When Francis House Children's Hospice called for volunteers from Nexperia UK to support its Bonfire and Fireworks Show in Wilmslow, Hazel proudly represented both Nexperia and GoodGym Stockport.

Hazel was assigned to one of the evening's most important roles: Fireworks Marshal. The shift began with a safety briefing from the pyrotechnicians, who stressed two key rules: stay outside the 2-metre safety zone and avoid looking directly into the high-powered lasers. The briefing was certainly effective, leaving the volunteers feeling both well-informed and slightly apprehensive!

Fortunately, the event ran smoothly. The crowd was friendly and well-behaved, the weather remained pleasant for most of the evening, and although it turned chilly and foggy in the second half, the bonfire, fireworks, and laser displays did not disappoint.

An unexpected perk of the role was a front-row position at the safety perimeter, giving Hazel one of the best views of the spectacular show. Not a bad reward for a night's volunteering.

Most importantly, the event raised valuable funds for Francis House (from estimated crowd of ~5000) and the vital support it provides to children and families. A successful evening, a worthy cause, and happily, no breaches of the laser safety rules. 🎆

Tough session for Hazel and Ben helping out at Dial Park allotments on a sunny Sunday morning.

The allotment community is hoping to spruce up the pond area that has been left to go wild, but Alison suggested it can be made more shallow and shaped to be smaller to help the wildlife and for easier long-term maintenance.

With a tonne of rubble delivered, our task was to use as much of this as possible to fill in the gaps and line the perimeter of the pond with bags of rocks.

Along with Laura from the allotment group, we dug and dug to pile the rubble high where it was needed, along with some smashed concrete that was going spare. Hazel meanwhile shifted hefty bags of rocks into place to provide a retaining wall for keeping the pond in place.

Well aided by a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit, we made really good progress and certainly flattened out the pile of rubble. We'll be aching tomorrow morning I think.

Fletcher Moss parkrun just keeps getting bigger! This Saturday saw a whopping 499 runners (yes, just one shy of a nice, round 500!) supported by 20 amazing volunteers.

Hazel was back for her third stint as marshal, proudly guarding the infamous junction where three paths tempt unsuspecting runners into choosing their own adventure. Thankfully, no one accidentally invented a brand-new parkrun route this week!

She was also joined by two friends who enjoyed a leisurely park walk—proving that not everyone has to sprint around to have a great Saturday morning.

Conditions? Still as dry and dusty as ever, but at least the sun remembered to be polite and kept things pleasantly gentle throughout the event.

With numbers continuing to grow, Fletcher Moss parkrun could really do with a few more volunteers. There are several key corners and diversions that deserve a friendly marshal rather than blind faith and a vague sense of direction. So, if you've ever fancied wearing a hi-vis vest, cheering complete strangers, and preventing accidental detours into the shrubbery, why not give volunteering a go? The parkrun community will be delighted to welcome you!

Fun evening at the Plastic Shed soft launch!

Lots of items made from recycled plastic lids on show using moulds made from aluminium, including:

• buttons
• (lab) coat pegs
• rulers
• clips
• bowls
• coasters
• spin tops
• combs
• lid connectors for building models from lids

We had the opportunity to drill some lids into the new mural inside too. Plus we got to see the new machines, new painted walls and spaces, and the new shop front!

Great to see how much progress Caitlin and Jamie have made!