This evening, we returned to Aston’s Eyot, a 32-acre nature reserve with public access. It’s a GoodGym favourite, as it almost always involves scything and offers lovely views of the river!

We split into two teams to tackle different sections. Our tasks ranged from using posts to secure log seating and sawing branches to open up the viewpoints, to scything the pathways and lopping back overgrown greenery. Along the way, we enjoyed watching the rowers, kayakers, and swans pass by.

It was the kind of task where we could see the immediate impact of our work. We even got to test out one of the log benches at the end and admire the newly cleared space. We were really pleased to welcome Akshat for their first GoodGym session!

OxGrow is a gorgeous community garden nestled in the Hogacre Eco Space. Access to said garden is over a VERRRRRY tall railway bridge. Any deliveries for the garden, and any bulky rubbish leaving the garden can only go one way, up and over the bridge.

Over the years we have carried woodchip, manure, a sofa and even a very delapidated organ over the bridge and today it was the turn of bricks.........

Fortunately many hands make light(ish) work and we only carried what we could manage - LIFT WITH THE KNEES!! After a bit of puffing and panting, some excellent team work and canine encouragement from our beloved Jango we managed to get them all moved and in position for their new life as a border for some herb beds. A quick spot of bramble management and we headed off into the evening sun.

GREAT work team.

Anwen was quick to react to the last minute cancellation of our planned session and conjure a friendly 5-a-side scavenger hunt in central Oxford. Runners v Walkers with no cup for the winners, except for the coffee cup on Anwen's list.

Walkers took an early lead through a great Stephen pun (a fork in the road). Runners struck back thanks to in depth knowledge of GoodGym venues. A masquerade mask was the best very random item and Walkers increased their lead when they bumped into Emma for the "street with a fellow GoodGymer's name". Mr. Tumnus was worth a point for Runners, and after a tense count back at Central Library, Anwen declared a draw.
One team could have snatched victory if only they had picked up a ....Walker's crisp packet.

Yaaaay for the longer evenings and GoodGymming in daylight.

but if you have no leaflets, you can't do leafleting!

See you next week xx

Our winter food bank clean got going last night; a very welcome indoor task given the sudden chill!

Each winter we do a session roughly once a month to give the food bank a thorough clean. It's hard for their usual team of volunteers to take time away from packing food parcels to do a really thorough clean, so GoodGym taking over the task helps them focus on getting food out to people in need.

This month we cleaned fridges, emptied food waste, cleaned the wall behind the food waste crates, swept & mopped in the kitchen. In the main hall we moved the shelving along the wall closet to the car park, swept, mopped, cleaned the shelves.