Penge Green Gym

We are a group of local volunteers who run a weekly practical gardening session in Winsford Gardens, a park in Penge, South East London with the aim of improving both the local environment and the health and wellbeing of volunteers just like you.

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Celebrating our 2025-26 Community Green Flag Award

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The Bexley and Bromley Parks among UK’s best with 2025 Green Flag Awards

Several parks across Bexley and Bromley have been officially recognised as some of the finest in the country, after winning prestigious Gree

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Penge Green Gym / Friends of Winsford Gardens Open Day 2025

Make a diary date now for Sunday 8th June 2025, 11am-3pm our 14th annual Open Day at Winsford Gardens. Penge London SE20 Until then, we'll be working over-thyme with groundwork to supersede our previous years. Thistle be the best day ever. Lichen it to a bed of roses! And then Poppy over to see us!

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Penge Green Gym Autumn Newsletter

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See what's happening in Penge this week....

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Penge Green Gym Newsletter

Penge Green Gym Open day 2023

 This year's open day is nearly upon us.  All are welcome and don't forget to invite your friends.  There will be homemade refreshments, music and plants for sale!

Spring projects

 

Early spring brought with it lots of digging.  The chilly weather didn't stop us from getting out and planting lots and lots of hedging.  Thanks to a grant from CPRE - The Countryside Charity - members of Penge Green Gym were able to plant hundreds of hedgerow whips in Royston Fields which is our neighbouring greenfield site close to Penge High Street.  Well done to the team for battling on in the freezing rain and mud! 

 

We have also started to renovate the bog garden area so that the area that is now shaded by the large tree will be filled with logs and plants that are more suited to a dryer, shadier garden.  The bog garden is being relined and will be refilled with plants very soon.  Watch this space! Donations

If you would like to support the work that Penge Green Gym undertakes at Winsford Gardens and Royston Fields you can now use this QR code and your Paypal account.  Just open you Photo app on your phone to view the QR code and it will take you to Paypal.  

Easyfundraising

Easyfundraising is also a great way to support Penge Green Gym.  With Easyfundraising every time you shop, a small donation is made to Penge Green Gym.  If you would like to help us, go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pengegreengym/ and sign up.  It's totally free and helps us with all forthcoming projects.  Many thanks.

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COMING SOON…

Winsford Gardens

OPEN DAY 2023

A Penge Festival Event

Sunday 4th June

11am – 3pm

CHILDREN’s Activities

PLANT Stall

HOME-MADE Cakes and Refreshments

LIVE MUSIC from the Tuesday Ukulele Group

Website: PengeGreenGym.org.uk

Winsford Gardens, Garden Road (off Croydon Road, near the Travelodge) Penge SE20 7RN

Nearest Bus routes 176, 197, 356, 358, 75

Tram stop: Avenue Road National Rail: Kent House Overground: Anerley

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Penge Green Gym Mobile Journalism Project

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Penge Green Gym Newsletter August 2022

Penge Green Gym Newsletter

Notification of AGM 

Penge Green Gym/ Friends of Winsford Gardens annual AGM will be held on Wednesday 14th September 2022 at 12.30pm in Winsford Gardens followed by our annual summer lunch.  All volunteers and stake holders are welcome to attend.  Donations

If you would like to support the work that Penge Green Gym undertakes at Winsford Gardens and Royston Fields you can now use this QR code and your Paypal account.  Just open you Photo app on your phone to view the QR code and it will take you to Paypal.  

Easyfundraising

Easyfundraising is also a great way to support Penge Green Gym.  With Easyfundraising every time you shop, a small donation is made to Penge Green Gym.  If you would like to help us, go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pengegreengym/ and sign up.  It's totally free and helps us with all forthcoming projects.  Many thanks.

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Vote for Winsford Gardens in Fields In Trust UK’s Favourite Parks 2022 at:

Vote now for UK's Favourite Parks 2022

Cast your vote today and help a park special to you be named amongst the UK's favourites.

