Dear all,

Thank you so much for your generosity, kindness, and support. Together, you have helped make this year’s Bancroft Santa’s one of our most impactful yet for the Minis and their mums supported by The Magpie Project.

We set ourselves the goal of collecting 200 books — and you exceeded it beyond all expectations, donating over 300 books. That is something truly special.

Thanks to the incredible skill, time, and care of Liz Day, every child will also receive two beautifully hand-knitted toys — perfect companions to cuddle while enjoying their stories.

Through the generosity of your cash donations, we have also been able to support the launch of The Magpie Project’s new campaign. Many children visiting The Magpie Project do not have winter shoes, turning up in plimsolls, jelly shoes or second hand fake crocs. This campaign aims to ensure every walking child who visits their centre receives a pair of well-fitting, well-made shoes — shoes that support them to climb, run, walk, and play.

At this point, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Gav Norman. After sharing the idea behind this campaign, his immediate belief in and support for the project helped make its launch possible. This support sits alongside, and is strengthened by, the wider generosity of everyone involved.

If you would like to continue supporting this vital work, please follow the link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/magpieminishoes

After an emotional, but wonderful day, it is with enormous pride that we can say this: through the combined efforts of our book donors, bonus ball players, gift wrappers, cash donors, drivers, and knitting legends, we have come together as a community to ensure that every child at The Magpie Project will receive books, hand made toys, and a pair of warm, supportive shoes this Christmas.

Thank you. May this festive season bring you and all your loved ones peace, joy, health and prosperity. You truly are bloody wonderful people. ❤️

Ed and Linda arrived nice and early at Frenford Foodbank which gave us time to make sure everything was ultra organised before the Frenford volunteers showed up. We like to think that our pre-session efforts contributed to the smooth running and early finish of the session 😊

Another Saturday, another parkrun at Valentines

Once again the weather did cooperate, the rain lashing the country overnight subsided and a crisp clear December morning made for good running weather.

Ed did his usual at the car park entrance. Linda walked a lap with R and then chased down the Tail Walker - she made it look easy! And I ended up on my first experience of the app to do timings

Side note - Julia chased down James, who managed to just stay ahead. #96 done for her, still on track to hit 100 before end of year

Once upon a Friday lunchtime, a GoodGymer Ed set off on a noble quest. His mission was an important one: to dismantle a weary old bed so it could be taken outside and given its final farewell.

Armed with nothing but determination and the trusty screwdriver of adventure, Ed stepped into the room where the great bed lay. Piece by piece, he loosened screws and gently unfastened the bed from its frame. It put up a fair fight—after all, it had supported many a restful night—but Ed kept at it, working steadily until the mighty structure lay defeated in tidy sections.

With the bed now tamed, Ed carried each piece outside, down stairways and through doorways that seemed just a little too narrow. Yet with patience (and maybe one careful sideways shimmy), he succeeded.

By the end of his lunch break, the bed was resting peacefully outside, and Ed had restored order to a home that needed the space. With a smile and a well-earned stretch, he jogged back to work—his good deed done and his lunch hour well spent.

AJ attended at Denver’s Metro Caring Foodbank and was assigned her usual ‘dry goods restock’ position. Even though pasta and rice were in short supply, there was a plentiful choice of soups including yummy posh clam and lobster chowders. Ahoy me hearties!

it is December after all, so some chocolates & mince pies do seem appropriate for our last visit to the baby bank for 2025...

7 Goodgymmers made their way on foot & by bus down to the Cornerstone Church to meet Adam and get stuck into the bags of clothing to be sorted as usual.

Job done, goodbyes said.