Today a group of six GoodGymers headed to Care for Veterans to help them pack away after their fundraising Christmas Fayre. Our efforts were hugely appreciated. What we were told would usually take their volunteers around four hours to do was achieved in just over an hour of joint hefting and shifting.

We can expect to be called in again to help with their summer edition!

Also, they had a request. Next year it will be 80 years since D-Day. Care for Veterans would love to have 80 people running on their behalf at the Worthing 10k on the 9th June - including teams of volunteers to push wheelchair veterans. Go on, you know you want to....

Brush it away

Picture a windy chilly and damp November Monday evening and thats the weather that my my amazing team turned out for tonight.

Thank you Gillybean who cycled over, Paul who walked over together with Paula , Barbara and John

With the beefit of head torches and Uncle Ivo's lights we were able to do a good prune, tidy up and sweep of the pretty courtyard garden amd managed to fill up the best part of 2 green bins.

The usual banter was flowing and, despite the dark November feel it was a very happy 45 minutes.

Welcome

Firstly a huge GG welcome to Vanessa who Sue brought along tonight. So good to meet you and we will look forward to seeing you at lots more tasks and socials !

It was our last visit of the year to St Botolphs Church Garden due to the nights being too dark to work in the garden. We were welcomed by our hosts Val and Rik and also joined by Sue from the friends of Heene Cemetery that is the closed cemetery attached to the Church.

Val asked us to continue what we started on our last visit which was attaching a framework of wire along side the old air raid shelter to train the ever growing ivy and also continue tidying the vicarage garden and also prune the boundary wall.

Belinda and John busily started on the wall using hammers, nails and wire to form a natural hook for the greenery to train on to.

Vanessa, Sue and Paula together with Val and Rik worked on the flowerbeds that lined the garden whilst Rosalind Sue and I tackled the pruning just within and outside of the wall. I think we definitely created the most mess which Paula helped me clear up!

Later on John and I demonstrated why its always good to work on strength training by shifting a huge concrete boulder. We were extremely pleased with ourselves !

The light went before our energy did so we has to make the decision to stop and say our goodbyes to Val, Rik and Sue until next year ( although we may see them again at Heene Road community garden )

What a lovely evening it was! and especially because we seem to have acquired a lovely new member to the group - Vanessa 😍😊

Have a great week and see you next Monday at The Dementia Hub in South Farm Road. Details to follow.

I will load up all tasks for the next few weeks tomorrow.

Julia xx

A new task venue for us tonight

Another Monday - a new venue. Tonight we went to another Guild Care project - a nursing home called Caer Gwent. It offers 24- hour expert nursing care, supporting individuals with complex health conditions, particularly focusing on palliative (i.e. end of life) support.

We had been asked to work on the long sweeping drive entrance to the home with a much needed weed and tidy.

it was lovely to welcome back Paul to reunite withRosalind after they have both been travelling in France. Lots to catch up on!

John took no time at all to get on his knees and down to weeding and tidying. Anne got straight on with pruning and weeding whilst having a lovely catch up with Paul.

Paula got stuck in with the same and when Daisy arrived she got straight into debris removal into the green bins.

Rosalind poised on her 99th task did a great job on muti tasking across all the flowerbeds catching up with all the news ! Next week is her big 100 !

With a make shift broom made from foliage Daisy and Anne had a great tidy up before we had a lovely group photo.

Next Monday we are back at Heene Cemetery followed by The Brew House from 7:15 to celebrate Barbara's 200th and Ros's 100th together with my Birthday with a quick drink. All welcome to either or both :)

Have a great week !

Julia X