Toy meets toy

In the first of a double-deed Tuesday evening special, 7 GoodGym'ers met at the Shepherds Bush Families Project to lend a hand with 'Operation hall prep!'. The task was simple, help this wonderful organisation clear out their main hall of furniture and toys to make space for their TWO Christmas parties for the families they work with - they were expecting a massive 200 families to attend the parties, so space was needed to party!

Ode to toy

The team set to work carrying boxes of books, toys, furniture and more toys down the stairs and outside to a room where they were all being neatly stacked by Beatrice, one of the Shepherds Bush Families Project team.

After many energetic trips up and down the stairs the main hall quickly became clearer, while the room outside fuller and very like a real-life jenga puzzle!

Don't trust stairs...they're always up to something!

With some heavier and larger items needing to be transported down the stairs and into the room outside we decided to form a human chain ensuring we let the person next in line know how heavy the item was - some were heavier than they looked!

The chain had to be broken in order to get some trickier and bulkier some soft play steps down. After discussing whether we could just slide down on them we decided to go for the more cautious approach of carrying, as it isn't the season for broken bones!

As always, the task wasn't all work and no play, check out Lucy's 'Jack in a Box (Container)' impression:

A wing of beauty is a toy forever 🦋

Back inside the main hall we were given some beautifully crafted butterfly wings, which we of course took the opportunity to get a team photo with!

With the final few items of pushchairs, toys and boxes taken down and out of the hall, all that was left was one final push...of the children's playhouse back into position, which Clare and Lucy quickly did.

We didn't wing it...a TREE-ific job was done! 🎄

It was very much a case of 'many hands make light work' as the small but mighty magnificant seven had helped move all the furniture and toys that needed to be removed from the main hall into the downstairs room in just half an hour! The main hall was now ready to host the two Christmas parties. Top work team 💪. There was even time to admire their impressive Christmas tree and for some child's play on the rockers - yes, you guessed it, it was of course Lucy and Katie who were almost rocking around the Christmas tree!

We said our thankyous, goodbyes and Merry Christmas' to Shah and the team and all headed off towards the BetterGym for the final group run of 2019!