A decent sized team headed back to Weavers again today to see our Alex, who tasked the team with everything from present-wrapping and painting to desk dismantling.

When I arrived, everyone was super busy, with teams dispatched all over this lovely playground.

And nearly everything was completed - that is, apart from the present wrapping, which a team will finish on Weds, calling it a wrap (okay, forgive me...) for the year.

What a time at Weavers. What an Autumn gift it's been for us all.

Surprising fact

15 GoodGymers, 1 incredible playworker + bundles of sunshine = a fabulous start to the weekend.

Team 15

Yep, 15 of us were lucky enough to spend some time with Alex at Weavers Adventure Playground this weekend. We're joining Alex in these sessions over the Autumn to get the playground space ready for the big refurb in Feb. Time's of the essence so this longstanding, well used, important children's space can be restored for use.

We enjoyed weeding, wheelbarrow-ing, hammering, painting, bench-fixing, wood-piling, breeze-block shifting and gastropod-discovering.

It was busy, it was physical, it was sociable, it was nourishing!

Key discoveries of the morning

• The gastropod community beneath a breeze block barbecue is vast.
• Wheeling breeze blocks is good for the obliques.
• Benches require extensive, precise planning to be dismantled.
• Successful sawing is incredibly satisfying.
• Moving leaves and debris while chatting is good for the spirits.

And so it was a wrap. (Until we return next week...)

Thanks for the effort, everyone. You have no idea how valuable - and valued - you are.

And so it was a full house on this afternoon's Crisis session.

Teams were yet again dispatched throughout the building, with squads scrubbing the soon-to-be medical room within an inch of its life; building the call centre (including knocking down doorways); pallets being cut and assembled, new flooring prepped ready to be laid, and the outdoor cleaning and clearing went on late into the afternoon...

Yet more amazing work.

Yep, was a very busy site, with GoodGymers working tirelessly and carefully with Crisis staff, putting a wide variety of skill sets from engineering to gardening to very good use. Thanks to everyone for putting in a big Saturday effort (and to Peter for sending some great pics).

And the brilliant Ray (Ray is a longstanding Crisis volunteer, who's been doing this for seven years) continued to whizz around on the fork lift, overseeing and caring for our GoodGymers outside. Oh, and I got to the bottom of his 'RayRay' name: given by the Crisis team, as he does everything twice as quick as everyone else.

Well, what a day at the warehouse. And so, 'till...TUESDAY! When we'll be back at the usual Tuesday time of 6.30pm, to continue the countdown prep.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

On what was threatening to be a pretty wet and miserable Sunday afternoon, 11 goodgymers showed true community spirit to turn up for another great Catherine and Liam Parkview task. After the slight disappointment of a significant amount of bulbs being delivered late... Catherine quickly ran through the backlog of ad hoc tasks we could help her with:

Aine and Stephen were originally tasked with planting an apple tree, but unfortunately it was dead. Becs and Sam were weeding around newly planted lavender. Ceiling and Ottla were weeding around more lavender which somehow included "weeding" some potatoes that John took home for dinner! Ivy, John and Julia were re-potting oak trees. Jennifer and myself weeded the Air bnb bed.

Catherine and Liam were happy doing the rounds and keeping everyone smiling and motivated - Liam in particular provided a morale boost by asking various task members questions such as "Have you ever had a leak?" and "Whats the biggest mistake you've ever made"

Good luck to the superheroes Ceiling and John who hopped straight over the road when the task was finished to help Becky plant some daffodils in the Cranbrook Estate!

Thanks all for coming, hope you had a lovely rest-of-Sunday 