Welcome to your first group task Aaron, we are very happy to have you with goodgym

CROESO

And, happy 50th mission to our regular Rosie - black t-shirt coming your way soon.

On a beautiful sunny evening, 9 goodgymers joined together for a run and cycle to help out at the wonderful charity "Cwtch Together". Our tasks for the evening were;

• Cut back the grass as much as possible
• Remove any stingy plants
• Fork over the ground in at the corner of the building, and level the ground
• Open the box......what's in the box?

Sarah, our task organiser had found a locked box whilst continuing to clear the corner outside and was unsure what was in it. The corner had been cleared on our last visit, and now the plan was to level the ground and then lay some paving slabs on there for an additional storage area.

Whilst Michael and Jonathan got the tools from inside the hall, the rest of the team had ripped open the box - like an angry version of deal or no deal.

Oh, what a disappointment

Not even a penny to be seen, it was nothing more than old soil in the box. At least we now know.

Now lets get cracking, Jonathan was straight onto strimming with the cordless, Aaron also strimming but with the corded version and Emily on the flymo. Not the easiest of gardens to cut back, a very uneven and bumpy ground for a mower where the fly was a little less than you wanted in a flymo, but it made for a good workout having to push more. The cordless kid made light work of taking back the grass, as Jonathan completed a quarter of the garden on his own - only stopping when the battery died. Aaron and Emily worked their areas, limited by the length of the cords and only able to move with the extension lead as a group. Great team effort as they made a the garden look at lot better and ready for the young people to use for outside activities on the next sessions for Cwtch Together (weather permitting).

Jake and Llion were scuttering around the garden, removing the stingy baddies as they went. Some areas weren't on the strimming and mowing list, so these had to be done by hand tools alone.

Rosie, Dylan and Dylan took to the corner forking and talking, getting stuck in. Some bits of rubbish were found and removed as the soil was broken up, and then the leveling began. Another good work out for the evening, and it looked great once finished.

We have made a massive difference on this task, and i'm sure that the young people will love using the outside space again this year. A quick photo and it was time to run, cycle and walk back for a little social and catch up.

See you next time.

Meeting at our usual place - Glassworks, we welcomed our first timer Ben.

CROESO

Tonight we were making our way to the Samye Foundation Wales, making use of the Spring light and better weather by getting outside for what is now dubbed "The sleeping edition".

The main tasks were putting some potatoes to bed and creating a new plant bed with railway sleepers.

Michael split the groups and sent 3 volunteers to the back yard, Rosie, Dylan and Jessica. Tasks, to remove and weeds, dig over the ground, and then pop the potatoes into their new beds ready to grow and provide some food in the summer.

The second group then had a few different jobs to complete, weeding around the doorways, the seating area and in front of the current raised bed. Then it was time to get destructive....Rip out the old wood, hoping that the beds don't collapse. Thankfully the liners and roots of plants held the soil in place, so as the wood was removed, broken down and then stacked a few people got to weed the now exposed area. Then came the lifting and carrying, each sleeper needed two volunteers to move, as we brick stacked them into their new locations wondering how they would finally be attached (Lorraine was deciding this later).

We managed to make out way through the whole list of tasks, and took some down time within the centre to chat and have some lovely soup which they had made for us. A little later back on this return, but the soup was worth it!

After a surprise sunny Spring day, 12 goodgymers found their way to doing good.

Second visit for Misbah, very happy to see you again.

First visit for baby EVE, Oh what a visit it was. The noises and colours, movements and crazy adults (including a very bouncy Michael).

To the Tasks...

We had 2 areas to clear of brambly, spiky plant life. The side of the building that we had started on our last darker visit, but today with the added light of Spring we could finish it off. Martin, Neda and Misbah got to the task, cutting back, bagging and then raking the ground until it was glorious and clean again.

The second area, technically not part of the grounds, had become a dumping area for random people.

Volunteers to work

Emma, Su, David, Jake and Ruth tackled the dumped rubbish. Larger items were moved to the end of the alley. A suitcase was packed with cut back brambles, broken glass was cleared (carefully) and then the ground was raked over. It certainly looked better than it had earlier, we then closed and locked the gate, hopefully to keep it looking cleaner for a while.

Dylan and Jessica were put to work on the lawn area, taking out and spiky plants that had made their way over from the alley. Whilst Michael cut back some of the grass, it will be time for the children and young people to get outside and use the space soon.

A quick photo and then it was time for a nice run back.

Our first litter picking task since the mammoth January challenge, we are here to stay active and get things done.

5 goodgymers met outside the glassworks, or usual start location. After a catch up chat, we made the decision to walk out to the beginning of the task as one group.

Lots of chatting on the way, where we have lived, life experience, general chat..... Now lets get to the task.

Michael handed out gloves, litter pickers and bags and it was time to start. A few wondering eyes from passers by as we set up in a corner of the street.

Hopefully the goodgym logo will be emblazoned on their minds after tonight.

2 teams set out, litter pickers and ploggers. The conversations continued as we cleaned the streets, filling bags with various items including a drinks dispenser, not a television... It was too big for the bag. Michael even found himself distracted when the crew pointed out a spring base from a mattress, rusty and old looking, but still full of bounce.

Like a toddler on a trampoline

As the plogging came to an end, it was time to drop our bags at a designated council bin for collection. Take a group photo, and then head back to our start location to complete the 5km.

Our driest day this month, so let's get helping outside. Tonight we were back at Cwtch Together for some well needed help in the garden.

10 of the goodgym crew were eager to help, with 6 running from the meet point, another 3 running from homes and 1 walker.

Once we arrived it was time to chat with our organiser, Sarah. She took Michael on a walk showing what needed to be done so that he could split up the group as required.

Tasks for the evening:

• Reattach and paint the bottom of the gate.
• Remove some wooden posts attached to the wire fence.
• Remove ivy from the back wall.
• Cut back the overgrown brambles, ivy and everything else on the side of the building, up to the roof.

The play group had discovered one of their young people had become accustomed to using the overgrowth as climbing apparatus. Our job, to remove every opportunity for this, and make it safe.

We split into groups,

Su and Rosie were at the gate. Rosie a machine with the cable ties, securing the wooden bottom back to the gate. Su getting involved with the painting.

Darren ripped those posts out, on a rampage for freedom.

Lucy, Martin and Jake were the Ivy league when it came to weed removal from the garden wall.

Michael, Llion and Dylan were squashed in the corner. Llion leading the way with Loppers, Michael scaling the walls to attack from up high. Dylan cleaning up as brambles and ivy fell from every angle. It was all hands to work for the final part of the wall as ivy was ripped away to reveal a corner that hadn't been seen for some time.

Dylan joined a little later but still got cracking with the gatekeeper.

This was a good evening of tasks, with some clear work on show. The usual ending group photo, and we headed back to the city centre for a catch up.