It's been an extremely difficult Xmas for everyone this. No more so than for older people in Care Homes who have been unable to see their families for the last 9 months. It really is heartbreaking.

That's why we wanted to do something for some of the care homes/housing with care we've visited in the past, as we couldn't visit them in person this year to play games or sing carols. Instead, we sent the residents at Bowthorpe Care Village a Xmas Card, some of which were made by our members.

It was great to see so many GoodGymers get involved with this task, some of who were from other GoodGym areas across the UK.

These tasks have brought a smile to everyone's face, Merry Christmas to all of you.

6 Goodgymers met Ryan at the entrance car park and took us around to the gardens where we admired the chicken shed we put up on our last visit which we remembered was very cold! Not so tonight it was a far warmer, light evening. We split into two groups of three. Niki, Jess and I started painting a large black tractor tyre a lovely shade of lilac, Robert, Mel and Sophie painted two wooden cable reels, which we all finished off together to complete the task. At one stage the two reels started rolling away! We managed to stop them, we hope they haven’t rolled away in the morning 😂😂🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

Katy and Bill came up with the great idea of sending a postcard to all of the older people's homes that we've visited with GoodGym Norwich.

We worked out there were 10 altogether so the following all had a personal postcard/letter of love and good will sent to them on behalf of GoodGym Norwich.

• Redmayne View - Katy
• Bowthorpe Care Village - Bill
• Sydney House - Mel
• Springdale - Jennifer
• Hayden Court - Catherine
• Barley Court - Cheska
• Marion Road Day Centre - Bobby
• Ellacombe - Hayley
• Green Lane View - Hitch and Emma
• Violet Elvin Court - Paul

A little note from Paul's postcard below:

I sent a card to the staff and residents at a care home where we've been several times before. I was there a few weeks ago and won a box of chocolates in a game of bingo! The ladies there like a good time hence the card Party, Party, Party!

We had one of our longer runs tonight, a mere 5.5km each way to visit Bowthorpe Care Village.

A big GoodGym welcome to Kamilla who was doing her 1st good deed.

Bill was back runner.

Considering the distance, we managed to arrive in around 33 minutes!

Hazel and her team greeted us with an array of lovely cake and refreshments, just what we needed to replenish our energy ahead of the task and run back later. Although a few/most of us that had 6 pieces of cake then thought we went a little OTT haha.

The task list for us to do were:

• Erect a wire chicken run
• Paint the tyres being used as plant pots
• Put up a little fence around a new area for a memorial garden
• Dig up a new wildlife pond

Within a blink of an eye, we were already in 4 groups and off everyone went to do the retrospective tasks. It was all outside, we were all freezing but we got the job done!

You may ask how many GoodGymers it takes to erect a chicken run? The answer is 'enough' but didn't they do a good job, evidenced by 26 of us standing inside it!

The painters did a great job and made the plain tyres look very colourful.

Those putting up the fence had a few difficulties at times but still managed to improvise and get it done.

Despite a few concerned looking care home residents looking out their window to see some random people digging a 6x3 hole in the dark, the diggers did a great job in getting a new wildlife pond dug out.

We really did do a good job. With spring approaching over the next couple of months, we have given residents extra incentive to want to come outside more and be with the natural world.

Pun credit goes to Raffy.

Katy is at the helm next week as you visit Eaton Park.