• To the tune of Jingle Bells...*

Dashing through the streets,
on a chilly winter's day,
Around the roads we go,
Laughing all the way.
Leaflets for The Porch,
Funds are very tight,
Oh what fun it is to do,
A Good Deed task tonight.

Letter flaps, Christmas lights,
Chatting all the way,
Oh what fun it is to help
The Porch this December day.

Last night we delivered flyers around the streets of Cowley, raising awareness of The Porch centre's Winter Fundraiser.

The Porch Day Centre provide day-long support for homeless and vulnerably housed people wanting to move forward in their lives, away from street-life. They focus on housing, health, wellbeing, education and employment, providing healthy food, practical help, companionship, learning skills, work related skills and opportunities for development.

We took to the foodbank for our monthly winter cleaning session last night. This time we cleaned fridges & sorted food waste in the kitchen. In the main hall it was the turn of the toiletries, pet food and baby supplies to get moved and the whole area cleaned. As nominated tallest person in attendance, Max even climbed a very tall ladder to clean the huge arched windows.

Well done team - as ever, many hands make light work of this big task!

Good to meet you Laura - welcome to GoodGym!

We know the redecorating task pretty well at OXSRAD now, with several sessions under our belts this autumn. Between us, centre staff, and a few other volunteers, we've managed to get at least 1 coat of paint on nearly every wall, and it's already looking much smarter around the place. This week we had less blue to do, and mostly focused on white paint. Christmas decorations were up, so we also had to make sure not to splatter the tinsel - although maybe the odd splash of white paint on the Christmas tree would serve as a snow sprinkle?! With tea and cake at the end (thank you Alice), this was a great task for a cold and icy evening.

Maybe we'll be back to finish up in 2025, who can tell?!

During Christmas 2023, inspired by two CAMHS volunteer elves, Christmas for CAHMS ran a paper chain making project. It went down so well in CAMHS units (CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) that they’re going to do it again in 2024, and this time we got involved!

The paper chains are a team effort - they will be started by members of the public (like us), and then the young people will connect them together when they arrive in the CAMHS units. Each paper chain will have a cheesy cracker joke written on the inside to add an extra bit of fun during assembly.

We all gathered at City Hall and set up in the reception area. Drinks (some more fortifying than others.......) were provided by Markand we set to work.

After an hour of trimming, writing and chatting we managed to produce 138 slips and a packet of blank ones for other elves to use.

A lovely wholesome, and WARM, task!

This Wednesday we had a spooktacular plogging poster distribution challenge.

Here at GoodGym Oxford we like a bit of healthy competition, and nothing quite gets that spirit fired up like a scavenger hunt with a purpose. With Halloween just around the corner we had a ghost-themed hunt this week. We divided into 2 teams: Runners and Walkers. Each team was given a list of haunted locations, 5 GoodGym posters, a litter bag and 2 litterpickers. Points were awarded for every poster pinned up, every haunted location visited, and for spotting a variety of Halloweenesque decorations (ghosts, broomsticks, pumpkins, cats and witches hats). There was also a requirement to clear up litter as you buzzed around the City.

It was neck-and-neck between the teams on posters displayed and locations collected, but the walkers truly spectacular 50 pumpkins had them whipping the win out from under the runners feet.

Our brains got a good workout from the strategising, our legs got moving, litter was picked, we learnt about the history and mythology of Oxford, and GoodGym was publicised...a win on many levels!