A return visit to our favourite storage facility this evening for Hilary, Eugene, Adam, Fuad, Lise and Nick to do some more clothes sorting for the Care4Calais team, with clear instructions this week to sort out children’s clothing by specific ages so that the Care4Calais team could do a distribution during March.

Having learned a few lessons from our previous visit, including how to actually get into the facility and navigate the maze of storage to find the relevant lock up room, and to bring a couple of marker pens...we were able to get sorting pretty quickly this week, with empty boxes marked for the different age categories, and piles of donated items put into the corridors for the teams to go through and sort per the instructions from the team.

To the sound of a random playlist of 90’s/00’s tunes feeding through the facility’s speaker system, and our ongoing admiration for any clothing items made in Bangladesh to keep Fuad happy, plus the now familiar entertaining collection of somewhat unusual donated items (there was a whole dressing up box of items that we (mostly) resisted delving into), we soon had a “production line” going and filled 6 boxes, each marked with a different age category, by the end of the evening. There is still much to do, so another visit surely beckons before too long.

On a balmy Tuesday evening, a squad of eight set off from the Aquatics Centre for a classic GoodGym combo: run, task, teamwork, impact.

This week’s destination? The ever-welcoming Hackney Marsh Adventure Playground, where we were met by the indomitable Ange — beaming with good news. The playground dates back to the 1970s, when a degree of risk taking and challenge was all part of the design philosophy. Lots of the structures at the playground that support this philosophy are in need of replacement and Ange has recently secured some funding that will support long-overdue redevelopment work.

Those who’ve been on previous tasks here may remember shifting a hefty stack of wooden piles to free up one area for works. This time, the redevelopment zone had moved to the entrance where we'd moved them, so naturally, it was time to move them again! (strategic rotation?)

Armed with gloves, grit, and GoodGym spirit, we made short work of not only the infamous wooden piles but a few other bits of timber, too. Classic GoodGym efficiency — in and out, job done.

Special shout-out to our trio of first-time GoodGymers: Bianca, Lise and Mark — great to have you along and hope this is the first of many! And a warm Newham welcome to Richard, joining us for the first time in the borough — strong debut energy all round.

This task is always a favourite. Ange’s commitment to the playground and her legendary organisation mean it’s a joy to return each time — even if the wood just keeps moving in circles. Thanks to everyone who came along and made light work of a weighty task. Until the next pile shift... ply on! 🪵

Next week, we’re making a long-awaited return to the brilliant UP Garden — an award-winning community hub that’s been transformed from a disused laundry yard into a urban oasis for local residents. It’s always a pleasure to visit, and our host Suze will no doubt have a good list of tasks! 💪