When a Task Goes Slightly Off the Rails...

After a somewhat concerning sign-up sheet showed just two names earlier in the day, we were delighted when a magnificent eight GoodGymers appeared at St Botolph's Church ready for an evening of weeding and good deeds.

Sadly, our enthusiasm wasn't quite matched by the task preparation! Due to a slight mix-up with dates from our lovely hosts, Rik and Val, we arrived to find ourselves very much left to our own devices. With no hosts in sight and only a handful of tools available, it was time for some GoodGym improvisation.

Fortunately, John's legendary backpack stash came to the rescue. Producing enough tools to keep us occupied, we set about tackling the weeds around the edges of the church grounds. It wasn't quite the grand gardening mission we'd anticipated, but plenty of weeds met their demise nonetheless.

A particular highlight of the evening was welcoming back Roxy and Mali. It was fantastic to see them again after a while away. However, one important question remains unanswered: what happened to the puppy version of Mali?! Somewhere along the line, that tiny pup has transformed into a fully-grown dog before our very eyes. You might say she’s really grown into the role

Despite the damp-squib nature of the task, spirits remained high, conversations flowed, and the church grounds are looking a little tidier than before. We may have turned up for a major gardening project and ended up with a minor one, but when life gives you weeds, we pull them out !

The good news is that Rik and Val will be expecting us next week, when hopefully we'll be tackling the task that was originally planned. Unfortunately, I won't be there as I'll be away on holiday, so the group will be in the very capable hands of John

I'm sure he'll keep everyone rooted to the task... and if not, he'll probably have the right tool for it hidden somewhere in that backpack!

Ground Force? More Like Ground Source!

Tonight we paid a visit to Turning Tides to help with an exciting new project at their Victoria Road site. This beautiful Sussex flint house, nestled in the grounds of an equally beautiful church, is set to become something really special.

We were warmly welcomed by Franca, who shared her inspiring vision for the space — a huge allotment area filled with vegetables, wild flowers together with fruit bushes and trees, creating not just a productive garden but a peaceful place for people to enjoy and nurture.

On this glorious sunny evening, I was lucky enough to be joined by Barbara, Sue, Stephane and Paul, who were all ready to really “dig in” with plenty of energy and enthusiasm! Armed with tools, teamwork and good humour, we got stuck straight into clearing and preparing the ground.

An hour later, we’d already made fantastic progress and could really start to see the potential of the space coming to life.

Round one complete… and we can’t wait to return for round two!