Our litter pick around Gipsy Lane/Cheney Lane area was just the 1st of February pick-me-up we all needed. Armed with gloves, bags and litter pickers we were on a mission to clean up the mean streets of Headington.

We divided into 2 groups to clean up both sides of Gipsy Lane and then parted ways as one group went down Cheney Lane and the other swung around through some of the residential streets. With both Oxford Brookes University Campus and Cheney School nearby this is a high footfall area, and sadly attracts large amounts of litter.

This week's magical mystery litter pick turned up car parts, food containers, crisp packets, sweetie wrappers, bottles galore, many coffee cups, a teddy bear, items of clothing, a set of keys, a condom wrapper, and a stash of out of date food cans.

GoodGym: Always bring the Can-Do attitude.

Congratulations on your 10th Good Deed Ellie!

Last night was our monthly flash-mob at the Oxford Mutual Aid foodbank. Throughout the winter we go in regularly to do a thorough clean. We are gradually working our way around the main food storage areas moving all the stock, cleaning the area and then restacking it. This month's area was one of the biggest stacks of ambient food and cleaning supplies in the centre of the room. It was all stacked more than head-high, so quite a challenge to get it all moved. Nonetheless, it felt like before we'd even dished out all the jobs most of the stack was shifted and the cleaning was underway - whenever I see the GoodGym team pull together like this it seems like the very definition of Many Hands Make Light Work.

While most of the group took care of the big move and clean, the rest headed into the kitchen area. There they sorted through the fresh fruit and veg, getting rid of anything going mouldy. Fridges were cleaned, surfaces wiped down, food waste removed and the floor mopped.

Also ticked off the 'To Do' list: cleaning and restacking the dirty food crates, portioning up tea bags, a bit of putting away donations.

Lot's achieved - well done all!

Last night we dodged floods and ice to head west for a Botley Road litter pick.

There are several trash hot spots around the area, so we try to do clean ups a few times a year along the Botley Road and into the Industrial Estate. Sure enough, all the usual areas were mucky and we could have ticked off almost all the Litter Bingo Card in the first few minutes. Coffee cups, fast food containers, snack wrappers, bottles, cans....all the litter pick fan favourites were found.

Less predictable were the homemade spear found in the supermarket car park (fortunately a tin foil blade!) and the negative pregnancy test; but if we weren't taken aback by something would it even be a GoodGym litter pick?!