Tonight we had the great opportunity to go to two different charities as both could only take a limited number of volunteers. So that's what we did, we split the group in two and went to Refugee Action Kingston and Growbaby.

Levita reports about the task at Refugee Action Kingston

Louise, Sekar, and Levita supported the team by sorting through donated clothes and separating items suitable for those seeking assistance. Saber worked with the girls to create a peaceful and clean corner where refugees could read the Quran whenever they wished. Dave and Jonathan gladly used their strength and handyman skills to repair the bulletin boards, making them neat and presentable. It was indeed a fruitful and rewarding evening.

Emma reports about the task at Refugee Action Kingston

A crew of GoodGymers made their way on bike or on foot to Growbaby, rolling up our sleeves to bring order to the wonderful chaos of donations they have recently received.

A key job was to pack away the winter coats and set up a rail of spring coats and wellies - ready for some April shower puddle stomping! As a charity which provides free clothes and equipment for little ones aged 0–5, some of us were needed in the stock room to match up tiny shoes - always a satisfying task - give the nappy and milk stores a proper tidy, and sort through bags of new donations to get everything ready for the families who need them.

Better book in our next seasonal trip for the summer hat and sandal sort-out?

Saturday 4 GoodGymers met with the Canbury Community Garden team to attend to much needed garden duties. One team armed with spades and garden forks took on the 3 compost bays, digging, lifting, tossing, turning compost, and then recovering the compost bays with a blanket of fresh straw. Meanwhile the second team attended to the pond area, clearing fallen leaves, and mud, fallen rocks, and re-securing the pond liner. Topped up the pond with water collected from the swollen, fast moving river. A job well done!

After what seems like endless rain this year, today we enjoyed a crisp, dry evening - perfect for a spot of bramble bashing. With head torches on and spirits high, the team gathered to tackle a brambly jungle that had been growing way too confident in its ability to take over the space earmarked for pollinator planting. We met Georgina, Kingston's new Biodiversity Officer, who talked us through the task and handed out much needed gloves, loppers and waste bags. We were also joined by a local councilor and a couple of willing local residents - all help welcome so thanks for the extra muscle!

It's always amazing how much can be done within an hour when many hands work together. We lopped, hacked, yanked, ripped and dug our way through the mess of thorns and, although not 100% clear, made a massive impact on the patch. This was certainly a satisfying task even if it did leave a few rips in clothes and our skin got some free acupuncture.

Excellent work team!

We can tell the seasons by our trips to Kingston Pantry as we go every three months. It was a cold and rainy eve when we ran, cycled and walked to Kingston Pantry so it's definitely winter! Claire even ran with her umbrella to try and keep dry - talk about multitasking.

First job was to roll out the crates of veg and fruit so we could get to the shelves for a deep clean. Dave and Luke holed up in the back room whilst Jana, Tom, Jonathan, Sabir, Farzeen, Laura and Claire cleaned, swept and mopped the main room. It was a squash and a squeeze but many hands made the jobs on the list go quickly.

Excellent work team. We will be back in three months for Spring clean!