Five fearless GoodGymers took on a task at Nature's Haven to remove some shrubs to make way for some raised beds. The team approached the task with gusto, cutting back the branches and digging out the roots. We tried many different techniques for root removal - there was the spade technique, the boot-technique, the hand-technique, the twisting-technique and the breaking-the-fork technique. Each rootball removed was accompanied by whoops of delight. By the end of the session we had cleared a good area of ground and produced a large pile of branches ready for shredding. We were pleased with how much we had achieved and taskowners Claire and Aleks were delighted too. Great work by Anne-Laure, Katie, Roberta, Sol and Sheila

Five GoodGymmers, one solar eclipse, and a truly heroic amount of extension cables — that was the scene at the Green Skills Library today.

While the sky dimmed to an eerie twilight, the team lit up the indoors with some top‑tier tidying. Stairs were vacuumed with gusto, floors were swept into submission, rubbish was cleared with precision, and the cable chaos was tamed.

As the moon slid across the sun outside, inside it was all brushes, bags and banter — a neat little eclipse‑themed clean‑up that left the Library shining brighter than the sliver of daylight overhead.

Massive thank you to Jen for stepping up and leading the task.

Seven GoodGymmers gathered on Raymill Island for a double‑mission evening of watering and repainting.

We were welcomed by Nivi and Shoshan from the Friends of Raymill Island, and wasted no time getting stuck in. First up: helping Shoshan haul a few stray logs out of the stream — an early warm‑up before the main tasks began.

With the logs sorted, the group split into two teams. Sol and Jess took on the watering challenge, ferrying bucket after bucket from the stream to thirsty flower beds and planters. It turned into a full‑body workout!

Meanwhile, Meggie, Katie and Nicola breathed new life into the Ladybird Hopscotch, carefully repainting each cheerful bug. Mike tackled the rainbow, restoring every colour so it shone brightly once again.

By the end, the whole area looked refreshed and revived. Passers‑by stopped to thank us and commented on how much better the space looked — always lovely to hear.

A job well done, and we’ll be back next week to help Shoshan tether the logs so they stay put and don’t end up in the stream again!

Carol, Katie and Sheila helped out at the Baby Bank the day before it closed for a week to give the staff a well-earned break. Katie sorted through the food, making sure it was all well within its sell-by date, moving on to tidy the piles of nappies which had gone critical. Carol was upstairs sorting clothes, while Sheila was on door-answering duty with a spot of bedding-sorting when time allowed. We were all kept very busy, with lots of donations coming in, and many referrals being collected too.