Only our second time helping out at Colum Road, the age assessment hostel in Cardiff. On what had been forecast as a possibly very wet evening, we were very happily surprised to have the rain wait until our task and run were over.

8 GoodGymers met at Glassworks, on Wharton Street. Michael planned a run that would still allow for a run close to 5km total, there and back, even though the task location was pretty close by.

We had a lovely jog to the task, chatting to each other about recent events, parties and gatherings.

After 20 minutes, we arrived at the task location. Michael had already been here once today, as he dropped down some tools for the team to use from his full time job with The Salvation Army. They were met by Tari, his beaming friendly smile welcoming them into the hostel.

Our task tonight had a few different jobs,

• Weed the gravel out back
• Tidy up the leaf fall
• Remove the Christmas lights we put on the railings last visit
• Wipe down the tables and chairs
• Cut down the buddleja
• Weed the front of the building

Our eager volunteers had no problem smashing out the tasks, working methodically through the list. Ruth and Lucy were top of the group for fun tonight with the cordless leaf blower.

Once the back yard was complete, everyone was sent out front to help cut down the pieces of buddleja to fit in the garden waste bag. Unfortunately, the green bin was still full at the hostel, so some last minute plans were put into place.

30 minutes soon went by, and after a group photo taken by Tari, it was time to head back.

Pancake pans paused on a quiet night, four willing hands chose sheers over light.

Michael took aim at the bramble with gusto and grin, he wrestled the root till the stubborn stump gave in.

Dylan and Rosie picked ivy off stone and wall, they stripped every tendril, they answered the call.

Jake ferried the load in a trusty barrow, back and forth he went, quick as an arrow.

At the venue on North Road the task was complete, Northlands Hostel in Maindy: beds of clean earth, with walls neat and sweet.

The stump called “middle finger” met a final goodbye, and leaves made their exit beneath a dull sky.

Tools were returned and the wheelbarrow sighed, we left with lighter steps and more space outside.

Pancakes later kept spirits bright, join us in March if you fancy a night.

Teamwork, laughter, and sweat in the cold, another small victory, another story told.

On a rainy Tuesday night, 7 Goodgymers ran to Grangetown to remove some furniture for it to be collected the next day.

Chair today, gone tomorrow

We split into groups and began using the bin bags to cover the items to protect them from the elements overnight. We needed to remove a chair, fridge, bed frame and mattress.

Fridge over troubled water

Once everything was covered we had to get everything down from the first floor. The fridge caused the most problems but we managed to navigate the corridor and stairs - although some unpleasant leakage meant Jake would have to wash his gloves and trainers later on! :o(

It's all about the (bed) base

When we were done, we all did a little anti-rain dance, hoping the weather was kind to the items overnight, so they were not too soggy for collection the next day.

We ran back as a group, happy that the first good deed of Feb was done.

Martin became the third club member to reach 300 deeds tonight! Congratulations and well done Martin, an amazing achievement. You are a true Graff-ter

He was awarded a Goodgym trident to mark the auspicious occasion!

It was a wet and dreary evening but 6 other GG-ers were there to support Martin in doing some good!

The task at hand was to clear down the perimeter wall at the Salvation Army, which was covered in weeds and nettles. We had to really tri-hard to cut and pull off the stubborn greenery, at some points it was a 3 pronged attack. The group tried-to-make-a-dent, but in fact they did much more than that, clearing a large percentage of the wall.

This week there was more chat about Microsoft Excel as we went about our work, but the only Graff plotted was how we would get back to the pub to celebrate.

When we got back we created a little clothes line to dry out our soggy gear! Then some folks ordered food - which they ate with a traditional 4 pronged fork! ;o)

We toasted Martin's milestone and enjoyed the welsh cakes he kindly brought with him. A grand old evening.

With a weather warning in place and rain on every weather app, it was a great surprise to have 5 goodgymers this evening for the group task at the Salvation Army.

We met at the Glassworks as usual, and after a brief chat and welcoming back Jake, we made our way up to the task. It was a slightly longer run than usual, but it's all part of the January challenge fun.

Tonight's task was clipping the hedges back to give them a much tidier look, we had a bucket of tools and a couple of lights to help in the dark. Gloved up, everyone got to work. Lucy went along taking the overgrown tops off, Jonathan, Emily and Jake trimmed down the sides whilst Michael jumped into the hedges for those difficult to reach areas.

30 minutes blew by quickly and we were lucky not to have the bad rain that they predicted. A quick tidy up of the tools and it was time to run down the hill back to the Glassworks for a fun evening of games.

Join us next week for more fun in the Diff

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Another Tuesday, we know what that means........

It's goodgym

We had a group of 8 volunteers tonight, including our tourist from Tower Hamlets Kareem.

A warm, Welsh welcome to you....

CROESO

This was our first ever time helping out at this hostel, but not our first time helping the Salvation Army.

First to set off were our walking elves, making their way directly to the location shared by Michael. Then, after a warm up led by Lucy it was time for the reindeer runners to head out.

A shorter route there, in case we needed extra task time, both groups arrived simultaneously. Michael rang the doorbell and we were let in.

Michael also works for the Salvation Army at another hostel that we have helped, so tonight he was also task organiser. A quick chat about what the hostel is, and it was time to make our way to the back yard and get busy.

Task ahoy

Tonight's task,

• Sweep the yard
• De-tangle the bramble from the clothes lines
• Weed the stones
• Cut back brambles growing from the train tracks
• Put up the lights around the railings
• Unpack and put out the new table and chairs.

Everyone got to work as tasks were handed out, Lucy and Jonathan grabbed the secauters and got chopping. Owen and Kareem we're raking it in as they weeded the gravel. Martin straight in with the brush, bum bum. Neda got down and dirty weeding the yard. Emily, with tool in hand, was on light duty. Each set of lights had to be unscrewed for the batteries, then put back together so that they were waterproof. Then cable ties secured them giving us the way glow that was needed in these Winter months.

Greenery collected was put back on the land behind the fence, where it will rot down and feed those hungry worms. All that was left was to unpack the furniture, Neda and Martin got to work on this.

We bid farewell to the support worker as we left, and took to the streets for a slightly longer run to make 4.5km in total.

Along the way, managing to pick up a student who ran with us nearly back to the Glassworks, but he had to head off to the train station. Will we see him again, who knows....

Once back, we went into the Glassworks for a games night and lots of laughs.

Congratulations to Kareem for winning telestrations and Emily for winning Exploding Kittens.

See you all again soon. 🎄