It was time to help the All Aboard club to set up their big train track again, for a play session for kids with autism and ADHD.

Sam and JP met at the Barn Church in Kew and got to work laying out track faster than Gromit in The Wrong Trousers.

We made sure to put in plenty of loops and turns, bridges and tunnels to make it interesting for the kids. Then we gave it a test run with Thomas the Tank and, satisfied with our work we went on our way!

We’re still not sure how this classes as a good deed for others when it’s so much fun for us. While we’d hesitate to call ourselves experts, after a few sessions we are definitely getting quicker at assembling the track and were even able to help some newcomers (who volunteered directly with AAC but we hope will join another GG session soon) troubleshoot when they got stuck on the wrong side of the tracks. Time flew by and we managed to finish our creation ready for the imminent arrival of the young people due to enjoy playing with the trains today.

Less a task and more an opportunity to regress and play with a giant train set, we enjoyed constructing a very sophisticated track full of corners, junctions, bridges, and tunnels. Expert Richard was on hand to help when our creativity and ambitions were beyond the laws of physics, and we hope to be as fast as him at assembling the track after a few more sessions.

2 good gymers helped an amazing local initiative to provide kids with special educational needs a source of joy - a giant train track.

Fun task!

The All Aboard team were back in Richmond for another play session for kids with autism and ADHD.

As usual, GoodGym was supporting the construction of a giant train track in a large room, this time at the Barn Church in Kew. Beth, Lucy and JP were the track engineers on hand.

We all started with our own section of track in a different part of the floor, and eventually connected them all into a layout that filled the room. This was adorned with bridges, tunnels, level crossings and stations to add to the interest for the kids.

We then helped to make a small track in a side room for children wanting to play in a quieter space. As the kids started to arrive we headed off to enjoy the rest of our Saturdays.

Three of Richmond’s loveliest ladies had the fun task of helping set up a toy train track for the All Aboard Club. This wonderful initiative lets children with autism and ADHD play in a safe and supportive space, and runs sessions around South London and Surrey - including Kew, where todays good deed took us.

Our job was to help lay out the train tracks to create a railway for the toy trains so travel around. The church hall was a wonderfully big space, so we each started to lay down our track pieces, and with some engine-ious engineering, we connected up everyone’s loops of track, erected bridges and put in points to form one spaghetti-like railway all around the floor.

It was a trip down memory train for me, as I played with Tomy trains with my brothers as a youngster, and Anita certainly enjoyed letting her inner child out as she was choo-choosing where to place tunnels over the railway line and deciphering how to connect two loose ends to make sure the trains wouldn’t end up crashing into each other!

Back on track, Beth had opened the box of trains, and set Percy off on his way, followed by speedy Toby and the Troublesome Trucks, Lady and Percy number 2. Watching the little engines chugging along was very satisfying, and the first of the children had now arrived to play with the railway. A lovely end to this rail tale.