During Christmas 2023, inspired by two CAMHS volunteer elves, Christmas for CAHMS ran a paper chain making project. It went down so well in CAMHS units (CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) that they’re going to do it again in 2024, and this time we got involved!

The paper chains are a team effort - they will be started by members of the public (like us), and then the young people will connect them together when they arrive in the CAMHS units. Each paper chain will have a cheesy cracker joke written on the inside to add an extra bit of fun during assembly.

We all gathered at City Hall and set up in the reception area. Drinks (some more fortifying than others.......) were provided by Markand we set to work.

After an hour of trimming, writing and chatting we managed to produce 138 slips and a packet of blank ones for other elves to use.

A lovely wholesome, and WARM, task!

Weeding, bulb-planting and cake; a delightful way to spend an autumnal Sunday morning.

We ventured to Osney to The Hollybush pub, with two teams prepared for pizza and quizzing. The usual mix of questions and topics popped up, along with medieval versions of pop songs, a picture round on the tallest celebrities, and guess the intro. We defended our reputation with a very respectable 3rd place for Red Thunder, and 1st place for Red Hot Quizzy Peppers. First prize was a £50 gift card, which was literally a giant playing card with 'gift card' written on it - we are yet to see if it is legal tender.

Any suggestions for other place to try out, or non-quiz socials, then let me know.

For anyone intrigued by the medieval music - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3IzXed3gGgWW206d9vbL40

This Wednesday we had a spooktacular plogging poster distribution challenge.

Here at GoodGym Oxford we like a bit of healthy competition, and nothing quite gets that spirit fired up like a scavenger hunt with a purpose. With Halloween just around the corner we had a ghost-themed hunt this week. We divided into 2 teams: Runners and Walkers. Each team was given a list of haunted locations, 5 GoodGym posters, a litter bag and 2 litterpickers. Points were awarded for every poster pinned up, every haunted location visited, and for spotting a variety of Halloweenesque decorations (ghosts, broomsticks, pumpkins, cats and witches hats). There was also a requirement to clear up litter as you buzzed around the City.

It was neck-and-neck between the teams on posters displayed and locations collected, but the walkers truly spectacular 50 pumpkins had them whipping the win out from under the runners feet.

Our brains got a good workout from the strategising, our legs got moving, litter was picked, we learnt about the history and mythology of Oxford, and GoodGym was publicised...a win on many levels!