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!

This evening’s one-hour task at Grow Baby was all about teamwork, speed and a very effective human chain.

Our crew — Dave, Rachel, Farzeen, Emily, Raquel, Anna, Jana and Laura — helped move bags of sorted clothing that had been rejected from donations and prepared for recycling. The mission: shift them from the basement up to the first floor, ready for collection tomorrow.

With Dave stationed on the stairs and the rest of the team forming a slick human chain, bags were hooped, passed and stacked at impressive speed. Farzeen also multitasked by donating and carefully sorting her own children’s clothes onto the rail, while Jana kept count of the bags.

The result? 72 bags moved in just 20 minutes.

With time left over, we caught our breath, chatted about January Challenge mileage, and admired a job very well done. A brilliant effort for Grow Baby, a charity providing vital clothing and equipment to families with babies and young children.

Another great task see you next time 💪♻️