Unlucky for some, but not SAMYE as 13 goodgymers got together on a chilly evening to volunteer their time and get active. Split into groups, walkers, runners and cyclists we made our way to help our friends one last time for 2023.

The cyclists meeting us at the task as they made their own way, Nathan leading the runners from our start location, with Michael taking the walkers for a jaunty stroll through the city.

But before we head our ways, we have just enough time to . . . .

Welcome Neda

We arrived at Samye and headed straight into the warmth, as usual our tasks were listed on the white board;

• Move the glass bookshelves from library to cafe.
• Get the bookshelves out of the loft and put together.
• Clear out under the stairs, putting everything into the magnolia room.
• Get Christmas trees out of the loft and set them all up.

TO WORK

we split into teams to tackle each of the tasks, as a team vanished up into the loft, and one under the stairs. Once the stairs had been cleared everyone split into 3 tree groups to tackle the most important tasks of all.

Finally, all trees were ready and in their positions. Whilst the goodgym crew sat down to some food Michael ran around getting photos of those trees.

Thanks to everyone for coming out tonight, and a BIG thank you to SAMYE for their continued support of goodgym and all of our members.

Join us next week for the very last goodgym group task of 2023.

14 Goodgmers responded to the call for volunteers at the new premises of Splott Community Volunteers.

We had two meeting points again tonight, one as usual at Sport Wales and the second just outside BigMoose Coffee. The First group met up nice and early ready to start at EXACTLY 18:30, their first mission - to run and pick up the second group at BigMoose.

Then as one lovely group of joggers, we made out way to the location for tonight's activity where we were meeting up with three more goodgymers and the lovely Splott Community Volunteers.

The charity was founded in 2015 by husband and wife Angela and Fred Bullard and Trisha Mardon. Today many regular volunteers support the services it offers and this was our chance. The biggest thing that they do is the breakfast club, where people contribute just £3 for a hot breakfast roll, hot drink, a bagful of donated supermarket food, sandwiches, pasties, and toiletries.

They purchase food from Fareshare and are reliant on donations of surplus food from multiple supermarkets. Occasionally they are able to purchase additional food by holding fundraising events such as the annual Santa’s grotto, bingo, quiz and curry nights, dances, or community meals.

Our job tonight was to help them get ready for opening on the new premises on Thursday. Once in the building, and out of the oncoming rain....we got straight to work. We were moving the breakfast and food items out of the back storage into the food pantry ready for the opening.

We made our way through the back room nice and quick, with enough time for a quick tidy up in the new pantry. We had a little look around the space once finished, with a lovely mural currently being painted, plenty of seating - including the great armchair circle, and a play area for the little ones.

A quick photo and it was time to head out into the dark evening for our journey back to the City Centre.

With the threat of SNOW on the horizon, 6 extra special goodgymers met up for some chilly volunteer work and a chance to get active.

We welcomed back into the fold, Katie.

Croeso

And it was another celebration as Dylan made his fifth task

High Five

No walkers in the group tonight, so to keep the group warm Michael led them on a longer route than usual for those extra active points..Just on time, we got to Samye at 7pm ready to meet our two cyclists and the lovely Lorraine. We popped inside to keep warm and top up our water levels, before heading out for the task at hand.

It was time for a general tidy up of the outside space, with weeding and sweeping of old leaves so that it was all spruced up and looking like new.

Time to head inside and warm ourselves again, this time with some delicious SOUP.

Mmmmmmmm, Two Soup Tuesday!

Join us next week as we head to help at Cwtch. Click the link to sign up.

Tonight's task was all about rubber bottoms, have I got your attention?

Five goodgymers managed to escape the half term duties and were ready to get active and do some good in Cardiff.

Croeso

Our newest member joined us for their first time tonight, and we are extremely happy to have you. Welcome, Gemma, we hope that you enjoy the task. We also welcomed back for their second time, Nadine, good to see you back again. They joined Michael and made their way out for a short run to the task, whilst Michelle and Estelle were our cyclists joining us there for the 7pm start.

Legs in the air

What? We met Julian, our task organiser at the Church building and the Vicar Edward who told us all about his recent 15-mile run - what a legend.

Our task was to put new protectors on the tables and chairs in the hall - or the better explanation, new rubber bottoms on all the legs. And, we would have to work around the race night event that was being set up.

Quick as a flash we got to work in the smaller space so that we could get out of the way for the event to start, thankfully there weren't too many chairs & tables to do in the first room. As we made our way into the main hall it dawned on us, we had 90 chairs to do - that's 360 legs!

Oh my!

The quickest way seemed to be laying them on the floor, legs in the air so that Julian and Michael could quickly remove the old worn-down feet ready for the new rubber bottoms. We soon scuttled along the floor, rubber bottoms bouncing all around. As the legs were done, the chairs were flipped back onto all fours and neatly stacked along the walls of the hall.

Soon we were done, and it was time to make our way back to Sport Wales to finish off our run, at least for the runners. The cyclists made their way home, all lit up as we said our farewells.

Next week sees us helping at the local foodbank, there are multiple options for this on the website, have a look and get signed up. Any questions just ask the Area Activator at the bottom of the sign up page.

Check out the sign up page for more information - Here

On the last Tuesday of January, and bidding farewell to the difficult month Goodgym Cardiff got together for a night of fun, run and BUN - Burger Bun.

15 gymers were ready for the challenge, with new faces to greet.

Croeso

Cleopatra was encouraged along to their first goodgym experience, thanks to Sarah Jane on their tourism trip from Richmond for the goodgym pitch.

You are both welcome back to the Cardiff division anytime

Also joining us for their first time was Dylan, welcome to the clan.

Goodgym were welcomed as ever by Kathie and made our way to the back gardens ready to cut back overgrowth and litter pick the area. But wait, the edge of the gardens has some friends popping up......as feet where everywhere we all shouted out to try to save the bulbs.

Mind the daffodils

We split into teams to tackle the various jobs this evening, sweeping up the moss that had fallen from the roof around the front of the building, cutting the brambles that were appearing underneath the tree, cutting off come ash stems that were coming out of the root stock of another tree. Two groups in on fence duties, cutting back any of the plants that were encroaching onto the public path areas and then a general litter pick of the grounds.

Busy as bees our 30 minutes were soon up and it was all looking rather lovely.

On our way back we entered the realm of strange conversations - as usual when Michael is around - tonight's topic was......

BANANAS

During the 1950s a virulent fungal pathogen wiped out the Gros Michel variety of banana, which was sweeter than our variety today. The Cavendish stepped into the space left by the disease, which is likely the banana that you eat today.

Imagine if the same thing happened now..... What would be in our bowls of cereal and our smoothies?

Just us next week and see what the conversation will be!!!

Now to celebrate the end of January, we all made our way for a social. Burger deals and a drink to see the night off.