21, yes you read it correctly, 21 amazing goodgymers met at the Natures Haven Garden at front of Maidenhead Community Centre. Amy our lovely leader wasted no time in greeting us, introducing Claire C and Aleks from Nature Haven and explaining the evening’s plans before embarking on a well needed warm up session on this chilly November night.

The group divided up into a running and two walking groups, our destination was Waitrose where we donated to the Foodshare collection box.

Once back at the Community Centre the task was a continuation of our last visit, clearing more of a densely planted bank, so tools at the ready, muscles flexed, let digging commence.

Pretty soon there were whoops and cheers as root stumps were raised in the air in celebration as one by one they were liberated from the ground. As time passed numbers were randomly shouted out, 3,6, 8 !! these were the number of stumps dug out. The record was 11, and the dream team was Tony and Ben; there was nothing wooden about their performance!!

Bush-whisperer Kanika also deserves a special mention. She freed one stump by winking at it!

Mandy and Anne-Laure also worked ex-tree-mely hard in another part of the garden and after much pushing and pulling they became the proud parents of root baby twins.

Among us lesser mortals, moans and groans could be heard as we struggled to ease the root balls, who knew these shrubs had soooo many roots. Gillian was a trooper and never gave up, pulling and pushing at these pesky stumps.

And as our arms and legs tired we were rewarded with a snap and a pop, the roots came free, what a re-leaf!! another one bites the soil. We mustn’t forget all the work that clearing up gang did, depositing the roots and sweeping up all the debris.

All our hard toil was rewarded with very welcome cups of hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows. Thank you so much to Claire and Aleks for your kind hospitality.

With the happy satisfaction of completing the task, tummies full of hot chocolate and marshmallows and the faint odour of smoke in our hair we headed home. We wooden have it any other way!!

Tonight we were weeding and cutting back overgrown foliage at Home Park Lawn Tennis Club in Windsor. This was such a fun task. We met outside the local running club, the Datchet Dashers, where we welcomed Caroline who joined us for her third session with Windsor and Maidenhead GoodGym. Mandyhad cycled from her home whilst the rest of us met at the task. The group got stuck into a warm up and a jog around Home Park. Although it wasn’t racquet science it was still quite hard not to bump into one another in the dark!

After the run, GoodGym cracked on with serve-ing the community once again with good deeds. The team cut back the weeds on both sides of the fence refusing to “let” them have any chance of returning. We were joined tonight by returning extra Fleur the dog who took a slight detour and needed the skills of Michelle and Tony to bring her home. Meanwhile Emmamade short work of the brambles and Anne Laure took no prisoners on chopping down the nettles.

What a lovely service GoodGym provided tonight – managing to tidy up almost all four sides of the courts. After the task we completed a fun circuits round complete with tennis balls. Well done team.

It was a warm evening for us to meet at Maidenhead Community Centre. Sophie led a warm up session and then split into groups of walkers and runners and headed over to St Luke’s School to meet our task owner.

After being shown the task we took a leaf of faith and having donned our head torches in preparation of the night drawing in we set about with the tools provided on the weeds and leaves around the side and front of the main building of the school.

Tony with his power tool was dressed for the occasion in action man leaf blower style. He b-leafed he could and he did!

We also had some pretty flowering plants to plant in the cleared areas which we then watered in.

We swept up all the debris and leaves (well we tried to in the wind) And we did get a bit leaf obsessed. But we did weedy well!

Then when the GoodGym bell rang and the task was completed we went off play and did circuits on the play equipment toning our legs, balancing and a run around the mini track before making our way back to the start for stretches and goodbyes. Our good weed the day!

For tonight's task we met at the Pirate Park in Windsor and had a short walk and run to our location, Clewer Green First School on Hatch lane. We were delighted to be joined by newcomer Caroline and returning new members Scarlett and Matthew.

Thanks to Anna for leading the walkers and to local resident Emma for showing us the way. Whilst the walkers set off Amanda led an animal themed warm up for the runners and after some sideways crabs, horsey gallops and chicken shoos the group headed off.

The task tonight was to create a children's allotment which included making 10 vegetable and flower beds as well as tidying up and painting some tables. There was no herbing of enthusiasm as the team got stuck into the tasks. Anna and Rachel were just the thicket to cut back the brambles to make the space more accessible. Jess and Caroline also turniped the volume on the piles of wood and cleared the piles of debris in no time. That was certainly their good weed for the day!

We were joined by local residents, parents and relatives so together we made a merry band of 22 volunteers.

GoodGym definitely don't moss around and Emma, Jack, Georgetta, Amy, Gillian, and Sophie got straight to work sanding and painting 2 outdoor tables. Michelle, Scarlett and Matthew parsley'd the test with the veggie patch construction. The winter nights are drawing in and we were soon cutting it vine as the light faded quickly but that did not deter the team who wanted to keep calm and carrot on, committed to finishing their tasks by torch and floodlight.

The evening ended with a quick fitness session on the field powered by squats, bum kicks and joyful pressups followed by a walk back to the Pirate Park. Well done everyone.