We've been to Kingston Voluntary Action's new project redistributing surplus food this summer and seen how it's been coming on.

Organiser Emma had a load of different tasks for us to do, from crushing boxes, sweeping, cleaning out their fridge as well as their van.

Anna, Amreet, Claire (expert power washer), Tom, Emma, Emily Luke, Levita, John (top leaf-blowing), Dave (skilful van driving), Rachel and first-timer Jonathan got involved in a bit of everything and we'd made a big difference by the end.

We didn't leave empty-handed, either. The great thing about a food hub is…food…and we got some water kefir and cacao bars for our trouble.

Nice to be back helping a very worthy cause.

Brought and dropped some items for the food bank on my way around.

Kingston River Culture festival needed some help with setting up some gazebos, stalls and exhibition stands. So I met Levita and Saber there at Canbury Gardens and we managed to put 8-9 gazebos up together in our session time.

None of knew how to set up a gazebo so we needed to look it up by watching a short Youtube video which helped! We also needed to watch another video on how to close a broken gazebo which took us longer than to open and set it up.. However, when we needed to set up a replacement, we did it very swiftly within 10 minutes (a record!)

We also had 1-2 people helping us in some parts but we mostly did it all.

Organiser was pleased and thanked for our help!

This afternoon, I went back to a returning recipient who was pleased to see me again to bring her garden back to normal. Although the challenge was mine being vertically impeded, armed only with a pair of secateurs. So I was only able to cut the trailering brambles to my arms length which thankfully was just high enough for her to walk under safely. I then set to work removing the bindweed and other unwanted vegetation around the garden plot. This was all rewarded with a nice cup of chai and a chat. She was so pleased, she has already booked her next session with her referee.

It was time to see if I had enough iron after a previous failed attempt to give my second blood donation and as my droplet of blood fell is the test fluid it confirmed I had.

So it was on to the donation chair and a few minutes of listening to the radio before it was time for the all important snacks.

Nightmare on Elm Park

Eight GoodGymers took advantage of a break in the rain to join the Friends of Elm Road Recreation Ground for a tough but rewarding task.

A thick carpet of leaves – and an even thicker layer of compacted soil lurking beneath – has built up along the fences of the children’s playground. Armed with hoes and spades, we fought our way through the matted weeds and nettle roots. Once loosened, the debris was swept, brushed, and bagged up - a lot of squatting and shovelling was needed!

Great to see the pile of filled sacks and the difference at the end. The fences were freed and more space was reclaimed for children to enjoy – without the sting of nettles. A proper transformation.

Fashion Police, Winter Coats & Animal Hats – Another Fun Hour at Growbaby!

This evening, our team of GoodGymmers got stuck into an hour of sorting, organising, and laughing at the always-busy Growbaby charity.

Rachel led the charge and even arranged a donation drop-off from her friend—brilliant teamwork! Levita and Jana channelled their inner fashion critics as they tackled a mountain of baby sleepsuits and snuggle bags. Their keen eyes helped fill three bin bags with items that didn’t make the cut. Honestly, it's always surprising (and sometimes baffling!) what people donate...

Meanwhile, Clair was a whirlwind of productivity, zipping through the stock and making sense of the ever-growing piles of clothes.

There was a moment of light relief when we unearthed some truly fierce animal headgear—cue laughter and an impromptu photo session. We also managed to squeeze in a few stories from summer travels while sorting, proving once again that a bit of chat makes the time fly.

Great work all round, and a big thanks to Rachel for organising another fab task!