Six GoodGymers went to the new premises of the Green Skills Library where we were welcomed by the task owner. After quick introductions, she outlined the varied jobs for the evening: - Painting - Brooming the carpentry area - Kneeling on the floor and scraping off bits of gum and paint!

I'm always surprised at how quickly GoodGymers divvy up work without being told who should do what. So off went: - Mike to the carpentry area - Anne-Laure and Diya to paint the back cupboards - Amy to paint an old stool - Juli and Jess on the floor, scraper in hand

And hour flew by, and wonderful things were accomplished, with Amy also having joined the Kneelers and Scrapers. Another fun evening for the books!

Diya and Kanika went to Ms. M's to help with her front garden. She had received a notice from the Council to cut down overgrown bushes covering the public footpath and desperately needed help. Being disabled and on her own, she could not have tackled this herself.

It was one of those daunting tasks where you don't know where to begin! In true GoodGym spirit, we did begin....and managed to clear out the whole thing! The sole green bin stood no chance so there's a pile of cut branches in her garden which she will need to get someone to help with. Maybe there will be another task listed for it shortly.

It was hard work but very satisfied in the end.

7 GoodGymers yarn-bombed the Community Centre this week, continuing work on the Craft Coop's stunning poppy masterpiece.

We've spent many weeks supporting this project and it's fantastic to see it all coming together, one poppy and one stitch at a time.

Diya and Kanika took on the challenge of sewing together the next section of canvas, the netting that the poppies are attached to. After a couple of false starts, they settled into a rhythm and worked steadily from opposite ends. With the finishing line in sight and just a few stitches left to go, they discovered they'd sewn the pieces together in opposite directions! Thankfully, all was not lost. Diya quickly came up with a clever workaround, leaving Michelle with an easy fix to complete the following day.

Meanwhile, Mike, Sol, Jess, Anne-Laure and Roberta got stuck into attaching poppies to the prepared canvas. These were the larger poppies, and Michelle's top tip was to have one person tack everything into place before the rest of the team secured them properly. Jess took on tacking duty while everyone else got busy stitching. Sol developed a brilliant system that allowed the whole team to work on the canvas simultaneously, making the process much more efficient.

A huge amount of work was completed during the session, and the finish line is now beginning to loom into view. We have one more crafting session on 14 October to help complete the masterpiece, before returning on 21 October at St John the Baptist Church to assist with the installation. We can't wait to see the final display in all its glory!