This week's task at the Masbro Centre sounded simple enough: put up some shelving. Easy... right? 😅

We were handed our first box with optimism, only to open it and discover... four sheets of plywood. 🤔 Not quite the shelving extravaganza we'd been expecting!

Cue a mini detective mission 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️ as we searched the building to solve the mystery of the missing shelving. After checking cupboards and storage spaces, success! 🎉 Hidden away in the sports cupboard were five flat-packed shelving units patiently waiting for their moment.

With the correct box finally located, it was time to get building. Armed with a mallet 🔨, a hammer 🛠️, plenty of determination 💪, and the perfect construction team of two gentlemen and a lady 👷‍♂️👷‍♂️👷‍♀️, we set to work.

As it turns out, assembling one of these shelving units isn't exactly a speed event! After just over an hour of tapping, hammering, slotting pieces together, and carefully fitting the plywood shelves into place, we proudly stood back to admire... one fully assembled shelving unit! 🎉👏

Our brand-new shelving has now been safely stored, ready for its permanent home in the sports cupboard. With four more flat-packs waiting in the wings, we've set ourselves up perfectly for next month's return, where we'll be aiming to beat our current tally of one shelf per evening! 😄

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, brought their enthusiasm, patience, and excellent DIY skills. Same time next month to tackle the next chapter of the Great Shelving Adventure! 💚💪

Last night’s volunteering session at Masbro Centre felt a bit like stepping into a mystery novel...

After arriving, we were led through a door that many of us had never even noticed before. Behind it lay the "Secret Garden" – and secret it certainly was! 😄

What we found was a space that had seen better days. There were pots everywhere, evidence of some ambitious gardening attempts, weeds making themselves very much at home, and plenty of plastic and waste scattered around. It was less "Secret Garden" and more "Secret Jungle!" 🌱🪴

Not to be deterred, the team got stuck in straight away. 💪

🗑️ We cleared four large black bags of waste.

🌿 We depotted plants and removed weeds that had taken over.

🧹 We swept the floor until it was clean and welcoming again.

🪑 We cleared and cleaned the benches.

🔧 We organised the shed so everything now has a proper home.

🪴 We carefully arranged the pots neatly to one side, making the whole area look far more inviting.

The transformation was incredible. What started as a cluttered and forgotten corner is now a bright, tidy and welcoming outdoor space where the nursery children can learn, explore and enjoy being outside. 🌞

A fantastic evening of teamwork, plenty of laughs, and a real before-and-after success story. The Secret Garden is a secret no more—and it's looking better than ever! 🌿✨