Many hands made light work this evening as we set about sprucing up some of the outdoor space for the respite centre at Rose Road. It was brilliant to have a real team effort after a few quiet Mondays and we almost had daylight for the whole session. Chris was the king of the lawnmower (not cans!) while the rest of the team cleared leaves, moss and weeds from the flower beds and patio area. It was great to see Leszek back again as we've missed him at our Monday night sessions. The respite garden looks almost ready for summer days outside now, but we’re hoping we get another chance before BBQ season is upon us as we spotted more weeds than we could manage in one session!

We were back at the farm this week with our first duty being to move lots of barriers from the top of the farm down to the bottom that had been being used for a new pond area that is being built. We were then put on path laying duty moving lots of woodchip from the car park by shovelling and wheeling. It was a fun session and definitely a good workout.

Wow we had a great crazy collection of finds this morning as we joined the Chessel Bay Spring litter pick organised by Hawthorns Wildlife Centre and the local rangers. They arrange two litter picks a year so we don't disturb the wildlife especially the wading birds who use the mud flats as a valuable food source during the winter. Chris, Sarah, Stephanie and Lauren were soon joined by Wilson, Kathryn and her daughter. Sad to see how much waste is either washed up or thrown away by the local litter louts. Some fantastic finds: Chris's children's cycle helmet modelled by our resident Can Queen; Lauren ; Sarah's great shoe collection; Kathryn's daughter had a wonderful haul of dog toys and Wilson's fabulous flat cap find. Plenty of polystyrene nurdle nodules for Stephanie to obsess over. A lovely couple of hours in the surprisingly warm March sunshine. Many hands make light work.

We had a great time, collecting cut grass for the Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery. Between collecting branches for the chipper and cut grass for compost, we were quite busy and had a well-deserved tea break afterwards. Ashleigh took an incredible photo of Tim, resting in the perfect spot.

We were back this evening to continue tackling the street planter in Lordshill to make it plantable for the local elderly residents.

We are now down to the nitty gritty of stump and root removal so came armed with many shovels and forks. The roots are incredibly strong - burying directly down into the concrete walls! We made good progress with teamwork going in to remove the largest stump / root system which Chris spent most of the evening clearing.

Progreas is definitely being made and we look forward to returning soon