What looked like it might turn out to be a pleasant morning surprised the 5 GoodGymers who met at Richmond station to go leafleting - the temperature stayed unpleasantly low and it was quite gusty. But the weather didn't dampen our spirits as we set out armed with a pack each of leaflets from the Richmond Good Neighbours charity. We headed to the streets off the Kew Road, one of Richmond GG's happy hunting grounds for leafleting, and split into teams.

Adam and Luis started off going to the southerly roads while Cathy, Harry and JP tackled those further up the main road. Around half-way through we met up again, crossed the Kew Road and weaved our way through the residential areas on the other side.

We finished up after around an hour having delivered the vast majority of our leaflets, with Cathy offering to take the surplus back to ETNA. Then we headed on our way to enjoy the rest of Saturday and the weekend!

Six GGers turned out for our first visit this year to Richmond Furniture scheme.

Saturday's job, assigned by RFS CEO Simon, was to strip down a stash of pallets so that they could then reuse the wood.

Provided with claw hammers, crow bars and other bits and pieces from the workshop, we set about our work.

JP and Luis proved adept at hammer time, Suze, meanwhile was tasked with the challenging removing the nails from the wood once It was broken up, while Harry, Chris and Adam attempted to take it in turns with a particularly stubborn pallet that was too well constructed.

Overall,however, this mission proved a smashing success!

On a bright but cold day at Ham Lands, our GoodGym crew - welcoming first-timers Clare and Nadya - gathered for a satisfying task: liberating a cherry tree that had all but disappeared beneath a thicket of suckers.

These vigorous new growths had sprung up from the tree’s roots and were crowding out the space around it, competing for nutrients. Fuelled by enthusiasm (and a need to keep warm!), we set to work.

Using a combination of loppers for the thinner and handsaws for the thicker suckers we spread around the tree and attacked the task with gusto. The cut-down suckers soon started to form a large pile near the tree, which Friends of Ham Lands leader Sharon began moving to the undergrowth nearby.

As the cherry tree was revealed and the pile grew larger, several of the GoodGym team switched to removal duties. All the while we had been careful not to cut two of the suckers on which rare butterfly eggs had been found, so these remained standing close to the tree.

As usual for a Ham Lands task, on finishing we gathered at the Swiss Bakery for well deserved hot drinks and treats, happy with our morning’s efforts.