Our driest day this month, so let's get helping outside. Tonight we were back at Cwtch Together for some well needed help in the garden.

10 of the goodgym crew were eager to help, with 6 running from the meet point, another 3 running from homes and 1 walker.

Once we arrived it was time to chat with our organiser, Sarah. She took Michael on a walk showing what needed to be done so that he could split up the group as required.

Tasks for the evening:

• Reattach and paint the bottom of the gate.
• Remove some wooden posts attached to the wire fence.
• Remove ivy from the back wall.
• Cut back the overgrown brambles, ivy and everything else on the side of the building, up to the roof.

The play group had discovered one of their young people had become accustomed to using the overgrowth as climbing apparatus. Our job, to remove every opportunity for this, and make it safe.

We split into groups,

Su and Rosie were at the gate. Rosie a machine with the cable ties, securing the wooden bottom back to the gate. Su getting involved with the painting.

Darren ripped those posts out, on a rampage for freedom.

Lucy, Martin and Jake were the Ivy league when it came to weed removal from the garden wall.

Michael, Llion and Dylan were squashed in the corner. Llion leading the way with Loppers, Michael scaling the walls to attack from up high. Dylan cleaning up as brambles and ivy fell from every angle. It was all hands to work for the final part of the wall as ivy was ripped away to reveal a corner that hadn't been seen for some time.

Dylan joined a little later but still got cracking with the gatekeeper.

This was a good evening of tasks, with some clear work on show. The usual ending group photo, and we headed back to the city centre for a catch up.

The January challenge had been a great success, now well rested it was time to get going for the rest of the year. We were back at St. Dyfrig and St. Samson for our first task with them for 2026.

From Little Things Big Things Grow

A simple sounding task tonight, helping to clear the growth in the carpark from over winter, tidying up the space.

The carpark is vital to allow those with access needs to get as close to their church as possible. The Church also opens up as a warm space and for regular community activity, offering hot drinks and a vital form of connection with others in the local community.

With 9 goodgymers braving the cold, we had a quick warm up and Chat before heading out for our active travel to the task. As soon as we arrived we were welcomed by our organiser, Julian.

A little light work

A group of volunteers

A BIG DIFFERENCE

We split into groups to cover the different areas, one groups straight to work on the main part at the back of the Church. The second, larger group, tackling the side where the most growth was.

Julian used the lights from his car for the large group to get to work, whilst the goodgym powerful light was used for the smaller group.

Everyone was hard at work, removing greenery, soil and and rubbish, sweeping and separating for the correct bins. Jonathan even allowed his pocket boy out for some extra work...well done Dylan.

It was soon time to down tools for the evening, thanks as always to our wonderful volunteers. Whether your first visit of the year (Su) or smashing out every group run in 2026 (Jake). You are all equally awesome.

A quick group photo and then two group heading back, the joggers and the walkers.

As we bid farewell to November and start to think of all those December parties coming up, 9 goodgymers met for their weekly task in Cardiff.

We welcomed, for the first time Henry.

CROESO

We also had a celebration for our Flo, who had decided to celebrate her 50th, 100th and 200th in one go. They had not fallen on group runs so tonight was a special for them.

Our walkers took to the streets first, whilst Lucy led the warm up. Once we were warmed up and raring to go we started our run to the task.

It was a cold evening, but the Winter lights were on and this made up for the temperature.

The runners arrived first at Samye, followed by Flo, and then the walkers. We were all inside warming up for the briefing, tonight's tasks were some painting in one room and then bringing down the Xmas trees from the attic and putting them up in the relevant rooms.

Before we started, Flo was given her wings to wear for her 100th.

Henry and Michael we're straight on painting duties, once our task leader, Lorraine let us into the room.

Lorraine then took Su, Martin, Lucy, Rosie, Flo, Dylan and Neda to sort out the decorations.

With Michael busy painting, Martin, Flo and Su were also on photography duties for tonight's report. Trees out of the attic and it was time to put them together and decorate.

The smaller tree had to be stripped of decorations so that it resembled a tree once more, whilst the rest we given plenty of bling for the season.

The trees were then moved around to three different rooms, but the lights will be held back until Monday for a December 01st switch on.

Now that the tasks were completed, it was back to Flo, but this time for her to pop on the goodgym Cardiff cape for her 200th task....

Well done Flo 🎉

As a treat, Lorraine had made us soup with a choice of Minestrone and Carrot. It was soon eaten, with some lovely bread and a selection of baklava that they had spare.

We gave our thanks and headed back to our start location. We will be returning in two weeks to help one more time this year.

Henry, it was great to meet and chat with you on your first run and task with goodgym, and we hope to see you again soon.

GoodGymers, join us next week as we help a new place for the first time.

Sign up here

Our yearly task, helping the Christmas for CAMHS charity with their paper chain project.

We met as usual at the Glassworks, then headed out for our run. Tonight, different to usual, we were doing the task at the Glassworks where we had a table booked.

Michael had started the cutting process earlier in the day, cutting 20cm strips of wrapping paper. The team were given the page of jokes and the bag of pens, whilst Michael started to cut the smaller strips.

And the work started, who could complete the most?

It was a crazy time of writing as onlookers started to ask what we were doing. And in hardly any time our task came to an end.

Everyone stayed to take part in the Christmas Charity quiz, raising money for Macmillan cancer support.

A great night, and we will return to usual next week as we run to Samye.

Well done to Flo for completing 33 on her own.

Smashed It

Tonight was our yearly Halloween run.

Michael had promised that if others came in some kind of costume, he would wear the inflatable dinosaur costume.

We met at our usual start location in the City Centre, after a quick chat we welcomed our newest person Deborah, who had joined us at a goodgym run at Love Trails.

CROESO

After a brief moment inflating, and some strange looks from the pub behind us, it was time to set off on our run.

We had cheers of dinosaur, t-rex, there were beeping cars and lots of waves. Maybe we should have a T-Rex more often.

The task tonight was helping at Cwtch Together, a charity run disability play project, which promotes inclusive play and socialisation for disabled children and their families.

They are holding 2 Halloween parties, Friday and Saturday, and our fun task was to help set up the spooktacular event.

Everyone got into the spirit as we dressed tables, got pumpkins ready, built a play house, decorated the hall and carried in sand pits and black boards.

As we ended our evening with the usual group photo, the t-rex returned for the jog back.

Join us next week as we begin our Xmas tasks for 3 weeks.