For this week’s task we returned to the Sherwood Community Centre where our host, Louise, always has a range of fun jobs for us. However, before we started work, we had another important job to do…have a photoshoot!

We were joined by two photography students, Damon and Deanna, from Nottingham College who are working on a project about sustainability. They wanted to take a few snaps of us before the task, so the Nottingham Taskforce - Leah, Peter and Rachel - pulled out their best litter picking poses in the woods to get the shots that were needed.

Once everyone else arrived, we set to work in and around the centre. Peter, Shauna, Annie and Jo were out in the grounds weeding some of the beds and clearing leaves. Jo was joining us from Exeter where she is a GoodGym regular, so it was lovely to have a tourist in our midst.

Inside, Charlie, Matt and Nat did a bit of moving and shifting, and also built a shelf/trolley contraption for extra storage in one of the cupboards. After this, Matt had the important job of mopping all the signs in and around the carpark to remove all the dirt, bird mess and general muck that was covering them.

Finally, Khiltee, Leah and Rachel returned to the basement to carry on with some of the painting that we had been working on over recent weeks and months.

After an hour, we had a photo with one of Matt’s freshly mopped signs and went on our way.

Damon and Deanna's photography project will be on show at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham very soon, and we hope to go along to check out our photos and learn more about sustainability projects in the city.

We spent a lovely Wednesday evening at Edwards Lane Community Centre for this week’s session. Seven of us met Hya on arrival who tasked us with clearing and tidying the area out the front of the building. This was in preparation for a big event taking place at the centre at the weekend.

The original plan was for one of us to be jet washing the concrete but, sadly, the hose had escaped somewhere so the machine could not be used. Much to everyone's disappointment as we've not had the pleasure of jet washing yet! Instead, we all got stuck in with weeding the beds, scraping and sweeping the paths, and generally making things look a little bit neater.

After an hour’s work and with the fading sun leaving us a little chilly, we packed up and had our group photo. Despite the pressure washer not being used on this occasion, Nat ensured that it still featured in the photo and, somehow, Leah still managed to jet wash herself! Before we headed home, some of us took a little look inside at the toilets that we’d started painting on our last visit to Edwards Lane (see report). We can confirm that the painting is now finished and the loos look great.

We welcomed Sian and Susan to their first GoodGym tasks – lovely to meet you both. They joined Dayna, Leah, Matt, Nat and Rachel. Good work everyone!

GoodGym Nottingham returned to the Bridgeway Hall this week. Usually we are working in the foodbank, but as the clocks have changed and the weather (apparently) more favourable, our task for this time was to help with some tidying in the garden area in preparation for the summer months.

As we all made our way to the task, we were subject to dark skies, rain and hail stones. Thankfully, by the time we arrived the sun was shining again as we met our host, Dave, who showed us what he wanted us to do.

Unfortunately, someone else had gone home with the key to the shed meaning we had limited tools and gardening gloves, but we made the best of what we had and most of the group – Khiltee, Nat, Leah, Lindsey, Peter and Rachel - spent the hour tackling the weeds in and between the raised beds.

Meanwhile, Dayna turned her attention to trimming the branches that were poking through the fence at the back of the yard, and Matt and Nigel put in some hard graft splitting up some wooden pallets, preserving as much of the wood as possible which will be repurposed as benches for the front of the food bank.

After an hour of physical work and, as usual, meaningful conversation covering running, modern languages, how to hoe and what a bat would look like in a bowler hat, we packed up and went on our merry way.

We wished a belated happy 50th GoodGym task to Matt who was already proudly wearing his black t-shirt. Also, a big shout out to Peter who is running the Manchester Marathon this coming weekend – good luck Peter!!

it was a return visit to the Carrington Community Garden last night in, would you believe, daylight! The council parks team had made a start earlier that day but there was still plenty to do
Guided by councillor Nayab (thank you for the snacks!) and Mark (ably assisted by Jack the dog) Nigel, Natalie, Florence and Peter were trying to detangle ivy from a tree. Elsewhere, Matt (now just one away from the coveted black shirt!) spent the evening attacking brambles (apart from when his extra height and agility were required!). So good to be back outdoors with no torches - here's to a long summer of GoodGym tasks