Our last group task of 2025, and on a stormy night... Thankfully the four of us were not blown away by Bram and made it to the task. Even with 4 tonight we managed a runner, a walker and cyclists.

We were back at Samye, having been here only 2 weeks earlier it was great to see the decorations that we had put up, and the lights now turned on on the trees.

How FESTIVE 🎄

Tonight though, our task was a little different. Lorraine, who we has been our contact now for several years, had started making cards for sale.

as quickly as I make them they sell.

So to help, she was asking us to cut out the felt from templates and then assemble them as cards.

What a great way to end a year of goodgym Cardiff group tasks.

There was another task, to try to fix a paper lamp (temporarily), so Michael accepted this so that everyone else could be together making cards.

We had foxy cards and reindeer....plus those doves, the dove from above...

coooo, cooooooo

It was a great way to end our year, we had soup and toasties after the task and chatted with Lorraine about holiday plans. No one was in a rush to get away tonight, but leave we must.

We finish our group tasks, having completed....

596 good deeds

We still have the odd weekend task avail e, but a big thank you as always from me. You all amaze me, every year.

Another Tuesday, we know what that means........

It's goodgym

We had a group of 8 volunteers tonight, including our tourist from Tower Hamlets Kareem.

A warm, Welsh welcome to you....

CROESO

This was our first ever time helping out at this hostel, but not our first time helping the Salvation Army.

First to set off were our walking elves, making their way directly to the location shared by Michael. Then, after a warm up led by Lucy it was time for the reindeer runners to head out.

A shorter route there, in case we needed extra task time, both groups arrived simultaneously. Michael rang the doorbell and we were let in.

Michael also works for the Salvation Army at another hostel that we have helped, so tonight he was also task organiser. A quick chat about what the hostel is, and it was time to make our way to the back yard and get busy.

Task ahoy

Tonight's task,

• Sweep the yard
• De-tangle the bramble from the clothes lines
• Weed the stones
• Cut back brambles growing from the train tracks
• Put up the lights around the railings
• Unpack and put out the new table and chairs.

Everyone got to work as tasks were handed out, Lucy and Jonathan grabbed the secauters and got chopping. Owen and Kareem we're raking it in as they weeded the gravel. Martin straight in with the brush, bum bum. Neda got down and dirty weeding the yard. Emily, with tool in hand, was on light duty. Each set of lights had to be unscrewed for the batteries, then put back together so that they were waterproof. Then cable ties secured them giving us the way glow that was needed in these Winter months.

Greenery collected was put back on the land behind the fence, where it will rot down and feed those hungry worms. All that was left was to unpack the furniture, Neda and Martin got to work on this.

We bid farewell to the support worker as we left, and took to the streets for a slightly longer run to make 4.5km in total.

Along the way, managing to pick up a student who ran with us nearly back to the Glassworks, but he had to head off to the train station. Will we see him again, who knows....

Once back, we went into the Glassworks for a games night and lots of laughs.

Congratulations to Kareem for winning telestrations and Emily for winning Exploding Kittens.

See you all again soon. 🎄