I set to work with the help of my tribe we found small plastics and lollysticks as well as paper and wrapper. We didn't find a sock though so does it even count??

Final Straw encourage volunteers to create Borrow Bags which are offered as an alternative to plastic in local shops in Emsworth.

I upcycled 10 tote bags which had logos from other organisations, and used appliqué, ribbons and embroidery to cover or adapt the old designs, and then added the Final Straw label.

I incorporated exercise into my task by walking to deliver the bags to the Final Straw office.

In true typical "small world pompey" Mrs M lives in the same block as my parents.

So a bonus Sunday lunch added to this mission!!

Unfortunately there was some crossed wires with HQ in that i expected Mrs M to have new bulbs. But she couldn't reach the old ones to know what to get!

I was able to find matching ones for the living room in the communal kitchen cupboard. And have removed the hallway bulb so she knows what is needed.

I will pop in next week to fit this for Mrs M whilst getting myself another homecooked meal 🍴

Mrs S has recently returned home from hospital and needed some shopping.

She's still in pain which has meant she's not been eating very much but she has been having snacks and sandwiches. She's been trying to drink lots to make sure she stays hydrated. We got a list together from her and she checked her cupboards, she still had plenty of tins and bits to make a meal for when she feels up to a full meal.

We headed off to Lidl and bought milk, bread, butter, strawberry milk, juice, crisps and we managed to find some instant caramel lattes on offer. We even got to take some change back to Mrs S.

She was very grateful and said we had brought happiness into her day.

After a rather soggy run down, Barbara soon set us to work up in the Lady's Gallery. Memories of first jobs and childhood chores were brought back with the scents of Brasso and Barkeeper's Friend. It took us a little while to master our pole-polishing technique, interestingly the men-folk seemed to get the hang of it quicker! 😆

Interesting Facts: 50% of the team this evening are left handed. 66% share their name with another attendee. 100% of these facts may not actually be interesting.

Never has a task prompted so much innuendo, so if you're up to the challenge of coming up with more, we'll be back next week to finish off! 😉

Victoria Park looked golden today with the bright sunshine and beautiful autumn coloured leaves on the trees. We're entering a period now in the Park involving general maintenance, and today we were pulling up all the flowers that bloomed through Spring & Summer. Re-planting those that wouldn't mind a bit of frost, and leaving the rest for the Park Keepers to collect and recycle. We ended the session with refreshments and biscuits, sitting in the sunshine and making the most of it before the wind and rain come back again tomorrow.