As I arrived at Dad's Lane Community Association to find Karin in hard hat, mask and gloves, covered in dust and hauling a wheelbarrow full of rubble, I could see this wasn't going to be a lazy afternoon. The community centre is undergoing a total renovation, including stripping the walls back, and the floors in the side rooms were shin-deep in bricks and plaster – all of which had to go into the skip outside.

My job was to pick out the larger pieces of wall so Karin, volunteer Daniel and Steve, who's managing the project, could shovel the smaller bits into buckets and wheelbarrows. We all then had to take our harvest out to the skip, which was mostly empty when I arrived and almost full an hour and a half later. Steve said they'd already filled four skips and were expecting many, many more in the next few weeks.

Every bucketful and barrowful seemed harder to tip into the skip, so if anyone is looking for a good workout you won't be disappointed. Just don't wear your best gym clothes.