Welcome to your first group task Aaron, we are very happy to have you with goodgym

CROESO

And, happy 50th mission to our regular Rosie - black t-shirt coming your way soon.

On a beautiful sunny evening, 9 goodgymers joined together for a run and cycle to help out at the wonderful charity "Cwtch Together". Our tasks for the evening were;

• Cut back the grass as much as possible
• Remove any stingy plants
• Fork over the ground in at the corner of the building, and level the ground
• Open the box......what's in the box?

Sarah, our task organiser had found a locked box whilst continuing to clear the corner outside and was unsure what was in it. The corner had been cleared on our last visit, and now the plan was to level the ground and then lay some paving slabs on there for an additional storage area.

Whilst Michael and Jonathan got the tools from inside the hall, the rest of the team had ripped open the box - like an angry version of deal or no deal.

Oh, what a disappointment

Not even a penny to be seen, it was nothing more than old soil in the box. At least we now know.

Now lets get cracking, Jonathan was straight onto strimming with the cordless, Aaron also strimming but with the corded version and Emily on the flymo. Not the easiest of gardens to cut back, a very uneven and bumpy ground for a mower where the fly was a little less than you wanted in a flymo, but it made for a good workout having to push more. The cordless kid made light work of taking back the grass, as Jonathan completed a quarter of the garden on his own - only stopping when the battery died. Aaron and Emily worked their areas, limited by the length of the cords and only able to move with the extension lead as a group. Great team effort as they made a the garden look at lot better and ready for the young people to use for outside activities on the next sessions for Cwtch Together (weather permitting).

Jake and Llion were scuttering around the garden, removing the stingy baddies as they went. Some areas weren't on the strimming and mowing list, so these had to be done by hand tools alone.

Rosie, Dylan and Dylan took to the corner forking and talking, getting stuck in. Some bits of rubbish were found and removed as the soil was broken up, and then the leveling began. Another good work out for the evening, and it looked great once finished.

We have made a massive difference on this task, and i'm sure that the young people will love using the outside space again this year. A quick photo and it was time to run, cycle and walk back for a little social and catch up.

See you next time.

7 Goodgym folks ran to Global Gardens for the first of two visits there in April. For todays task we took to the lane to cut back the bushes and weeds that were spilling out from the allotment.

We all got to work with our secateurs, snipping away at the stingy nettles and overhanging bushes. It was therapeutic and rewarding work and we were making good progress.

Pants People (TOTP reference for you young folks!)

Jonny worked tirelessly trying to rescue an old pair of pants from the top of the bushes. Y? Coz he was briefs undie a spell!

We had taken two wheel barrows to transport the cuttings back into Global Gardens, but soon the lane was awash with greenery that the barrows could not cope with! I think it was Martin who realized the pile we needed to transport the offcuts to was just over the fence!.... Cut to...... all 7 of us trying to lob the piles of leaves, branches and nettles over the fence! ;o) Michael went around and kindly climbed aboard the bramble pile and stomped it into submission!

Stick Stick Stick Sticky Stick Stick

Once we had finished Ben fashioned a stick to help clear up the smaller leaves and twigs left in the absence of a broom. It was no Penny Lane, but it was a tidier lane!

We ran back in the drizzle for a well earned drink and chat in the pub.

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.

Firstly, on a rainy, windy day we have to congratulate our first timer... Misbah

HUGE Welcome / CROESO

After welcoming the crew at the start point, and setting off the walking group, Michael led the joggers up to task.... All Hill and chatting.

We skipped the queue and went straight to task tonight, fighting to miss the worst of the rain. Our mammoth task, The Salvation Army, young person hostel was having a clear out. Bed bases, fridges, microwaves and sofas... All broken and needing to go.

Could we CAERPHILLY fit them all in the big yellow SKIP.

All hands gloved up, Michael’s freshly laundered gloves provided for all. Everyone got to work, picking, carrying and then filling the skip. Some items needed breaking down... Is that a job for Jake? According to “little boy Jonnie” it may need a real man. However, Lucy was having none of this, even after coming up with Jonnies new nickname for the night. Between them, the crew managed to smash a double bed base and a sofa. Filling the skip to the brim (see photos for their amazing workout)

Walkers arrived during the mayhem and skipped their way through to the nature task. The hostel had found some waste whilst clearing for a new woodland and wildlife garden, it gets sunlight first thing and will be an amazing space for the residents in summer. But to make the space, several overgrown and over bearing buddlejas had to be removed. Whilst they are good sources of nectar for butterflies, the plan is to seed the space with lots more native mixes providing nectar and seeds for a selection of wildlife throughout the year. The volunteers were tasked with taking the cut down branches and stems, to create a dead hedge against the wall of the garden entrance. This would have climbing plants eventually planted, and provide somewhere safe for birds, insects, voles and maybe a hedgehog or two.

As soon as the skip was nearing its capacity, Michael encouraged some volunteers to join the hedge building.

Tasks completed, one last trip to skip for the group photo.

A return to the Church of St. Dyfrig & St. Samson, for an inside task battling the woodworm that had taken up the Church as residents. A shorter run, but there was plenty to do with the task so our time was being well spent.

We arrived and bid our usual hello to Julian (task organiser), who has set up the work station in readiness for the group. We split into groups, we had volunteers to collect the chairs to be put onto the tables, and groups who were applying the woodworm treatment.

The chairs were placed onto the tables, treatment applied, and then popped onto the floor to dry before being put back in their original place. The Church hall was large enough to get a good workout, running around with the chairs.

Once all chairs had been seen too, we were instructed to a few other areas - the community hall had some places to apply to as well as a foot or two. (See photos)

Time well spent, and it was now time to travel back to the Glassworks to finish our run for the evening.