Today we were on a mission at KCAH! A team of us headed over to help sort through tons of amazing donations for both men and women. Armed with shiny new storage containers and plenty of energy, we smashed through the pile - organizing toiletries, hygiene kits, shoes, and clothes for both summer and winter.

KCAH is an incredible organization doing vital work in Kingston, offering a massive range of services to help people experiencing homelessness find stable housing and rebuild their lives. 🏠❤️

Our host was super pleased with how fast we worked. The storage cupboard is now looking beautifully tidy, organized, and ready for the team to help their clients!

A job well done! 🙌

We were on full-on grind mode building tables, benches, and setting up the ultimate tombola and raffle stations. 🎟️ Teamwork definitely made the dream work because we locked in and smashed out a massive gazebo in literally 30 minutes flat. ⏱️💪 While the rest of the squad crushed the football zone and chill areas, Emma and I finished up by labelling the raffle prizes. Obviously, we only used numbers ending in 6 or 7... because we stay trendy like that. 😎 The grounds are officially set, the summer fair aesthetics are locked in, and we are so ready for tomorrow! ☀️🍦

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday as our team gathered at the Forest School allotment at St John’s to help improve the outdoor learning space. We assembled new planters, transferred the soil and plants from the old containers, and completed the repotting process. We removed and disposed of the old planters, cleaned the surrounding area, and cleared away accumulated junk and waste. These efforts enhanced the appearance of the allotment, creating a cleaner, more attractive environment for young students to learn, explore, and enjoy. To top off a rewarding day, we also visited Salt and Pepper, the therapy goats, along with the chickens and bunnies, which made our day even more special.

This week’s GoodGym task took Harvey and me to Raleigh House New Malden, where we helped spruce up the outdoor space.

Although there were only two of us, we managed to get through plenty in the hour. Harvey took charge of watering the pots and troughs and sweeping the pathways clear of leaves, while I tackled the bindweed, dandelions and other determined weeds under the oak tree.

As always with GoodGym, the conversations were just as rewarding as the task itself. Harvey shared some of his experiences working in the charity sector, and we discovered common ground through our work supporting people with vision impairment.

By the end of the session the garden areas were looking much fresher, well-watered and far more under control, all rounded off nicely with some treats kindly left out for us in the task box!

A small but mighty team effort for Staywell at Raleigh House.

This evening turned into a nice chat with Mrs C whilist helping with tidying up some of her belongings, inbetween running outside and doing some weeding during the breaks in the rain clouds . I think this was a welcomed break for her as she loves to converse.

This week’s GoodGym task was a split mission, with half the group heading to support the brilliant charity Growbaby.

Rachel, Jana, Manasa, Ellie, Emily and Laurel went o Growbaby and we started by sorting a huge collection of teddy bears. Once that was finished, the manager of Growbaby arrived with her large four-wheel-drive car ready for a dump run the next day — and we quickly got to work loading it up.

Rachel took on the role of chief car packer while the rest of us formed a human chain carrying everything from baby carriers and highchairs to old chairs and other bulky items. We managed to fill the car completely — there wasn’t room for a single extra item!

After that, Emily and Manasa sorted bookshelves upstairs, Ellie organised toys downstairs, and Jana, Laurel and Rachel sorted baby clothes.

In just one hour, we got through every task and helped make the space far more organised for the Growbaby team and the families they support. A great team effort all round!

Hestia's Room of Doom

Tonight we ran, walked and cycled our way to Hestia to tackle their room of doom.

Having donned our gloves after a quick biscuit (we were spoilt again by John) we emptied the contents of the room. There was an eclectic mix of items with enough hangers for a small department store, multiple printers, paint, various poles, tents and even tooth brushes.

Having cleared the room it was hoovered and the thick dirt wiped away. Everything went back in groups of similar items and the rubbish and recycling was piled up.

An hour later it looked like a different room and the Hestia team can now find everything.