4 goodgymers met on Sunday, after a mammoth 4 day weekend. Today, we were back to help Gemma from the WMC to set up for the free community banquet. Local community groups from around the area would be meeting for delicious food and entertainment from different groups.

Our Job, to change the Glanfa space into a banquet style eatery. 33 tables, 198 chairs, plates, knives, forks (main and dessert), spoons (dessert and soup), menus, glasses and of course, colourful napkins.

Just a few things then

We got straight to work in pairs, Fiona getting her hands on a pallet truck of tables. With some impressive manoeuvring we were in the space in no time, whilst Michael, Fiona and our host Gemma got to work on the pallet of tables, Karolina and Emma worked together carrying out the rest of the tables.

No time to wait, straight onto the chairs - this was the fun part as the cages arrived and the chairs started to fly. In no time at all (but actually 50 minutes) the table and chairs were complete.

Now for the hard part, the cutlery arrived but slightly mixed up and so we had to try to put out the correct sizes in their proper setting. It was a mixed look, but that just adds to the character. Still battling with the sizes for forks sake, finally the cutlery was complete.

The last bit of colourful fun, as we placed the cups and put in colourful napkins for a beautiful display of rainbows.

On a Sunday afternoon 11 runners gave up their time to volunteer for a local charity. The Wales Millennium Centre was hosting their first ‘Wasteless Community Banquet’, food was provided by ‘Fareshare’ a local charity who are the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste, they believe that no good food should go to waste so redistribute surplus food to charities that turn it into meals. The menu was cooked by ‘Oasis Cardiff’ a non-profit charity that aims to help Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Cardiff, they also run a mobile kitchen with vegetarian and vegan food inspired from the refugees.

The WMC is a large arts centre and theatre they are a home for the arts in Wales, and a cauldron of creativity for the nation. Part of their mission is to broaden people's horizons and offer every young person in Wales access to the arts but today they wanted the local communities to come and experience the arts in new ways, so they were putting on this free banquet for invited groups, free tours, local music and entertainment from community groups, Butetown carnival and Wonderbrass.

It was a short 1.5 miles of a run, we welcomed Laura to the group and her first Goodgym Run, great to meet and run with you.

No sooner had we arrived than we got to work, we met Gemma Hicks the community engagement officer who was organising the event. We went back of house to gather the pallets of tables and cages of chairs, 28 tables were put out and into 4 rows for a banquet style dinner, 168 chairs were put out, 6 to a table. Then it was time to lay them, menus, plates, cutlery, table decorations and napkins. But wait are these cookies, for us.............

All under the wonder of the exhibition ‘Gaia’ an installation of the Earth using detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. It was a colourful delight; runners were laying coloured napkins in specific orders some green some red etc. And in an hour the set up was complete, but wait time for a few more tables, a drinks station for the juice and some additional at the back for crafts for making masks for the festival vibe.

We took our usual group photo courtesy of Robin, and then came the offer for a backstage tour, most runners took it up and went off with Robin whilst Mikey took back Laura our newest runner of the day. He then ran back to meet up with everyone else and then once again ran back to town, farewells were said and everyone made their way home.

Gemma had offered anyone from the day a chance to attend the banquet, Mikey, Ben, Lucy, Aimee and Emma took up this opportunity and arrived at 17:30. There was entertainment from some local musicians before the food was served, it was passed down the tables in true community style. On the menu was food from Sierre Leone, Sudan, South and West Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana and Eritrea, and we had certainly worked up an appetite.

The entertainment continued through the evening before the butetown carnival made a procession out to the Senedd – the national assembly for Wales. The party continued for another 60 minutes before finally wrapping up.

It was a great evening and worth all the work to see such community spirit.

Today was a pleasant sun-soaked Sunday, not what we have been used to of late. So, with no Storms in sight, 12 Goodgym runners took to the streets to do some good and get a bit fitter.

Today's task was back at Wales Millennium Centre where they were hosting a Community Banquet for International Women's Day. We hadn't been there since the first banquet that they did last year, this was such a success that they now plan on hosting them regularly each year.

Wales Millennium Centre's aim is to be a home for the arts in Wales, to fire imaginations by curating world-class, critically acclaimed touring productions, from musical theatre and comedy to dance, cabaret and an international festival. They work with emerging talents with fresh, provocative and popular pieces rooted in Welsh culture. And ignite a passion for the arts in young people with life-changing learning experiences and chances to shine in the spotlight.

Today is all about Inspirational Women and the local communities, over 200 invited people would be coming to the Centre for a banquet provided with the help of Oasis, another wonderful charity that gives a warm Welsh welcome for refugees and asylum seekers. There was a group that had worked hard to create the food, as well as their World Choir and drumming group who would be providing some of the entertainment.

The Centre staff would be playing hosts and serving the local communities with the Welsh based menu, before the entertainment from local community groups and choirs for the evening. The night will be completely free and in celebration of inspiring women.

It was a short run from town, and straight to work. 34 trestle tables, 204 chairs, plates, cutlery, elderflower presse, napkins and the menus were all ready to lay out. So, like busy ants we got to work, tables went out quickly followed by chairs and then groups began laying the tables. It was quick work whilst staff from the Centre chatted with Goodgym runners, getting to know each other.

Then it was time for the final job, people at the Centre and some local groups had been busy creating images of Women that inspire them, from family members to celebrities and Women through the ages. They had been hand designed on A4 transparent film and then finished in bright colours, our job was to thread and peg them onto lines which were going to be hung off the banister on the higher levels onto the lighting truss. The truss was raised back into a safe position, a few tweaks were made to the lines and it was time for our final photo. Gemma, who manages the community projects gave her thanks for how much had been achieved and our task was complete.

But wait.........there's a peg missing. Where's the peg????????