Another busy morning at the Baby Bank. When we arrived the tables were piled high with donated clothes which were waiting for their second checks before being put away. Once those had been done, Sheila continued with this while Karen and Caroline took on the first checks. Meanwhile one of the other volunteers was busy picking out clothes for several referrals, which is what it's all about.

Our latest visit to help the Green Skills Library had a bit of everything, from sanding and painting jobs to making table decorations, fueled by a tub of Quality Street and supported by a very excited labrador. The library is looking fabulous and we're all looking forward to seeing it open once again. Thanks to everyone who joined!

On a very wet morning, Braywick Plant Nursery found us some indoor tasks to do. Laura helped another volunteer replace any dead plants in the four-packs with fresh ones. Sheila chose a painting task, transforming a display bench from green to black. With so many surfaces and nooks and crannies to cover, there wasn't time to complete the job, so it's half and half and the moment, and can be finished off another time

It was a wet start to the task so the first job was to help set up the refreshment tent. Sheila and Karen were the first goodgymers to arrive so got stuck in straight away.

Next to arrive was Jen who joined Sheila and Karen in their next job of putting electronic candles into candle bags, under the trees in an attempt to keep them dry.

100 bags were prepared so next they joined the team untangling the lights for festooning the memory tree. It was a delicate operation unknotting the fine wire string lights and Virgilus arrived in time to add them to the tree.

Before setting off on either a 2 5km or 5km walking route, the parents and siblings who had experienced baby loss, shared some readings to set us on our way.

Sheila, Karen and Virgilus stayed at the base to help prepare the medals and lanterns for the walkers return, whilst Jen joined the 5k walk to lead the way.

Thankfully the rain stopped by the time the walks started.

We met the 2.5k walkers at the bridge to head back onto Ray Mill Island together with a lantern procession.

Back at the tree and it was time for a couple more readings and personal reflections before set off on our journeys home.

Sheila and Angela joined 3 of the other volunteers at the community allotment tonight, and it was all about getting the beds ready for winter. Our first task was to shovel the last of the old manure and topsoil from the storage bay into a wheelbarrow. Not made easy as the front of the bay could not be removed, but we managed to scrape it out from underneath. This was used to top up one of the beds, into which we transplanted the leeks. Angela then heroically transferred the new horse manure into the empty bay. There was a bit of time for Angela to do some extra weeding before packing up our spades and trowels

Four GoodGymmers joined other volunteers at Ray Mill Island for a spot of dry hedge building. Mick was chief engineer and stake-driver, Christine cut branches to size, whilst Anne-Laure and Sheila sorted the area around the compost bins that had become a bit of a dumping ground. Once the supporting stakes were in, the area in between could be packed with branches to the agreed height, with the aid of our boots, and hey presto, a dry hedge was born. It was much-admired by passers-by, and it has to be said, by ourselves too. Not bad for an afternoon's work