Today, wasn't just about moving bags, it was about people showing up for each other. Two GoodGym volunteers formed a human chain with Traid staff on a narrow winding staircase, passing over 70 bags hand to hand with care and determination. Step by step, bag by bag, they helped bring everything up to the shop floor so Traid staff could get clothes back on the rails. A small team, a bif effort and a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together.

Last night we headed off for one of those classic GoodGym tasks: lots to do, not many tools to do it with.

Our mission was simple enough on paper — empty the contents of a compost bin into a nearby raised bed. What we had available was... well, a couple of spades. Wheelbarrow,bags, buckets? Nope.

Undeterred, we got stuck in and began the laborious process of moving compost one shovelful at a time. Progress was steady rather than speedy, but perseverance is one of GoodGym's core strengths.

Then Dan had a bright idea and went exploring to see whether there might be anything useful nearby. Success! He returned with a plastic storage box, which immediately was pressed into action and sped things up considerably.

With our upgraded equipment, we made progress and managed to get through most of the compost bin by the end of the session.

We were helped along the way by visits from two enthusiastic dogs, who provided both moral support and a welcome excuse to pause for a few minutes and throw some sticks.

A great effort proved again that determination can make up for a surprising lack of equipment. Next week we'll be heading to the Abbey Centre for another evening of doing good. Hope to see you there!

Mrs S sprung a surprise on me this morning by asking if I'd mind going to the newly opened M&S foodhall on Tottenham Court Road - always up for an adventure(!), I readily agreed. Her dictated list was then a bit more generic in nature, although she'd clearly done her research, but she kindly gave me the latitude to choose what I thought best fitted her requests.

After a few loops around the new aisles, I'd managed to find nearly everything she'd asked for - only a jar of herrings remained elusive. A quick debrief at the kitchen table, and a realisation that we now had even more food hall local shopping options, made Mrs S very happy.

I was overwhelmed by the choice of Olive Oils available at Miss N's local Turkish supermarket of choice - fortunately she'd taken a picture of the particular brand and type that she wanted, and so it was Helen of Mykonos who got squeezed into the bag this afternoon...

Mr R specifically requested 2 packs of (British) asparagus this afternoon - there was a 3 for 2 offer, so I got him the extra pack - sometimes the stars (or in this case the spears) truly do align in the most unexpected of ways...

After weeks of planning, I made it down to Work.Life Soho on a Sunday to met up with the Rep Runners team. With their 9th birthday coming up, they wanted to help give back so planned the lovely Anne and me decided to make a big day out of it. The plan was to run 2.3km to Trafalgar Square and help out a local charity give out food to the homeless.

The vibes during the run was amazing but unfortunately the charity part didn't go to plan. The meet up time on the charity's website was wrong, meaning that once we got there to help they had already left. Luckily for me, the Rep team were very understanding. We ran back to Work.Life, took a funny group pic by the Banksy statue, then enjoyed some snacks and refreshments provided by the Rep team.

The team are still keen on doing some charity work so hopefully we can plan another group one that will go to plan this time.