One hour, two rooms, 3 units, 5 buggies and a million boxes v’s 10 GoodGymers.

Did we win? Of course we did with a lot of team work.

Having created a human chain from upstairs to downstairs we passed the boxes upstairs for stacking. This was relatively straightforward so we moved on to buggies, play mats, cots, toys and anything we could find. The pile grew bigger and bigger and higher and higher and we were at risk of being swallowed up by play mats and buggies so some Growbaby Tetris was required. Rooms virtually cleared there was one big unit left. After a lot of huffing and puffing it went up the stairs with not a mm to spare. Well done to Saber and Tanya’s husband.

It was amazing to see the empty rooms and we rewarded ourselves with chocolates, thank you Tanya.

We will be back next week for round 2 of Growbaby v’s GoodGym.

Today, Farzeen, Amraz and I volunteered at the KingsGate Student Pantry in Kingston. This social supermarket enables university students to access £25–£30 worth of weekly groceries, toiletries and cleaning essentials for just £5.

During the session, Farzeen and I assisted students at the fresh produce station, where we offered recipe ideas and helped students discover new ingredients, including passion fruit and leek. Amraz coordinated student entry at the front, calling out group numbers to keep everything running smoothly.

Having previously supported KingsGate Church with donation sorting and deliveries, it was rewarding to see the final stage of the operation and the full impact of that hard work in action. This weekly pantry provides vital support to students navigating cost-of-living challenges and food insecurity. In addition to affordable food, the church offers a welcoming space where students can enjoy a hot drink, learn low-cost recipes through live cooking demonstrations and access pastoral support.

KingsGate Church’s weekly pantry is a fantastic community initiative that directly addresses student food insecurity and the ongoing cost-of-living pressures. We love this social supermarket model and truly believe it should be replicated everywhere!

We strongly commend KingsGate Church for this practical community response and look forward in volunteering with them again.

A great task at the Forest School allotment this morning.

First job: the school had been given a big donation of wood, and it needed a proper home away from the vegetable beds. We sorted it into sizes as we went and stacked it neatly along the side of the fence. Very satisfying, and the beds are clear and ready for planting again.

Then we headed round to the front of the school and laid edging material along the side of the gravel to keep the weeds at bay. One of those small jobs that makes a big difference to the school.

After our hard work there was just enough time to say hello to Salt and Pepper the goats and the lovely rabbits and chickens.

A good workout and a tidy allotment, all before lunch. A big welcome to Cinthia on her first task!

There's no calm and sedate watering session when we are involved as once Levita and myself had fetched, wheeled and carried to give these wonderful specimens their substanance we finished with our balancing act. I don't think we will be joining the circus anytime soon!

Armed with head torches, bright lights and an hour to make a difference, Kingston GoodGym headed into the darkness at Claremont Gardens to help Kingston Council improve the pond area.

After a briefing from Georgina, we split into two teams. Jonathan, Dave, Rachel and Anna tackled the invasive sumac threatening the pines, quickly filling garden waste bags with the help of saws and loppers.

Meanwhile, Jana, Tom and Georgina took on the two willows beside the pond. Tom sawed through the larger willow’s main trunk, and we chopped up the branches before turning our attention to the smaller tree.

Small willow, BIG roots! All three of us dug and cut our way around its surprisingly deep root system, discovering that the rope edging the pond was tangled in it too.

The larger willow proved too much for our tools and one saw sadly met its match during Jana’s attempt! We focused on the smaller willow instead, managing to remove most of its roots through a determined team effort.

An hour well spent, with bags filled and good progress made. A community group is being sought to help care for the gardens, so hopefully our efforts will sow the seeds for more local involvement.

Well done, everyone! Where there’s a willow, there’s a way!

This morning I arrived to help at the substanable garden plot on this allotment where I learnt their long term abjective. Then I set to work, rolling back the plastic tarpaulin after removed weeds that had grown through it, to then continue moving more of the debrie under it, also layering with woodchip to provide a nice level surface and to help combat those weeds growing back. One patch down, many more to go.
WE WILL BE BACK