Another fun start to the week, Paul, Gus and I rocking up early. But the Brent Cross traffic had the lovely delivery team from Volunteers on Wheels stuck at a crawl and they only arrived just before 11am. Undeterred, we went at it double time, running trolleys down the ramp, unloading the van and pushing things back up to the shop team to sort. And then we were done, though I stuck around for 15min more to help move some produce into the stores.

This week we saw: leeks, potatoes, butternut soups, smoothies, bottled and canned drinks, mushrooms (inc. mushrooms growing on mushrooms, which had to be discarded but were a nice ecological novelty!), sweet potatoes, soda bread and a lot more I missed in the speed. Some of it will be going in stores for their big first birthday party celebrations this Wednesday, so they can give things away as raffle prizes and have extra on hand for the increased visitors. We'll be popping along around lunchtime!

Well, a slightly disappointing session this one because we all arrived just as the delivery van was finishing up. Paul was first and managed to help push a couple of trolleys, but Subham and I arrived just at the start time to find they were packing up and going. And it was a small enough delivery the grocery team decided they didn't need any help inside.

Paul had Gus with him and needed to go to something else, but Subham and I decided to make the most of the weather, grabbed a coffee, then walked to the Glebelands Open Space, where we did some of the outdoor exercise trail before heading home. Next week, hopefully there'll be more lifting!

It was a successful session. I attended alone today. A delivery came in full of fresh produce, including bananas, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers and apples, as well as crisp cans of Coca-Cola. I helped unload the delivery and take the produce to storage. Packs of breaded chicken breast also arrived and are predicted to sell ASAP. I also brought apples to donate that we picked during our last GoodGym session at Mill Hill Orchard.

For this morning's delivery to the Community Grocery, Filip joined me bang on time for his first shift. Fortunately, the team from Volunteers on Wheels wasn't there early, so he had plenty of time to do the manual lifting training.

Then the truck arrived and we rolled trolleys down the ramp. Four of us made light work of this week's goodies: carrots, tomatoes and potatoes, plus fridge stuff like gyros and pizza. Some more drinks cans, which went in the store cupboard, and a few boxes of fresh lettuce for the fridge also. We helped stack and store some surplus and then we were out the door into the sunshine.

With three of the Community Grocery's top team away, as well as a couple of Goodgym's regulars, it was a wonder things went so smoothly today.

But we were so ready for the delivery today that three of us ran out with empty trolleys as soon as the first truck showed up - with one box of eggs, which the driver kindly carried up the stairs by himself. So it was back to waiting until the rest arrived. And they did - with two new drivers as well!

Then the rush began, but with 5 helpers from the grocery we made short work of the bananas, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, baby food soft drinks and milk. Everything went inside for sorting and then I helped store things in the downstairs cupboards while they wait for space to clear in the shop.

Subham rocked up first this morning, 09:44, with me hot on his heels, watching him go up the stairs to St Barnabus from the other side of the road. Then Paul rolled up on his bike out of nowhere a short while later, so we had a great little reunion over coffee in the foyer, bonding with some of the regulars about that classic North London competitive divide: Arsenal or Spurs?

Then the delivery arrived and we got stuck into unloading. This week saw: potatoes, carrots, onions, protein shakes, burgers, some kind of beef thing that didn't need fridging, soups, bananas, bread rolls, ciabbata rolls, and plenty more. We helped unload everything, then helped unpack things in fridges and store cupboards, then trotted off on our merry way.

Sadly, they've not had much fruit delivered to the Grocery this year, so we're going to try and work with Barnet Community Harvesters and others to get some fresh apples to them if we can, this month.

Also, Claire, Emily and Kenny are all away next week, so we're definitely needed - sign up soon if you're free!