Last night 11 Goodgymers ran, walk or cycled our way to Chiswick Allotments to help with clearing the plot donated by Chiswick Horticultural Society, for Hounslow Community Foodbox to grow fresh produce for food parcels.

A big welcome to Georgia joining for her first session with Goodgym, and great to have Eric and Kymm back for more good deeding.

Karoush showed us the section of the allotment that needed attention and there was a demo of efficient weeding and turning over the soil for anyone who needed it, before we got stuck in.

There was no time to waste and there was no signs of anyone feeling sluggish at Hounslow last night. Just under an hour later we had cleared most of the area under the picnic bench and relocated some slippery creatures with and without shells 🐌 so the area should soon be ready for planting.

Footnote: no slugs or snails were harmed (or consumed) during the task last night. Despite what some might have you believe in these photos!

We’ll be back at the allotments to help foodbox again in the coming weeks so look out for future tasks.

This Saturday we’re heading over to Strand on the Green school to help them out with lots of jobs, if you’re free why not come along and join us - sign up here https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/sanding-benches-ready-for-painting-4e9f1bd2-c73e-4ffd-9706-5177a8bd79e6

The unexpected influx of GoodGymers to Hounslow Community Foodbox this Thursday had the organiser scratching her head to find us tasks. Madhan and Beth arrived first and were teamed up, with Sevan and Alan forming team 2 soon after.

Team 1 were asked to sort the food cupboard staples by date. Rice, pasta and of course, biscuits. Items needed to be categorised as imminently expiring, having a long expiry date or something in between. There was a lot to sort through and more stock kept being added to their unsorted crates, so they were kept busy for most of the session.

Team 2 on the other hand were working through new donations. They had to tally up how many tins or boxes were received in each category, then find where those items lived on the shelves. The shelves were impressively well stocked, so some tins had to be squeezed on the edges of shelves and packets slid under the shelves above.

Sevan moved on to reorganising the household items and pet food, while Alan was deployed to restock the cereal boxes, which were lined high up on the top of each set of shelves. They regrouped for the last task, to arrange the "green, red and blue" long life milk bottles together, which they took great pleasure in neatly lining up.

With four of us to help, we made quick work of the tasks and were finished in under an hour.

Goodgym have been supporting Hounslow Community Foodbox since the start of the pandemic. This locally run charity has been helping thousands of residents of the Borough of Hounslow over the years, contributing food supplies for over 300,000 meals.

Foodbox are based in Brentford and have teamed up with supermarkets including Coop, Morrisons and Lidl locally to collect donations through donation boxes by the checkouts.

Goodgymers from Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham and Hounslow got out to run walk or cycle to donate items that will be distributed to residents and families by the FoodBox. Every donation helps and the FoodBox welcome the ongoing support.

Goodgymers Kaska, Harvey, Alanna, Michelle, Lucy and Samia ran walk and cycled to drop food donations to be distributed to families in the local community in Hounslow in time for Christmas.

Foodbox based in Brentford is as busy as ever collecting and distributing food parcels; open for drop offs Tuesday to Friday 10-1 or Saturday 10-12.

Last week, Kate put out a call to west London runners to support Hounslow FoodBox with donations and lots of us answered the call!

Foodbox are a volunteer run registered charity who provide emergency food and support and advice to those who are in need and live in the London Borough of Hounslow.

If you'd like to donate to Hounslow Community Foodbox they are accepting donations at Rose Community Centre at the below times:

• Tuesday to Friday 10am to 1pm
• Saturday 10am to 12pm

On Tuesday's mission to Mr J, he had a lot of food that had been sent to him from the Council that he didn't want, but didn't want it to go to waste. As he couldn't take the food somewhere himself, I took it to FoodBox in Hounslow, as they can redistribute the fresh food as well as the tins. Food saved, and space under Mr J's stairs, a win for everyone!