Tonight the litterpicker got metaphorically and literally passed on!

Natasha and I took a jog around the waterfront which was brooding and threatening to rain - but held off- before meeting Paul to get stuck in to familiar grot spots near the skate park. Suffice to say these public areas had been 'well used' over the Bank Holiday with a lot of rubbish to be disposed of. A whole bin's worth in fact!

A man thanking us for our graft and enquiring how he could get involved got more than he bargained for: given we were carrying a surplus of litter pickers,it seemed only right to pass it on so off I went chasing him - in a non- threatening way, of course - with it in my hand! Let's hope he puts it to use and can also inspire others too.

What a day for Polish Heritage Day! As we approached Castle Hill Community centre the sun was starting to emerge, flags swaying in the breeze and it was a hive of activity. First up for Natalie: making the hamper followed by lots of balloon inflating and distributing. Natasha got the coffee and tea station set up and there was time to soak up the atmosphere and have a quick bite of delicious apple cake.

Congratulations to The Polish Community Hub for putting on such a vibrant day.

Am I showing my age with the Art Attack reference? Anyone else remember the creative tv show with Neil Buchanan?

Tonight we made our way to help creative hub Rock Paper Scissors. As always it was a joy to enter, brimming with colour and optimism and greeted by wonderful Lulu who showed us the ropes.

Whilst Paul and Natasha were returners to RPS, we were thrilled to have Lizzie join us after a hiatus. Welcome back!

We got stuck in organising their array of materials. Are labels to go with stickers? What's the difference between tempera and ink paints? Do staplers count as office hardware?

These were the pressing questions of the night. And the re-ordering proved to most mindful and therapeutic. True to form, we were also treated to a little snack for our effort.

Thanks for having us, Rock Paper Scissors!

You can tell by the quality of the pun that Imogen was back Good Gyming tonight!

Tonight we headed back to Blue Cross animal centre and were warmly greeted by site manager, Charles.

Despite it not yet being balmy weather, the lighter evening made being outside a joy.

We got stuck in cleaning moss, Bruce tackled the drains - three wheelbarrows full of leaves and unidentified brown specimens- and you still couldn't see the bottom!

Imogen made the signage brand new armed with soapy water and broom. Positively gleaming now.

All in all, a job well done!

And wait for it: we actually saw something furry! On our fifth visit, we got introduced to gorgeous Poppy! 1 runner and 2 cyclists departed with slightly melted hearts...

It was with a certain trepidation that Magda said that there was quite a lot to do getting the allotment back on track after Winter. But and Natalie like a challenge.

Sleeves rolled up, a monster spade, trowel and hoe and these two Good Gymers were ready to go.

The task was to de-weed the overgrown beds and turn the soil to get it fresh and ready for planting.

In an hour and half, two thirds of the beds were looking ready for seeds or plants with some particularly satisfying and hefty removals.

Look forward to going back and seeing it in its glory once shoots start to emerge.

And it was a bittersweet task tonight as we goodbye to Pippaand David, who are off on a new adventure. Alongside Paul, we treated them to a last litterpick and Pippa was determined to leave no stone unturned! Sadly there was more rubbish to collect this time but more positively, 2 passers-by cheered us on whilst another came to give us some litter he had collected.

Wishing Pippa and David well on their next chapter and hoping we will cross litter pickers in the future!

Thanks and well done everyone

On a rainy evening in Ipswich (erm hi Spring, where did you go?!) , 5 GoodGymers headed to help the Salvation Army get their courtyard garden ready for the warmer weather. Natasha and Natalie put in a few kms to get there around the port and docks to stay traffic-free and met Pippa and Paul there.

Spurred on my the poor weather, we quickly got to work removing all the weeds, freeing up space in the courtyard for future planting and creating more room for residents to enjoy come Summer.

And we were delighted to see previous tasks of sorting the donation room had well and truly paid off. Beverley proudly showed us how tidy is still is! What a result.

Great job everyone! What a difference in a short space of time.