Tonight's celebration for our resident islander David.

The last week of the January Challenge, that means the last group run for the month.

Push it

All out in force we saw 13 goodgymers for the group task, after an already impressive 8 for an earlier litterpick.

Those deeds where flying this week, and whilst on the subject of

Congratulations DAVE for hitting 100 and beyond

Those jogging and running met at the Glassworks as usual, for a jaunty 4.5km distance (total there and back). Whilst the walkers met at the task and then walked back.

Our task organiser tonight was the Samye Foundation, hosted by the lovely Lorraine. Greeted by the board of tasks it was a good night for 13 volunteers.

• Removing staples from paperwork
• Shredding paperwork
• Vacuuming building 252
• Mopping kitchen and toilets in building 252
• Vacuum the shrine room in building 250
• Wipe down the bannisters
• Vacuum the mindfulness practice room
• Mop the corridors and Tibetan café
• Repot the large plant out front

Quite a list tonight, but as Cardiff is on challenge mode nothing was going to phase us. We split into three groups, 1 outside and 2 split between the buildings.

We had a shredder overheating, and a group turning from removing staples to ripping documents. Our two horticulturists, repotting plants outside. Cleaning teams working in the furthest building, loving a vacuum and wipe down. No winging it tonight (except for Dave) only a full McCulundred % would do. From one building to another, stairs, corridors and the beautiful shrine room. We were truly blessed to be in there.

We tore through those tasks

As the bell finally rang for tools down, the crew were gathered for a celebratory sit down with soup. We had been treated to a wonderful fresh vegetable soup made by Lorraine.

2 SOUPS

We finished and bid farewell, taking a quick group photo outside before heading off for the night.

But wait, there's more... As this is our last group task of the month it’s time for food. Tonight for the burger deal.

Welcome back for your second Tuesday Henry and to your first January Challenge.

The January challenge is well underway and we are hitting it hard in the Diff. Today saw double and triple deeds going on to help us reach our increased target for 2026.

Tonight we made our way to Cwtch Together, always lovely to see them and this was our first visit of 2026 to Cwtch.

It was a nice route following the river and then through the park, utilising Darrens head torch with the power of a thousand suns.

After our initial welcome from the lovely Sarah, it was time to get into our busy groups.

• Group 01 - raking leaves
• Group 02 - unpacking Sarah's car
• Group 03 - in the store room

Group 01 The leaves had been blown from the park and where wet on the pathways, causing potential slips for the children and young people. Not on our watch 👀

Group 02 Sarah had received a request from one of the young people using her charity, to wrap up their parents. So off to the store and lots of reduced Xmas wrapping paper later.

Group 03 Sarah had requested our tallest person for the task in the store room of toys and activities. Earlier after a box explosion, items where spilling all over the place. So along with the tallest runner, group 3 took to tidying up the back.

We finished a little earlier than usual for a Cwtch session, so we increased our run back for the extra kilometers for the challenge.

Join us next week and keep those deeds flowing so that we can hit our 160 total deeds and 2000km.

Another Tuesday, we know what that means........

It's goodgym

We had a group of 8 volunteers tonight, including our tourist from Tower Hamlets Kareem.

A warm, Welsh welcome to you....

CROESO

This was our first ever time helping out at this hostel, but not our first time helping the Salvation Army.

First to set off were our walking elves, making their way directly to the location shared by Michael. Then, after a warm up led by Lucy it was time for the reindeer runners to head out.

A shorter route there, in case we needed extra task time, both groups arrived simultaneously. Michael rang the doorbell and we were let in.

Michael also works for the Salvation Army at another hostel that we have helped, so tonight he was also task organiser. A quick chat about what the hostel is, and it was time to make our way to the back yard and get busy.

Task ahoy

Tonight's task,

• Sweep the yard
• De-tangle the bramble from the clothes lines
• Weed the stones
• Cut back brambles growing from the train tracks
• Put up the lights around the railings
• Unpack and put out the new table and chairs.

Everyone got to work as tasks were handed out, Lucy and Jonathan grabbed the secauters and got chopping. Owen and Kareem we're raking it in as they weeded the gravel. Martin straight in with the brush, bum bum. Neda got down and dirty weeding the yard. Emily, with tool in hand, was on light duty. Each set of lights had to be unscrewed for the batteries, then put back together so that they were waterproof. Then cable ties secured them giving us the way glow that was needed in these Winter months.

Greenery collected was put back on the land behind the fence, where it will rot down and feed those hungry worms. All that was left was to unpack the furniture, Neda and Martin got to work on this.

We bid farewell to the support worker as we left, and took to the streets for a slightly longer run to make 4.5km in total.

Along the way, managing to pick up a student who ran with us nearly back to the Glassworks, but he had to head off to the train station. Will we see him again, who knows....

Once back, we went into the Glassworks for a games night and lots of laughs.

Congratulations to Kareem for winning telestrations and Emily for winning Exploding Kittens.

See you all again soon. 🎄