Another session at the Baby Bank and another huge pile of clothes to sort. It was nice to coincide sessions with Sue for a change, who usually goes on a Wednesday. Despite a team of corporate volunteers also being in, everything was calm and we had a productive morning quality-checking the clothes donations, with just the occasional 'Aw, that's cute' being uttered as we worked. Carol took on the most important task of the morning, making tea and coffee for all the volunteers

Sue and Margaret joined a session at Spital Cemetery to help tidy up this special place. Sue and another volunteer attacked the brambles whilst Margaret kindly sorted out a grave for a Cemetery Friend who lives a long way away. They also discovered a stash of empty cans and a handbag...."Can Goodgym do it...yes we can"!

5 Goodgymers joined taskowner Karen and another volunteer at Spital Cemetery for the first workparty of the year And we couldn't have picked a more beautiful day! Sheila, Christina, Tessa and Mary worked on revealing a gravestone from the brambles that were engulfing it. Eventually we were able to read the lettering- the headstone commemorated Helen Poraz, who died at the age of sixteen in 1887 and we think hailed from Courtachy in Scotland. Meanwhile Sue and Maggie worked in the woodland area, clearing the paths and they created a huge deadwood pile using several trunks and large branches, supplemented with smaller branches. This was partly buried with some clods of earth shoveled by Tessa, which will be great for wildlife. They also discovered 2 new graves which had been completely hidden A productive and satisfying morning's work

Seven Goodgymers met with Ranger Tom at Braywick Nature Centre. Our task had changed slightly - we were asked to coppice some trees and transport the branches to an area where they will be used to build some dry hedges. The saying goes, that wood keeps you warm three times - once when you chop it, once when you split it, and again when you burn it. Well in our case it kept us warm at least three times, but for different reasons. Tom found us two stands of hazel to chop down, so we split into 2 groups and set to work. With loppers, pruning saws and bow saws we set about chopping the trunks down. This certainly kept us very warm! We trimmed off the smaller branches and made some nice long stakes. Still kept us warm! And finally we carried them over to the hedge-building area - definitely still warm! Great team work and it was lovely to meet up with everyone again

Adam and Jen walked from The Binoy to meet Sue, Sheila and Sol at the task and were soon reunited with Mandy and Bekah who had walked from home.

After a quick task briefing from Adrienn, Sol and Adam had Art first on their timetable as they got stuck in to painting two cable drums which were being turned into tables. Meanwhile in outdoor play, Jen, Sheila and Bekah set up and lined two new sandpits whilst Sue and Mandy helped with shifting some outdoor furniture around.

Next on the timetable was transferring sand from the horse area into the new sandpits, pushing the wheel barrows was quite deflating, or was that just the tyre?!

Adam and Sol had moved over to paint a new fence panel whilst Jen, Sue, Sheila and Bekah moved a table and chairs from the back to the side of the school.

After Sol squeezed in a quick game of snakes and ladders we collected woodchips from near the forest school to put around the sandpits and wore ourselves out moving tyres into the front garden.

Wow what a task packed evening, with star pupils all round, I can't decide who was top of the class although at least none of us were put into detention.