A broken and partially dismantled baby crib required to be put back together and made usable once again. Had to search online to find a plan that could be used to reconstruct Eventually found something and managed to make it serviceable once again. I had assistance with the decoration!

Restored an old card table and polished it to a shine

Pier Pressure & Petal Power 🌊🌼

A small but mighty group gathered for what turned out to be a wonderfully chilled and cheerful evening by the seaside. It was especially lovely to see Megan again who has been very busy working lately. Plus, with Paul, John and Ricky it turned out a perfectly sized group for the task tonight.

We started off by taking a relaxed social stroll around the pier. With the sea breeze doing its usual chilly thing and the sound of the waves , it was the a great opportunity for a good catch-up, a few laughs and a gentle warm-up for the task ahead. Sometimes the best runs are the ones where nobody’s actually running!

After our scenic wander, it was time to roll up sleeves, and get stuck into a quick winter tidy-up of our seafront flowerbed along the promenade. The bed definitely needed some attention and armed with a few small tools we got to work clearing out the old, taming the unruly and generally giving the space a well-earned refresh.

There was plenty of chat, teamwork and those deeply satisfying moments where you step back and realise, “Oh wow… that actually looks alot better.” The flowerbed is now looking neat, cared for and ready to brave whatever the rest of winter throws at it. Hopefully we may see some spring flowers coming up soon.

All in all, a blooming lovely evening — relaxed, productive and full of good company. Turns out a little seaside stroll and some flowerbed TLC is a great way to tide ourselves over 😄😍

P.S It turns out that my perfect one shot wonderful photo on the pier didn't come out !! 😅 Next time I won't be so confident 😄

This was an unexpected volunteering opportunity and I had never done pacing before. On another day I might have tried my hand at a faster time (I chose 31) but I decided to play safe given the sharp and prolonged gradients (that you do out and back twice!) and the copious amounts of grassy mud. I found everyone at this parkrun very friendly, welcoming and encouraging and it was well worth my visit. My finish time was a shade within my target so at least my watch is reliable! There were people around me I was able to chat to and hopefully my own finish helped theirs. This was my 183rd venue and 231st parkrun.

Another evening, another chance to make a splash as we returned to our Winter painting project at English Martyrs First School. Tonight we doubled up on tasks, tackling both the staff room and the Head Teacher’s office in one productive, paint-powered session. Safe to say, the team really rose to the occasion and proved once again that many hands make light… decoration work.

A big GoodGym welcome to our newest recruit Samantha who made a fantastic first impression. She did a sterling job cutting in around the tricky edges in the staff room, showing a steady hand and serious attention to detail. She clearly didn’t gloss over the fiddly bits and showed she’s already got the right finish to be part of the team.

Taking things to new heights, Stephane bravely mounted the scaffolding tower and got stuck into the upper reaches, showing he’s not afraid to ladder up when duty calls.

Meanwhile, Gill showcased her trademark gymnastics routine — expertly climbing onto tables to reach all those stubborn spots that refused to stay out of reach. She once again proved she’s always ready to stretch herself for the task and never brushes off a challenge.

Meanwhile, over in the Head Teacher’s office, Paul, El and Sue worked their magic and delivered a transformation that looked polished, professional, and top of the class. The room has been completely re-vamped and is now looking head and shoulders above its previous look.

As ever, the conversation in both rooms was as lively and entertaining as the painting itself, with plenty of laughs helping the time fly by and keeping team spirits nicely coated in good humour.

Another brilliant session done, and the project is really starting to show its true colours. We’re all primed and ready for the next visit, where we’ll no doubt continue to paint the school proud.

Goring Gap Gets the GoodGym Glow-Up!

Our 3rd Sunday litter pick at Goring Gap brought out some absolute legends. Huge shoutout to stalwarts John, Belinda and Ricky, who have now achieved a perfect 3/3 attendance record – talk about rubbish commitment… in the best possible way!

It was also a delightful surprise to welcome Tamsin and Jemima back to GoodGym – we’ve missed you! We were equally thrilled to be joined by parents-to-be Sarah and Ryan, who proved that teamwork really does start early.

In just under an hour, the team tackled the area with gusto. We climbed in and out of ditches, navigated grassy verges, and patrolled the roadside where litter had been carelessly strewn across this beautiful natural spot. Armed with litter pickers, bags, and plenty of determination, the group made a noticeable difference – proving once again that many hands make light work… and lighter litter loads.

All that hard work deserved a proper reward, so the session finished with frothy hot chocolates, tea, coffee, and a selection of sweet treats back at mine. We rounded things off with a lovely, relaxed chat covering a whole range of topics, giving everyone a chance to catch up and unwind after our environmental efforts.

Same time next month? Let’s keep refuse-ing to let rubbish spoil this gorgeous part of the world!