Inspired by Sheila's very Ghostbusters-esq photo, I present to you, the... Litter Busters! (thanks ChatGPT)

Trash on the sidewalk, bottles by the wall,

Wrappers in the bushes, having a ball?

Grab your bag and gloves, stand proud and tall,

Who you gonna call? Litter Busters!

From parks to lanes, streets big and small,

We clean it together, answering the call.

Making spaces better for one and for all,

Who you gonna call? Litter Busters! 🧹✨

Sheila and I have tended to Mrs L's front garden this sunny afternoon. It needed a bit of tidying up; we collected the dead leaves and did some weeding. The garden is covered in gravel and has lovely borders, but weeds make their way through weed membranes and pebbles anyway. The garden much better now and Mrs L can relax for now and enjoy it!

Five Goodgymers helped out at the Baby Bank this morning, including Winnie for whom this was her very first community mission, and Sue who was returning for her second. We all settled down to quality checking the clothes donations, with Winnie quickly learning the ropes. Great progress was made, but as ever, plenty of donations were still coming as we worked so there will still be plenty to do next week! Thanks to Winnie for adding these comments: The briefing was clearly given It's easy to get on and volunteers/staff from the organization are very friendly too. I am impressed with the organized systems to make sure the donated materials can be in use in a most decent, efficient and respectful way.

Overall, it is an enjoyable experience.

7 lovely goodgym members made their way back to Wessex primary school to finish off the task we started before Christmas

We made quick work of the remaining beds and Jess expertly erected a pear tree in its new location

The rain was just a slight drizzle, but it didn’t deter the hardy Goodgym members

With the soil moved, pear tree erected and the area swept we made our way home!

Another successful task ticked off

Great to see another big number of GoodGymers get out there in the wind & rain, and tackle the ever-present rubbish in their local areas.

While some (like Sheila, Rachel & Diya) did it as a group, some went out in pair with their pets, and many did solo picks in places which needed it most.

GoodGym tasks are fun together but this format has given people a lot of flexibility, because of which we have larger coverage and a lot less litter on our streets. Win Win!

In the first session of the year, Mick and Sheila joined Friends of Ray Mill Island on a very chilly afternoon. Sheila potted up a large number of Crocosmia corms which had been donated by a neighbour, and using our own compost gathered from the path clearance.Mick brought his woodworking skills to the fore, helping to convert pallets into benches that will be used as work benches and for growing plants. Excellent job!