This morning three of us went to do a variety of jobs at Jubilee Square. We cleared weeds and did a litter pick. Also some of the buddleias were given a trim to get rid of the dying bits to allow for fresh new growth, this was then placed on the dead hedge.

A lovely Sunday morning spent at the scout hut. Three GoodGymers turned up to help out and get the hut looking well-loved. Rachel and Raquel weeded the front of the building and spent time lifting the drains to empty out the compost that had formed there. The kids loved exploring the worms and bugs that had taken up residence. Dave got the power tools out and strimmed the outside to clear the vegetation that was hanging on the pavement.

Great work! We definitely earned the sausage and bacon rolls that they very kindly provided for lunch.

Four goodgymers from different areas, whilst doing their own shopping, also picked up a few items and dropped for their local food bank.

Rachel, Laura and Jana spent an hour helping spruce up the pathway leading to the MILAAP day centre, which was covered in leaves, seeds, weeds and general debris along the edges.

After a bit of improvisation with the tools — including a snow shovel that turned out to be surprisingly excellent at scooping seeds — the team quickly got to work. Laura tackled the weeds, Rachel led the sweeping operation, while Jana helped gather debris, empty buckets and keep everything moving smoothly as the bin bags steadily piled up.

There were a few dramatic moments when overloaded bags split open, scattering seeds everywhere, but the team recovered quickly and kept spirits high.

By the end of the session, around six bin bags had been filled and the pathway was looking far clearer and more welcoming. Hopefully the residents at MILAAP will enjoy the refreshed entrance!

I volunteered at Riddlesdown parkrun with my mum who did her first parkrun there since pre Covid 😊

At Canbury Gardens, Levita and Eleanor helped out by filling large water barrels with water from the river using wheelbarrows and water canisters. The water would later be used to water the plants and garden patches around the area. The activity also gave us a great workout for the day and definitely made us use our muscles while carrying and moving the water around. What a powerful way to start the weekend!