Today I visited our good friends at the YMCA to talk all things running and DIY. A great collaboration session about how we can support one another this year - starting with the Great West Run in May!

This week we were back with the YMCA, helping them relocate their office in Exeter.

It was quite a physical task, but great exercise! We individually climbed 38 flights of stairs (approx 380 feet) whilst carrying chairs, tables, lamps and other office furniture.

Tonight was our final (maybe haha) evening with the YMCA and what a fitting end to a wonderful project.

We co-ordinated our times to work with all the other volunteers that have been involved, with 12 HSBC and 2 YMCA volunteers also there this evening, the 15 of us got to work in finishing the remaining furniture. We shared stories of our work and gripes with flat-pack instructions! The only group picture we got was of us eating pizza during a well-earned break but I swear we all worked hard! (pic taken by YMCA so look out for it on their social feeds haha)

The very final thing to assemble was a Dunelm Bed - it was still as hard to figure out as the first time!

We have all been invited to the open evening in May - date to be confirmed but it'll be a Tuesday evening (we can stop by on our task!)

It was flat-pack fun for the 4th week running with our friends at the YMCA, so very nearly at the end of their St Sidwell Accomodation project.

5 Goodgymers has quite a physical start, carrying furniture parts up six flights of stairs ready for assembly. I must confess, we're getting pretty good at it now!

Like a well-oiled machine we were assembling sofas (putting one together in an amazing 12 minutes) and constructing chairs (a cracking 15 minutes). We finished the evening with 4 sofas and 4 sets of chairs complete.

We may be back there again next week for one final push, we would love to be the ones to put the final piece together!

Tonight was another fun night with our friends at the YMCA, edging ever so close to completion of their fantastic Sidwell Studios.

This week we were on sofa and table duty, managing to build 5 sofas and 2 tables (with a bit of help from Si at YMCA!)

We're back with them again next Tuesday, which may be the last task before completion!

....put together this flat-pack!

Tonight 5 GoodGymers were back with the YMCA, helping assemble furniture for the wonderful Sidwell Studios.

A great effort from all this week, it turns out some flat-pack instructions are easier to follow that others! At times it felt as if we were in an escape room trying to solve a puzzle, but we got there in the end, building beds and a cabinet. Huge shout out to the group for staying 10 extra minutes to finish building.

Its great to see the studio taking shape, and so lovely that we're a part of it! We're back there again next week to help some more!