"Do you have a bucket?" - Mrs C

...was not what Kash and Sevan wanted to hear from a beneficiary at the start of a mission to clean Mrs C's windows. Thankfully, Mrs C was not as unprepared as they initially feared. There was a mop bucket, some cleaning cloths and a brand new step ladder and window cleaning pole. Mrs C had a large bottle of Fairy Liquid and the dregs of some white wine vinegar too. Sevan mixed them together with warm water and made some good-enough-for-the job window washing liquid while Kash put the window washing pole together.

Inevitably, Kash and Sevan got wet. Sometimes in expected ways, like water dribbling down their sleeves as they reached up to clean the windows. Other times, they were surprised, like when they tried to rinse the mop bucket with the garden hose that was strung over a window. The bucket stayed dry and instead, they turned on a water feature that sprayed everywhere, giving the window and the GoodGymers a nice a shower.

Once they had everything prepared, Kash and Sevan breezed through cleaning Mrs C's traditional wooden sash windows. They speedily worked through the panes in the back garden and back door, plus the bay window in front, cleaning the frames and sills too. The squeegee wasn't great, leaving a few streaks, but Mrs C was really pleased and could see the difference immediately.

"I can see the shine in the kitchen! ✨" - Mrs C

Me and Theo were on hand to help the volunteers, several missing today, set up the foodbank.

A satisfying hour lugging around crates and boxes of food which will help the most vulnerable in society take care of themselves.

Helped organise and stack food crates ready for distribution at the H&F Foodbank. A well-run session with a friendly team, and great to contribute to supporting the local community.

“Everything went smoothly and efficiently. The team worked together with great organisation, cooperation, and positive energy to complete the pack-down quickly. It was rewarding to contribute to keeping the foodbank running and supporting people in our local community.”

Thank you to all who attended! Having so many people made the mission go like a whistle!

We helped pack away all the TRAID stock and put it all into boxes.

It was well organised and easy to get stuck in. Tasks were clear and everyone was friendly and welcoming. While it wasn’t a big emotional experience for me personally, it felt good to contribute and help things run smoothly for the morning session.