Meeting at our usual place - Glassworks, we welcomed our first timer Ben.

CROESO

Tonight we were making our way to the Samye Foundation Wales, making use of the Spring light and better weather by getting outside for what is now dubbed "The sleeping edition".

The main tasks were putting some potatoes to bed and creating a new plant bed with railway sleepers.

Michael split the groups and sent 3 volunteers to the back yard, Rosie, Dylan and Jessica. Tasks, to remove and weeds, dig over the ground, and then pop the potatoes into their new beds ready to grow and provide some food in the summer.

The second group then had a few different jobs to complete, weeding around the doorways, the seating area and in front of the current raised bed. Then it was time to get destructive....Rip out the old wood, hoping that the beds don't collapse. Thankfully the liners and roots of plants held the soil in place, so as the wood was removed, broken down and then stacked a few people got to weed the now exposed area. Then came the lifting and carrying, each sleeper needed two volunteers to move, as we brick stacked them into their new locations wondering how they would finally be attached (Lorraine was deciding this later).

We managed to make out way through the whole list of tasks, and took some down time within the centre to chat and have some lovely soup which they had made for us. A little later back on this return, but the soup was worth it!

After a surprise sunny Spring day, 12 goodgymers found their way to doing good.

Second visit for Misbah, very happy to see you again.

First visit for baby EVE, Oh what a visit it was. The noises and colours, movements and crazy adults (including a very bouncy Michael).

To the Tasks...

We had 2 areas to clear of brambly, spiky plant life. The side of the building that we had started on our last darker visit, but today with the added light of Spring we could finish it off. Martin, Neda and Misbah got to the task, cutting back, bagging and then raking the ground until it was glorious and clean again.

The second area, technically not part of the grounds, had become a dumping area for random people.

Volunteers to work

Emma, Su, David, Jake and Ruth tackled the dumped rubbish. Larger items were moved to the end of the alley. A suitcase was packed with cut back brambles, broken glass was cleared (carefully) and then the ground was raked over. It certainly looked better than it had earlier, we then closed and locked the gate, hopefully to keep it looking cleaner for a while.

Dylan and Jessica were put to work on the lawn area, taking out and spiky plants that had made their way over from the alley. Whilst Michael cut back some of the grass, it will be time for the children and young people to get outside and use the space soon.

A quick photo and then it was time for a nice run back.