What an afternoon! 😄 Today’s pack-down session at St Matthew’s Church Foodbank was the perfect mix of teamwork, community spirit, and just a little heavy lifting… okay, maybe a lot! 💪📦

As soon as I arrived, I was introduced to Sian, who runs the Friday session with warmth and total pro-level organisation. She walked me through how the foodbank works—from the friendly welcome guests receive, to the 1-2-1 conversations offered for all Foodbank visitors to offer them extra support. ❤️

Then came the tour of the good stuff 👀🍞—fresh produce and baked delights generously donated by Gail’s, Bread Ahead, and loads of other brilliant local food spots. Honestly, it took all of my willpower not to “accidentally” drop a croissant.

I was joined by Thomas, who arrived straight after teaching at a nearby school (what a hero). Together, we were swiftly put to work—no easing in, no warm-up, just full send! 😆

🧹 The Pack-Down Mission

First task: clearing the tables! We boxed up leftover food, folded down tables like event pros, and set out chairs ready for the church service. It was a flurry of movement and mild confusion—exactly what you’d expect from two enthusiastic volunteers trying to look like they know what they’re doing.

Then came Diana, our stacking guru and patience-of-a-saint supervisor. She showed us how to pack food and personal care products into the smallest cupboard known to humanity. This was not stacking. This was Tetris on expert mode. 🎮

Me and Tom? Let’s just say… we tried. 😅 Around 50 boxes later, back muscles screaming and pride slightly wounded, we finally understood: this is an art form. Big respect to the weekly volunteers who do this like it’s nothing!

💛 Final Thoughts

Despite the sore arms and questionable stacking skills, it was an absolutely lovely afternoon. This foodbank has such a warm, buzzing community—everyone helping everyone, all powered by generosity and genuine care.

Thank you for having us! 🙌 Can’t wait to come back… and maybe improve my cupboard-stacking score. 😄

🎉 Just got back from an epic volunteering session at Traid HQ! 🌟 It was so great to be back with the amazing Traid team! 🙌

We had a blast helping them prep for the end of the sale - literally! 😂 We spent the evening carefully unhanging all the clothes from the rails and packing them up into big boxes. It was a bit of a task, but it was super satisfying to see everything get tidied up and ready for the new stock coming in tomorrow! 📦

Massive thanks to the Traid team for having me, and to everyone who lent a hand - you guys are the best! 💖 Can't wait to do it again soon!

🎊 Our evening started with a cheerful meet-up before we set off together — some of us running, others walking — to reach the shop, getting those steps (and smiles) in along the way 🏃‍♀️🚶‍♂️. It was the perfect way to warm up before an evening of treasure hunting and teamwork!

When we arrived, we were greeted by the lovely Dr. Christina, who gave us a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the shop and its hidden basement full of wonders. Bag after bag, shoe after shoe, and shelf after shelf of books 🤯 — it felt like discovering a secret world beneath the high street! Dr. Christina’s passion for the project was contagious, and we were all excited to dive straight in.

Chau took charge of the shoe department 👠, turning chaos into order with some creative flair, while Caroline and I rolled up our sleeves to sort and hang clothing ready for the shop floor 👗. Caroline even discovered a glamorous toy chimpanzee friend sporting bright lipstick 💄🐵 — definitely the style icon of the night! Dr. Christina showed us how to assess donations and prepare items for recycling, giving us a peek into the sustainability side of charity retail ♻️.

After our hard work, we ran and walked back together under the evening sky — a lovely way to round off a feel-good session full of laughter, teamwork, and a sense of purpose 💖. The Bassuah Legacy shop truly is a labour of love, and we’re proud to have played a small part in keeping its legacy shining bright. There’s still plenty more to do, and we can’t wait to return! 💪✨

What a night! 🚀 We kicked off the evening by tackling the leaf-tastic mess in the car park! 🍃💨 Armed with brooms, gloves, and sheer determination, we took on the leafy chaos and came out victorious. The Masbro Centre team were absolutely delighted — we might just be earning that honorary key to the place soon! 🔑

Of course, it wouldn’t be Bonfire Night without a few fireworks 🎇 (even if they were hidden behind a wall of clouds ☁️). The soundtrack of crackles and booms kept us company as we powered through, turning the car park and entrance into a tidy, welcoming space. We even managed to take down some stubborn weeds and give the front a proper glow-up 💫.

Caroline, once again, proved her “I’m not that fast” line is pure fiction 🏃‍♀️💨 — she was flying around the place! And a quick feline footnote: Cleo the cat 🐱 hopefully stayed safe and snug indoors while the fireworks went off 💕.

We also had a great chat with some local business owners — networking while we worked! 🤝 Who knows what community connections will come from it? Oh, and before we forget — huge shout-out to Proof for kindly gifting us some electrolytes! 💧✨ They kept us going strong post run!