Angela, Christine and myself went to the Community Allotment this afternoon to tend to the veggies and help with various tasks that need doing. As the clouds were gathering, after months of dry weather, we were hopeful that the nature would do the watering for us. But no!... after a little sprinkle, the sun returned.
We watered the plants, refilled the water butts, bagged some of the leaf mould for later used and checked the gutters were clear for when the rain returns. Needless to say, that it's pouring down with rain, as I write this report! At long last... nature is getting a proper drink!!!

Christine, Jess and Jen met at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts and collected the leaflets to be delivered to three local roads.

We made a collective decision to head to the furthest point of our deliver route and work our way back...down the hill.

Such great team workers are we, we also took it in turns to be a solo deliverer on one side of a street with the other 2 pairing up tackle alternate houses.

The pair were then able to cross over and work back down the solo side of the street to catch up with and help out the solo deliverer.

We encountered a few cute cats, some snappy, barking dogs, drive ways, porches, gardens, steps, sticky gates and a variety of letter boxes. All in a nights leafletting.

Seven GoodGymmers met Michelle from the Craft Coop at the Community Centre to begin work on their monumental poppy display for Remembrance Day.

Michelle shared the story behind the installation: the Craft Coop are creating multiple panels of knitted and crocheted poppies that will be hung from a church in Windsor as a flowing memorial. Many people — including some GoodGymmers — have already contributed poppies, and the team have collected around 12,000 so far.

All of these poppies need to be attached to netting panels that will form a dramatic “river of poppies.” The panel we worked on tonight was a test piece, used to calculate the final weight of the installation (including when wet) to ensure it can be safely displayed.

Shelia, Hannah, Jen, Jess and Anne‑Laure took on the task of attaching poppies under Michelle’s guidance. Each poppy needed to be sewn securely to the canvas without overlapping too much — a chance for the Craft Coop to refine the best layout and attachment method for the final panels.

Meanwhile, Amy and Deepti were entrusted with creating the two large feature poppies that will be included in the installation. They stitched together pre‑cut plastic canvas, added the black centre, and began attaching the red pom‑poms. These oversized poppies are already looking fantastic and will be real showstoppers once finished.

It was satisfying to make visible progress, but this project will take many volunteers and many hours to bring to life. Keep your eyes peeled — we’ll be putting on more sessions to help this beautiful memorial become a reality.

Assisted Mr J by removing worn, frayed landing carpets that posed a severe trip hazard. By stripping back the compromised flooring and leaving a clean, clear walkway, and ensured his home remains a safe space to navigate—guaranteeing every step leads to a safe landing.

Welfare visit for Mrs D

Four GoodGymers turned up to help the Friends of Maidenhead Waterways run free boat trips at the Maidenhead Festival Summer Sounds event. Help was needed to help people to put on their life jackets, and collect them in again after their trips. It was so lovely to see the children so excited about their trips, and chat to the parents while they waited for their turn. Great to help the Friends promote their activities with the local Waterways and help people appreciate their local environment. Well done to Christine and her daughter Anna taking on the initial shift, with Jen, Meggie and Sheila finishing off the afternoon's activities.