When Francis House Children's Hospice called for volunteers from Nexperia UK to support its Bonfire and Fireworks Show in Wilmslow, Hazel proudly represented both Nexperia and GoodGym Stockport.

Hazel was assigned to one of the evening's most important roles: Fireworks Marshal. The shift began with a safety briefing from the pyrotechnicians, who stressed two key rules: stay outside the 2-metre safety zone and avoid looking directly into the high-powered lasers. The briefing was certainly effective, leaving the volunteers feeling both well-informed and slightly apprehensive!

Fortunately, the event ran smoothly. The crowd was friendly and well-behaved, the weather remained pleasant for most of the evening, and although it turned chilly and foggy in the second half, the bonfire, fireworks, and laser displays did not disappoint.

An unexpected perk of the role was a front-row position at the safety perimeter, giving Hazel one of the best views of the spectacular show. Not a bad reward for a night's volunteering.

Most importantly, the event raised valuable funds for Francis House (from estimated crowd of ~5000) and the vital support it provides to children and families. A successful evening, a worthy cause, and happily, no breaches of the laser safety rules. 🎆

Tough session for Hazel and Ben helping out at Dial Park allotments on a sunny Sunday morning.

The allotment community is hoping to spruce up the pond area that has been left to go wild, but Alison suggested it can be made more shallow and shaped to be smaller to help the wildlife and for easier long-term maintenance.

With a tonne of rubble delivered, our task was to use as much of this as possible to fill in the gaps and line the perimeter of the pond with bags of rocks.

Along with Laura from the allotment group, we dug and dug to pile the rubble high where it was needed, along with some smashed concrete that was going spare. Hazel meanwhile shifted hefty bags of rocks into place to provide a retaining wall for keeping the pond in place.

Well aided by a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit, we made really good progress and certainly flattened out the pile of rubble. We'll be aching tomorrow morning I think.

Super fun yet long day volunteering as part of the GRIT Studios and The Coping CIC Move a Mile event in Stockport.

Initially helped set up some of gazebos and silent disco, before setting near the bus station with the bubble lady, some live music, and preparing for the skate race and flash mob.

Lots of smiling faces and families enjoying the activities as I helped with directions, maps, and general help.

At the end of the day, I helped lug speakers and gazebos back to their storage spot. Great to see so many people!

Fletcher Moss parkrun just keeps getting bigger! This Saturday saw a whopping 499 runners (yes, just one shy of a nice, round 500!) supported by 20 amazing volunteers.

Hazel was back for her third stint as marshal, proudly guarding the infamous junction where three paths tempt unsuspecting runners into choosing their own adventure. Thankfully, no one accidentally invented a brand-new parkrun route this week!

She was also joined by two friends who enjoyed a leisurely park walk—proving that not everyone has to sprint around to have a great Saturday morning.

Conditions? Still as dry and dusty as ever, but at least the sun remembered to be polite and kept things pleasantly gentle throughout the event.

With numbers continuing to grow, Fletcher Moss parkrun could really do with a few more volunteers. There are several key corners and diversions that deserve a friendly marshal rather than blind faith and a vague sense of direction. So, if you've ever fancied wearing a hi-vis vest, cheering complete strangers, and preventing accidental detours into the shrubbery, why not give volunteering a go? The parkrun community will be delighted to welcome you!

Who says Tuesday evenings have to be ordinary? Certainly not at WhatIf, where another glorious summer gathering served up all the ingredients for a perfect community evening: delicious homemade pies 🥧, mountains of pasta 🍝, cakes that mysteriously disappeared at an alarming rate 🍰😋, plenty of refreshments ☕🥤, live music 🎶, creative workshops 🎨, and enough neighbourliness ❤️ to warm even the least summery of British evenings.

Melanie and Laura rolled up their sleeves for the upcycling workshop, transforming old vinyl banners into mini grow bags. 🌱♻️ It's safe to say those banners have had quite the career change—from advertising to agriculture! 😂

There was another reason to celebrate too. 🎉 Melanie has finally found a volunteering community that feels like home, bringing together friendly faces 🤗, meaningful projects 💚, and a welcome boost for mental wellbeing. We couldn't be happier for her! 💙

For those of us who remember the winter months ❄️ (Mandy), it was amazing to see just how much the site has flourished. Back then, it was our cosy indoor refuge for GoodGym sessions 🏃‍♀️; now it's a thriving community food park bursting with colour 🌸, conversation 💬, music 🎵, workshops 🛠️, and growing things everywhere you look. The only thing growing faster than the vegetables 🥬🍅 seems to be the sense of community. ❤️

The official final batch of Together Trust leaflets (more than 200pcs) has now been successfully homed across the Cale Green area! 🎉

The mission took around two hours in total—one hour for each round—with Mithra joining for the second lap. Hazel's carefully crafted delivery strategy was simple but effective: tiptoe past the houses to avoid alarming the neighbourhood's canine security teams, and whatever you do, don't put your fingers all the way through the letterbox!

Apart from the occasional chorus of enthusiastic barking, the evening soundtrack also featured cheers, groans, and the odd celebratory shout drifting from homes as England played their football match. It certainly sounded like there was plenty of drama both on the pitch and behind front doors!

With the streets unusually quiet, cooler temperatures, and—best of all—no rain, it turned into a wonderfully easy, breezy leaflet delivery session.

Now that every leaflet has found its new home, here's hoping Together Trust enjoys a fantastic turnout for this Saturday's event! 🤞💙🎈