Five members of the GoodGym team headed to our much-loved local homeless charity, Turning Tides, for another rewarding volunteering session. Turning Tides is a charity we regularly support, and with Christmas fast approaching they were especially busy preparing food parcels for people experiencing homelessness.

Our task for the evening was to help make up Christmas food parcels, and the team approached it with fantastic organisation, energy and good humour. There was plenty of fun and laughter along the way, making the time fly by while ensuring everything was packed efficiently and ready to be distributed.

We were delighted to give a warm GoodGym welcome to Kate who joined us for her first session. It was great to have you with us, Kate, and we hope to see you back again very soon.

A huge thank you to Sue,Mel , RoxyKate and Paul for giving their time to support Turning Tides during this incredibly busy time of year. Your help really is appreciated and makes a meaningful difference to the charity and the people they support. 🙏

March of the Toy Soldiers (and Two Very Good Dogs) 🎄🐾

We wrapped up the year in festive style with a Christmas Toy Soldier social walk, bringing together good company, seasonal cheer and just over 4km of walking and talking.

Our mission was to track down the sometimes elusive Toy Soldier statues scattered along the route. Spirits were high as we searched, spotted and celebrated each one — stopping frequently to strike poses and capture an impressive array of photos along the way. Some soldiers were easier to find than others, but the challenge only added to the fun and we did have 1 very strong contender for a stand in 😀

Adding extra joy to the walk, Roxy and I brought along our dogs, Mali and Hudson, who thoroughly enjoyed being part of the adventure. They even had their own special photo moment in front of Toy Soldier number 5, clearly embracing their roles as honorary GoodGym mascots.

To round off the evening, a group of us headed to the pub for a well-earned festive drink, sharing laughs and reflecting on a great year of moving, helping and socialising together.

A perfect way to close out the year — thanks to everyone who came along, and here’s to more good deeds and good times in the year ahead!

It was another rewarding evening at our local church school as we continued supporting their Winter projects .

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Head Teacher Helen and Premises Manager Richard, who was on charge tonight.

Barbara and Paul wasted no time, heading straight off to paint the corridor outside the staffroom bringing a fresh burst of brightness to a well-used area of the school. Meanwhile, Roxy bravely took on the challenge of repainting the ladies’ staff toilets — a task not for the faint-hearted, but one she handled like a pro!

I teamed up with Richard in the main hall, where the school were keen to start adding some festive cheer. My role? Design consultant. Richard’s role? Climbing a scaffolding tower far higher than I’d have liked! Together we worked to hang long lines of Christmas bunting across the ceiling, transforming the hall into a wonderfully festive space. After a solid 1 hour and 15 minutes, the bunting was up, the paint was drying, and three separate jobs had been ticked off with smiles all round.

A brilliant evening of teamwork, creativity, and a touch of Christmas spirit. Well done, all! 🎅✨

Following the busy and well-attended Care for Veterans Christmas Fayre, the GG team once again stepped in to help the Care for Veterans staff by putting everything away at the end of the event. After such a long and tiring day for the team, it was rewarding to be able to ease their workload and ensure the hall was left clean, tidy, and ready for the residents to use again.

Ricky, Sue, Barbara and her sister Jacquie, along with Roxy and myself, worked together to fold tablecloths, collapse tables, stack chairs, and return all equipment to its proper place. Their willingness to help and the cheerful teamwork made the clear-up smooth and efficient.

I was especially grateful for the fantastic support from everyone, as I was limited in what I could do due to having had a foot operation just ten days earlier. The team’s kindness and hard work meant a great deal and ensured nothing was left undone.

A huge thank you to all involved. Your efforts not only helped the Care for Veterans team but also reminded us all that Christmas is fast approaching!

Though dark dark and cold we felt four-tunate to have a small group of GoodGymers gathered together on garden tidying duties.

They went fourth with enthusiasm, the GoodGym lights showing the way.

The four-ward thinking group laughed and chatted through the task.

A four-tune teller would have predicted the impact of the group. Like a four-ce of nature, the small group cut, swept and generally tidied.

How do you know if you’ve made a difference tidying a garden in the dark? Check out that green bin! We checked, we did!

Written by John !

Back to School for Round 2 of Painting!

GoodGym returned to our local primary school this evening for Part Two of our big corridor-makeover mission — and what a team effort it was!

Richard, the ever-organised facilities manager, had everything laid out and ready to go the moment we arrived: Regulation cream paint, brushes, rollers, trays… the works. With supplies in hand, we jumped straight back into transforming the corridor we began on our previous visit. The group quickly settled into a rhythm, and the once-tired walls started to brighten again under fresh coats of paint.

Meanwhile, a brave trio — Paul, Paul, and Mel — volunteered for a mission within the mission: giving the girls’ toilets a much-needed refresh. Hats off to them for stepping up!

But the evening’s GG Hero Award simply had to go to Belinda, who fearlessly took the lead into the boys’ toilets, confronting both the walls and the smell. She was soon joined by Roxy and Paula, forming a powerhouse team that got the job done with determination (and possibly held breath). Absolute legends — bravo! 😇😇😇

Barbara also deserves a big shout-out for taking on paint splodge clean-up duty — a task requiring keen eyes, steady hands, and a sense of humour as she chased down rogue drips and smudges before they could set in. Every team needs a detail hero 🙏

A special shout-out as well to John, who took over photography duties for the evening. A refreshing change from the usual snapper — and much appreciated!📷

Another fantastic night of teamwork, transformation, and community spirit — proving once again that when it comes to a pot of cream paint, GoodGym knows exactly how to whip it into shape! 🎨😄