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This week is #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and it's as important as ever. 🌱In the last years we have seen how gardening has saved lives - from

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Welcome Back! Our Winsford Gardens Open Day this year will be on Sunday 12th June, part of the 50th Penge Festival. We haven't been able to hold our Open Day since 2019. This year there will be children's activities with Froglife and live music from Musica Medioca, as well as our popular plant sale and homemade cakes. From 11am to 3pm.At Winsford Gardens, Garden Road, off Croydon Road SE20 Further details on the flyer.

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Penge Green Gym Newsletter Happy Easter from Winsford Gardens

Spring is well under way in the gardens and with all the new growth comes lots of jobs! We had some little helpers arrive from Blue Pear nursery this month.  They often come and play in the park but this time they came with seeds and tools and got to work planting up one of our raised beds.  They come regularly to see if the seeds are coming up.  Fingers crossed we'll see them very soon!  

Our spring display is truly glorious thanks to this year's MPGA grant and bulbs for London.  Each year our display gets more colourful.  

We have been building new bays that will hold wood chip, compost and anything else that we need for coming projects. It is quite the engineering marvel and hopefully will last for years to come.  

And finally, we had to show you this wonderful picture taken by our volunteer Lynda of a pair of Slow Worms warming themselves under a piece of roofing felt that we leave specifically for this purpose.  They are the most wonderful creatures and we are lucky to have them in the gardens.

Donations If you would like to support the work that Penge Green Gym undertakes at Winsford Gardens and Royston Fields you can now use this QR code and your Paypal account.  Just open you Photo app on your phone to view the QR code and it will take you to Paypal.  

Easyfundraising

Easyfundraising is also a great way to support Penge Green Gym.  With Easyfundraising every time you shop, a small donation is made to Penge Green Gym.  If you would like to help us, go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pengegreengym/ and sign up.  It's totally free and helps us with all forthcoming projects.  Many thanks.

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Autumn visits, Christmas celebrations and a New Year's surprise.

In the autumn term the children from St Anthony's Primary school in Penge came to visit the gardens.  Our volunteers Brenda, Diane and Jane showed them around and spoke to them about the gardens and the work that we do there. Jane and Diana created some materials for the school visit. These have now been adapted for more general use and can be found in the display boxes at each of the entrances to Winsford Gardens and on our website at https://www.pengegreengym.org.uk/10th-anniversary-events-and-announcements/childrens-activity-sheets-for-colouring-in/.  

We think they had a lovely time and were very pleased to receive letters from many of the children telling us of their time here and what they enjoyed. Even though there were ongoing issues due to the pandemic we were lucky enough to be able to celebrate christmas thanks to the outside space at Melvin Halls.  We sat outside and ate a wonderful meal put together by our volunteers (special mention to Jane for organising) and had a lovely time.  Thankfully the weather was kind to us!  AXA Community grants

In early December, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that one of our regular visitors to Winsford Gardens who works for AXA Insurance had nominated us for one of AXA's Community Grants.  Grant nominations are selected by AXA,  and voted-on by AXA employees. In the New Year, we were delighted to learn that we are one of just 28 local causes across the UK to be awarded an AXA Community Grant. The money from this grant will go towards projects such as the repair of our natural seating area, restocking the bog garden and wildflower meadows and other areas of the gardens that will improve the biodiversity and natural habitats.  A big thank you to AXA for your support.     Winter in the Gardens

The gardens continue to look great from autumn into winter.  Much work has been done to clear all the leaves from the grass and collect them for this years mulching.  This is also a time for maintenance and cutting back although we like to leave seed heads for the birds and other creatures in the gardens.  We still have a large and enthusiastic crew maintaining the gardens even in the coldest and wettest days.  We have also been to Royston Fields to 'scallop' the briars to encourage new growth and increase biodiversity.   Donations If you would like to support the work that Penge Green Gym undertakes at Winsford Gardens and Royston Fields you can now use this QR code and your Paypal account.  Just open you Photo app on your phone to view the QR code and it will take you to Paypal.  

EasyfundraisingEasyfundraising is also a great way to support Penge Green Gym.  With Easyfundraising every time you shop, a small donation is made to Penge Green Gym.  If you would like to help us, go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pengegreengym/ and sign up.  It's totally free and helps us with all forthcoming projects.  Many thanks.