A very different sort of task for us today as we learned the skills needed to operate some powerful pieces of equipment for future tasks. Excellent Urban Green Newcastle ranger Isaac put us through our paces today to help us to understand using hedge cutters, large leaf blowers and strimmers, so that in future UGN park tasks we can help to do more. This was a really informative session with lots to learn that will really help us to make the most of our time in Newcastle green spaces in the coming months. Thank you UGN!

A big welcome to Patrick who joined us for the first time today, we really hope to see you back to help us make a difference again soon.

On a calm Sunday morning in Mowbray Park, four GoodGymers voluteered at junior parkrun.

Circumstances were a little unusual due to Sunderland's Festival of Light being set up in the park, with some fairground rides and food stalls present. Unfortunately some Saturday night attendees had littered the park, but Paula came to the rescue armed with a litter picker to clear up as much of the mess up as possible.

Richard, Tanya and Debbie also enjoyed a successful morning of volunteering, as well as a long chat over a cup of tea afterwards.

Four GoodGymers helped we Do Tennis in partnership with Urban Green Newcastle with path clearing on an autumnal Saturday morning.

The 10am start time meant we had all managed to fit a parkrun before hand but had mostly done different local ones with Scott doing Town Moor, Tanya and Debbie attending Leazes and me mostly walking Jesmond Dene due to a sore ankle.

The job was simple but very satisfying, raking leaves and removing soil and weeds from the path near the tennis courts where leaves are blown and then get stuck on fence. Once we had done the edge of the tennis courts we also did a nearby set of steps.

The difference we to the path and steps in only one hour was UnbeLEAFable!