Tonight 5 GoodGymers returned to Catton Grove Community Centre.

We were tasked with planting various types of bulbs in the flower beds, so 4 of us got to work digging and planting, and even spaced some of the bulbs into a pretty “G” for “GoodGym” shape in the soil!

Another member removed moss and weeds from the patio outside the community centre entrance to freshen it up a bit.

The bulbs we planted last year had already bloomed and looked beautiful, so it will be great to return to see what tonight’s bulbs look like once they are in bloom too.

A decidedly sunny day, but with some seriously cold gusts, the GG team descended on Valpy Avenue Allotments to tackle some serious brambles. Armed with loppers and rakes the brambles did not stand a chance and we made some serious progress, making a previously overgrown plot habitable again for a lucky allotmenteer.

Afterwards refreshments were served which were very welcome to the team, some admiring a pond that was thriving with tadpoles. Hopefully another visit will occur in the future and more plots can be made ready for use.

Tonight 10 GoodGymer's ran or cycled 6km to Pilling Park Community Centre.

It was our first visit to this venue, and we were there to support Lionwood Cycle Project - of which Jonathan is a member - who provide regular drop in bike servicing sessions.

The task was to clear a storage container of large unwanted items including 3 fridge / freezers, an ice cream box and hostess trolley! Using a sack barrow they were all moved to the front entrance, ready to be collected by the council for recycling.

Other items such as chairs and shelving will be reused or re-homed. So the task was over in a flash.

We will hopefully be back at this venue in the future to support the community cafe and other local groups.

Tonight 7 GoodGymer's ran or cycled 5km to Greenfields Community Centre.

This venue is used by many local groups including a vital Baby Bank hub.

We were tasked with painting one of the rooms regularly used by the Baby Bank to donate much needed equipment & clothing to local families.

The room had long been a drab yellow colour, but within 1 hour it had a new frosted look (a bright shade of grey called 'Frosted Steel').

Shout out to Emily who attended her first session!

And happy 10th Birthday to Goodgym Lewisham group (where I attended their first session 10 years ago today)!

Tonight 7 GoodGymer's ran or cycled 6km to support John Grooms Court, a residential home for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities.

The task was to paint the outdoor decking and fences, an area that had been neglected but is the only outdoor space available to the residents.

We were given a large pot of 'Duck's back' paint (hence the pun) and shared it out between us to cover as much of the area as possible.

The weather wasn't kind to us - low temperatures & increasing rain! But we stuck to the task until the paint was gone.. then it really was time to say goodbye, dry off and warm up!

Amazing effort team.