is if the fish still remain.


Green Gym Sep 10th
10 Sep 2009
Follow up Marsh work. In case the Saturday task is not complete


Green Gym Sep 3rd
3 Sep 2009
Clear Water Channels at the Marsh. In preparation for the Workday. To ensure the workday can concentrate on new irrigation channels


Green Gym Aug 27th
27 Aug 2009
Haymaking Bowsland Meadow. Again these are filler tasks


Green Gym Aug 20th
20 Aug 2009
Haymaking Bowsland Meadow. Again these are filler tasks


Green Gym Aug 13th
13 Aug 2009
Haymaking Bowsland Meadow. Again these are filler tasks


Green Gym Aug 6th
6 Aug 2009 "
Tidy up Willow seat at the lower pond, tighten and fasten wire at the west end of the fence. The pond is looking tired rather than overgrown"


Green Gym July 30th
30 Jul 2009
Create Animal Shelters in the northern plantation. Using previously felled logs


Green Gym July 23rd
23 Jul 2009
Clean Orienteering markers. Cleaing fluid andrags reqd. This will be a nobile day and thus a no storm kettle day so flasks will be required


Green Gym July 16th
16 Jul 2009
Tool Maintenance day. There are some structural changes to be made to the tool racks.


Green Gym July 9th
9 Jul 2009
Fell three bark stripped trees in Savages Wood. The trees have been stripped by vandals andwill die. Stumps need to taken as low as possible.


Green Gym July 2nd
2 Jul 2009
Collecting Bluebell Seeds in Webbs Wood. Collection of seeds is legal if not sold on. Seed to be propogated at home and planted out later


Green Gym June 25th
25 Jun 2009
remove fallen willow in the northern plantation and clear ash regrowth. Previously felled ash trees try to coppice. Minor Accident to Quentin.


Green Gym June 18th
18 Jun 2009
Himalayan Balsam - Marsh. this always needs doing. These activities are 'fillers' to be done if no higher priority exists


Green Gym June 11th
11 Jun 2009
Stream Cleaning. Stream concerned depends upon the Saturday Workday selection. GG will do the other.


Green Gym June 4th
4 Jun 2009
Back to 1st Himalayan Balsam site. Finish off the task started early May


Green Gym May 28th
28 May 2009 "
Weed new Wild Flower squares at Sherbournes Brake. Remove thistles, dandelions etc."


Green Gym May 21st
21 May 2009
Litter Picking at the marsh. Clear before vegetation hides litter - preliminary clearing of channels and blocking of run off to the brook.


Balsam Bashing
14 May 2009
We will be removing Himalayan Balsam from the wooded area at the base of the tump on which we were working last week.


Drainage
7 May 2009
We will address a complaint by a user of the reserve concerning offrun from the school playing fields forming stagnant pools with an unpleasant smell alongside the footpath. We will complete the drainage of this almost permanent offrun through to the Patchway Brook.


Davies Pond
30 April 2009
We will be cleaning out Davies Pond near the Jubilee Centre


Identifying Jobs
23 April 2009
We will be taking a stroll through the reserve assessing further work. In particular we will be examining possible drainage solutions for the 'middle plantation'. Meet at the shed at 10am.


Install Notice Board
16 April 2009
If we can get the materials beforehand we will probably be installing the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group notice board near the lake. Meet at the lake or at the Tool Store, we will be shifting the tools, notice board and concrete by wheel barrow to the site.


Ram Hill Colliery
9 April 2009
We will be at Ram Hill Colliery again to remove the stump which we worked on last week and perhaps to remove a 2nd smaller one. (Be warned that this is heavier work than normal Green Gyms). Meet at the tool shed at 10am, (lifts will need to be arranged).


Ram Hill Colliery
2 April 2009
We have been asked to make a trip to Ram Hill Colliery to give some help there. We don't know exactly what we will be doing there, but be warned that it is likely to be heavier physical work than the normal Green Gyms. Meet at the tool shed at 10am (a lift will be provided).


Litter Picking
26 March 2009
Litter Pick the Braydon Avenue - lake path -meet at the Braydon Avenue Gate entrance to the Reserve (if we remember to retain the litter pickers the week before).


Litter Picking
19 March 2009
Litter Pick the front edge of Savages Wood opposite Tescos - meet at the Tool Store.


Path Maintenance
12 March 2009
At the request of John we will be removing bike ramps from Savages Wood and making good the paths.


Path Resurfacing
5 March 2009
We will be spreading wood chips at the new entrance to Savages Wood (the chips are in the clearing in the Wood left over from the Festival of light).


Tree Felling
26 February 2009
We will tree felling in the middle plantation


Leaflet Dispensers
19 February 2009
We will be finishing off the job of putting up leaflet dispensers at the entrances to the reserve and, as we walk around, looking out for other jobs that need doing around the reserve.


Leaflet Dispensers
12 February 2009
We will be putting up leaflet dispensers at the entrances to the reserve and, as we walk around, looking out for other jobs that need doing around the reserve.


Cancelled
5 February 2009
Green Gym is cancelled today due to the snow.


Coppicing
29 January 2009
We will be continuing the coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.


Coppicing
22 January 2009
We will be continuing the coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.


Coppicing
15 January 2009
We will be continuing the coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.


Coppicing
8 January 2009
We will be continuing the coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.


Coppicing
1 January 2009
We will be continuing the coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.


Coppicing
18 December 2008
We will be coppicing and dead hedging by the lower entrance to Savage's Wood.