You can tell we've had one or two painting jobs this winter when GoodGym members are bringing their own overalls!

We were back at the Sherwood Community Centre this week to tackle jobs inside and out! Louise from the centre leda few of us down a labyrinth to apply some fresh white paint to whilst Matt, Natalie and Charlie went outside for some stealth gardening and leaf collection.

Great progress was made by both groups and Louise provided drinks to refresh after a good hour of work on the brushes and rollers.

We also welcomed Louise for her first GoodGym task, we hope you join us again soon!

Our latest task took us back to the Edwards Lane community Centre for the session we’d postponed from January due to illness.

We welcomed Caroline and Charlie back for their second GoodGym tasks, and also Nat who hasn’t been for a while. Joined by Leah, Matt, Nigel and Rachel, the group met Hya on arrival who set us to work on….you guessed it….painting!

Painting seems to have been the theme of this autumn and winter for GoodGym Nottingham, kick starting with our last visit to Edwards Lane back in October when we painted the sports hall. Since then, we’ve refreshed and spruced up various walls and fences in the local area. No complaints though, the group seem in their happy place with brushes and rollers in hands and the conversation and banter flows aplenty during these kinds of tasks.

This time we had the convenient job of painting the ladies’ and accessible toilets at the community centre. We split into 2 teams – pink and blue - and got to work. After an hour, we’d managed to get a large chunk of both loos done and they were definitely looking brighter and fresher, though a second coat and some neatening up is needed. Feeling flushed with success, we piled into the accessible toilet for a quick group photo.

Although we were disappointed not to be able to finish the painting, we understand that Hya’s husband will be going in to pick up where we left. Hopefully we will be back soon to help out with more jobs around the Edwards Lane Community Centre and to admire the loos if we need to spend a penny!

GoodGym Nottingham recently decided to mark various milestones within the team with a task and pub quiz combo.

The group congregated at the Carlton Hill Sensory Garden (Garden for the Blind) to do a spot of tidying and litter picking. We had expected to pick up where we left off last time and get stuck into more of the overgrown bushes, however someone had beaten us to it and the garden was actually looking very clear and tidy. Leah managed to find one patch which still needed a bit of a prune, whilst the rest of the group split up and looked for litter and anything else that needed a little chop.

The group did still manage to fill a bag of cuttings and get quite a bit of rubbish from the surrounding streets, so it was still time well spent.

After the task, we headed to the nearby Brickyard Pub to eat pizza and do the pub quiz where we placed fourth. Not too shabby, although we have realised that our knowledge of James Bond themes and Thomas the Tank Engine needs work.

Eight intrepid Goodgymers returned to Sherwood Methodist Church to tackle more of the overgrown garden.

With loppers, secateurs, brooms and wheelie bins ready we all got stuck in. Peter and Rachel finished off the cutting down at the front to finally reveal the Methodist Church signage. And no branches fell on any heads at all (sorry Rachel!)

Elsewhere, high roses were cut back and wheelie bins were filled to the brim with cuttings and branches and Matthew!

Huge thanks go to Tony and Janice from the church who supervised us so expertly and even made us a cuppa after before we all left as the heavens opened!

Massive congratulations to Tom for hitting his 100 good deeds - Goodgym gives you wings!