Meggie, Sol and Sheila welcomed Claire to her very first GoodGym mission at the Community Allotment. We were also joined by taskowner Sue, which was great as she knew exactly what she needed us to do. An area of the Allotment which had been used for composting needed to be cleared to make way for some new raised beds. While Sheila moved planks and stored wood away from the area, Sol moved leaves and twigs away from one bay, while Meggie and Claire filled bags with the matured compost from another. By the end of the session we had successfully cleared the area and had several bags of compost ready for use. It was a really satisfying task and we could all see the difference we had made. We look forward to seeing Claire at a future GoodGym session.

Four GoodGymers turned up to help the Friends of Maidenhead Waterways run free boat trips at the Maidenhead Festival Summer Sounds event. Help was needed to help people to put on their life jackets, and collect them in again after their trips. It was so lovely to see the children so excited about their trips, and chat to the parents while they waited for their turn. Great to help the Friends promote their activities with the local Waterways and help people appreciate their local environment. Well done to Christine and her daughter Anna taking on the initial shift, with Jen, Meggie and Sheila finishing off the afternoon's activities.

Meggie and Sheila gave everything a good water at the community allotment this evening in some more comfortable temperatures than of late. We also filled up the water butts ready for the other volunteers this week. We rewarded ourselves with some juicy raspberries before Meggie headed off for a run and Sheila went home for dinner

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!