It was a return to the Penrose Roots to Recovery garden this evening for part two of a big sleeper cutting task.

There's lots of new raised beds planned for this year's crops but before they can be built we needed to cut a bunch to size.

We completed the sawing job and moved some sleepers down to the far end of the garden in super quick time so we ran on to the Wardown Park Bandstand for a leg-based workout circuit.

The final days of January and our last effort at getting empty tubs to various Greene King Pubs for their recycling and charity scheme. I can’t believe that we were still able to track down some empty tubs, but the good people of Luton and Dunstable seem to still be polishing off their Christmas goodies, including Duncan’s family who have at last finished the tub of Jacobs Crackers.

Ella’s netball team provided her with a boot full of tubs, that’s a lot of jumping around they will need to do to burn off all that chocolate. Pam took a stroll up to the Hungry Horse and created a Tub2Pub Jenga with Duncan’s Cracker tub. Gill found herself passing the Red Lion in Stevenage on her walk to the physiotherapist, so she ran back to her car to fetch the tub and deliver it. Charmaine and Martin pared up to deliver a tub of Roses to the Biscot Mill while Neil and Sheets went to The Anchor with their Heroes Tubs.

Hopefully we have now cleared up all the empty tubs from our friends and family and have made a fabulous contribution to the Greene King Macmillan/Recycling Scheme.

Well done to everyone who participated this year.

January is always a good time to have a clear out. As GoodGymers we often spend time doing tidying tasks for different groups and organisations in the community, but we decided to have a clear out some of our clutter from our own homes, and then walk, run or cycle to deliver it to our local Keech Hospice Shop or other charity shop.

It was a great opportunity to sort through unwanted Christmas presents, books we’ve read and a whole host of other paraphernalia, that although we might not need, we were sure would be useful to others. As they say, “One Goodgymer’s clutter is another person’s treasure." or something like that.

Laura started the ball rolling by sorting out and boxing up clothes and all sorts. Dani took a car boot full of treasures to the Keech Hospice Shop at Jansel House. Duncan managed to fill 6 black bin bags and also took them to Keech at Jansel House (including a signed Uncle Buck movie poster – yes you heard right – get yourself there to own an important part of movie history!!!) Martin took a number of assorted bags from his clear out to the Sue Ryder Shop in Leagrave. And Ella has been having a series of clear outs each week and has been restocking her local charity shop. Gill sorted out a massive box which was so heavy she had to enlist Omar to help with transporting it. She even managed to liberate an unused hoover from her dad’s and they delivered all to the Keech Shop at Britania Estates.

So upper body workouts all round, clean and tidy cupboards at home, plus lots of lovely things donated to help raise money for our local charities into the bargain.

Well done GoodGymers.

With blood stocks low post festive season, I headed down to the Luton donor centre for a quarterly donation (and for some custard creams!!). My donation should be winging its way to someone in need soon.