Tonight was one of our biggest turn-out mission this month where 13 Goodgymers helped KVA’s (Kingston Voluntary Action) Surplus Hub with their task list. Immediately, the team busied themselves by splitting into two groups. The first group moved all the crates from the van to inside the hub, unpacked them, sorted out donations and put them into the appropriate crates so that these can be packed away in the storeroom.

The second group swept, mopped, cleaned and tidied up the two kitchen areas to make it more accessible for KVA’s volunteer team and clean from any future pests.

Welcome Laura, on your first task!

A big January Challenge squad was out on a chilly night as we headed back to the British Heart Foundation shop for some more window dressing. Emily, Clare, Dave, Anna, Luke, Susannah, Jonathan, Eleanor, Amy, Laurel, Tom, Marcos and Rachel were quickly called into action by fetching sporting and gym items from the cavernous storage areas upstairs to hopefully encourage buyers to start thinking about fitness and exercise.

We got there in the end, with particular aesthetic guidance from Susannah and a final inspirational touch from Marcos to hang badminton racquets from the ceiling.

It's always a really fun task with the BHF and this was no different. A bit cold for too much running, but extra kudos to those who did.

We supported KVA’s Surplus to Supper Hub, an initiative that redistributes over 5 tonnes of surplus food each week. Our team helped manage incoming stock by unloading the van and moving crates of fresh and dry goods into the pantry for sorting and storage. We also cleaned the inside of the shipping-container fridge and checked dates on frozen and dry food items to keep everything safe and organised.

In addition, we sorted donated non-food items, separating gift items, home-use items, cosmetic products and more into trays, to ensure everything was properly categorised.

Overall, we contributed to the Hub’s mission to reduce food waste and support local food security by completing a wide range of practical, hands-on tasks.

Afterwards, we rounded off the evening with a wonderful Christmas social at The Albion, enjoying time together and celebrating our teamwork and the festive spirit.

A big welcome to Esme on her first outing with GoodGym Kingston. Hope to see you at another task soon!

On the second day of Christmas… nine helpful elves decorated a supported living house for people with learning disabilities and vision impairments called Seeability. We had colourful and sparkling Christmas lights and decorations which made the residents excited with big smiles and hearty laughs 😃

We split ourselves in three groups: Group A - Emily, Martel and Marcos tackling the ladder to put up the Christmas lights outside around the house. Group B - Emma and Levita decorated the Christmas tree with some of the residents while singing cheerfully. Group C - Laurel, Jana, Anna, Rachel and Jonathan got creative with the window stickers.

Afterwards, mince pies were shared out and our chief photographer and video editor, Rachel, got us dancing around the Christmas tree. Lastly, like always we ended with a group photo with all of the residents 😃

Have a Merry Christmas Seeability!!🎄🎅🏻🤶🏻 See you all again soon! 😊