7 lovely goodgym members made their way back to Wessex primary school to finish off the task we started before Christmas

We made quick work of the remaining beds and Jess expertly erected a pear tree in its new location

The rain was just a slight drizzle, but it didn’t deter the hardy Goodgym members

With the soil moved, pear tree erected and the area swept we made our way home!

Another successful task ticked off

Great to see another big number of GoodGymers get out there in the wind & rain, and tackle the ever-present rubbish in their local areas.

While some (like Sheila, Rachel & Diya) did it as a group, some went out in pair with their pets, and many did solo picks in places which needed it most.

GoodGym tasks are fun together but this format has given people a lot of flexibility, because of which we have larger coverage and a lot less litter on our streets. Win Win!

In the first session of the year, Mick and Sheila joined Friends of Ray Mill Island on a very chilly afternoon. Sheila potted up a large number of Crocosmia corms which had been donated by a neighbour, and using our own compost gathered from the path clearance.Mick brought his woodworking skills to the fore, helping to convert pallets into benches that will be used as work benches and for growing plants. Excellent job!

Welfare visit for Mrs D

On a beautifully sunny, but chilly, morning, Georgeta , Sue and Sheila joined about 10 other volunteers at Ockwells Park for a community orchard pruning session. Rosie, one of the Rangers, took us through all the things to consider when pruning a fruit tree to enable the fruit to grow well. And then we were let loose on the trees! We divided into groups and each tackled a tree. With guidance from Rosie our confidence grew, and we piled up the cut branches under each tree. We certainly learned a lot and several of the apple trees are now in much better shape for next season. We can't wait until next autumn when we can taste the fruits of our labour!

At the first GoodGym session at the Baby Bank, Karen and Sheila were delighted to be joined by Sue for her first mission. Sue quickly got to grips with how to sort the donated clothes, and which ones we can't use. Meanwhile, Karen and Sheila were carrying out secondary checks and storing the clothes away. As fast as we could sort, more and more donations were coming in. Everyone is obviously having a sort out after Christmas, and the Baby Bank will certainly put the donations to good use.