It’s probably not what she planned for her first mission but this GoodGymer was very grateful to Gita for picking off the burdock that had got stuck all over her. When you realise that this tricky plant was the inspiration for Velcro you probably get an idea of the state I was left in when clearing a patch of overgrown land at Cleveland Pools.

Yes, we were back at the site keeping it neat and tidy while work goes on in the background to see what’s needed to bring the lido back into use.

We were assigned a triangle of land near the entrance. Amy took it upon herself to tackle a series of docks with roots almost as tall as she was.

Gita and Louise - also on her first task - took to the weeds like professionals, with assistance from me, while Paul worked with other volunteers to clear the rest of the site. All our efforts were overseen by a group of cormorants who were no doubt far more interested in the local fish population.

Our hard work was rewarded with a drink and homemade rhubarb cake. We plan to be back before too long to try organiser Sally’s next recipe - and help out again, of course.