Saturday 10th June – three ‘Muscles’ projects 4,725 miles apart !

In the Pacific Northwest of the USA, ten Muscles volunteers enjoyed pressure washing the grounds of a local non profit on a beautiful summer Saturday.

On the east coast of the UK, two Muscles teams, comprising twelve volunteers completed projects for senior citizens at two locations, under the same sunny skies.

The UK team replaced a shed roof, (visit https://musclesforcharity.wordpress.com/muscles-uk/uk-2017/ to see the result),  removed two trees, reinforced a trellis and completed a garden makeover at Martlesham, Suffolk.   Avril the delighted recipient, accompanied by her carer Georgina, identified St Elizabeth Hospice as her designated Charity.

Georgina subsequently commented to Phil, “Thank you very much for the photos. Our greatest appreciation for the job well done by the whole Muscles for Charity Team . It was great joy to meet you and all the team.
May God bless you all. Regards, Georgina “

Seven miles away the second team completed a patio at Pinewood for an equally delighted Veronica.

The USA team were invited by a non profit to pressure wash the front and rear areas of their premises and suggest innovate ways of rejuvenating a tiered communal area.

Pressure washing completed and design plans shared with the management team, who commented, “The patio and gazebo have a new lease on life!  What a difference the cleaning made! I’m so glad you all had an opportunity to hear directly from patients and staff–it’s what it’s all about. Many, many thanks!”

Additional photographs of the projects are available on the these pages of the website, USA Visit https://musclesforcharity.wordpress.com/usa/usa-2017/  Additional UK photos  https://musclesforcharity.wordpress.com/muscles-uk/uk-2017/

 

Muscles team members bring joy to senior citizens on a glorious day in Suffolk.

Saturday 8th April and a dozen Muscles volunteers use their gardening, repair, installation and innovative skills to benefit three different senior citizens on the east and west sides of Ipswich.

Under cloudless skies they completed a variety of projects, including removing and installing a washing machine, painting, interior and exterior repairs, cleaning brick walls and patio, assembling garden furniture and gutter repair.

Comments were received from Veronica “I would like to say a very big thank you to all who came to me today.  An assortment of tasks were given to them and they happily undertook these and an extremely good job was once again made. I so appreciate all they do for me. Best Wishes to all, Veronica xx

and Trish “Many thanks to Bernie, Ed and Phil for all their hard work in my garden on Saturday 8th April. It will now be much easier for me to cope with.My thanks again and love and best wishes to you all. Trish xx     Ps Glad you enjoyed the bacon rolls !!

Thanks to everyone involved and to the ladies for their generous donations to charity.

UK Muscles team ‘Spring’ into action with ‘Good job, good company – great result !’

    The sun shone brightly on Saturday 25th March as the (UK) Muscles team completed a garden makeover that generated goodwill, grateful appreciation and praise from the recipient, 92 year old Val, who was absolutely thrilled with the volunteers work.

‘From all the Humphrey family our sincere thanks to all of the muscles for charity group you have made Simon’s mum’s week she is so pleased with the results’

The morning after the Muscles volunteers completed the project, Val was delighted to open her curtains and look straight down her garden and enjoy the view.

More photographs available on the UK Muscles 2017 page. Visit https://musclesforcharity.wordpress.com/muscles-uk/uk-2017/

Web visitors make 2016 a record year for Muscles for Charity.

The Muscles for Charity website was visited a record number of times during 2016. Recently released statistics by our host (WordPress) revealed that the site was viewed 5,389 times (or 15 times a day, every day !), by almost 1,500 visitors.

Five thousand of the views originated in either the UK, USA, Belgium or Canada, but other countries represented include; Uganda, Norway, Italy, South Africa, Netherlands, Kenya, Tanzania,France, Spain,Zambia, Germany, Mauritius, Australia, Ireland, India, Senegal, Denmark, Israel, Sweden, Pakistan, Ukraine, Qatar, Turkey, Malaysia, Georgia, China, Gambia, Cuba, South Korea, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Mexico, Poland, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Croatia.

At the end of 2016, volunteers had completed 379 completed projects, benefiting 130 non profits or registered charities in 12 countries with voluntary hours (not including travel) exceeding 14,200 hours.

Thanks to everyone for your commitment, hard work, friendship and humour.

Muscles for Charity memories from previous years to welcome the New Year.

To start the New Year, a Phil Boswell production, featuring a selection of Muscles for Charity photos from previous years. Visit this link, and don’t forget to turn up your sound

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kf39y02yxiia84x/MFC%20Smoke%20and%20Mirrors.m4v?dl=0

Happy New Year from everyone at Muscles for Charity.

Festive best wishes from everyone at Muscles for Charity

Festive best wishes from everyone at Muscles for Charity – the year someone at the team’s celebration party had a little too much to drink !

DURING 2016 MUSCLES FOR CHARITY VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED OVER 1,000 VOLUNTARY HOURS, BENEFITING 12 DIFFERENT REGISTERED CHARITIES

UK Muscles team end 2016 with a landscaping project benefiting CRY.

Every week in the UK at least twelve young people die of un-diagnosed heart conditions. Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death.

It’s a decade since Muscles for Charity were represented by Phil, Bernie, Glenna, Steve and Bish at a live auction at Suffolk Police Headquarters to raise money and awareness of CRY following the sudden death of a colleagues teenage daughter.

Fast forward to the 2017 festive season and the smiling ‘Dirty dozen’ Muscles volunteers worked on Robi and Kate’s rear garden in preparation for a major landscaping job.

Robi and Kate’s rear garden before the volunteers arrived on a cloudy Saturday morning.

Bernie’s (true story) briefing was followed by three hours of digging, leveling, breaking up concrete, moving paving slabs and general preparation for New Year landscaping work.

The odd problem was resolved by prompt and professional attention.

A delighted Robi commented, “It was great to see all the guys and the work you did for us was amazing.  I must say that it was also humbling to see the amount of effort and dedication to the task that was displayed by everyone. Whilst we are aware that muscles don’t get involved in money, we will be sending our donation to CRY and will pass on a link to your website. Again, please pass on our thanks to all those who helped, it was a brilliant effort and a fun morning (……for me anyway as I wasn’t braking my back like you guys).

Visit the Cardiac Risk in the Young website at  http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Irys4qW83g&feature=youtu.be turn UP your sound and watch  how fast the team completed the project.

Alan, Ed, Bernie, Kev, Terry, Simon, Doug, Ian, Adam and Craig wish everyone a wonderful festive season on behalf of Muscles for Charity volunteers in Europe and North America.

Muscles project number 379, total voluntary hours (to date) 14,200

Late November sunshine greets 10 Muscles volunteers working in a English country garden.

Late November and the sun shines on Kate’s rural English garden and welcomes ten Muscles for Charity volunteers on a Saturday morning. Their main mission is to                   replace a wooden fence and undertake other garden related jobs. First the fence !

 

Delighted Kate sent the following message “Thank you all so very much for what you did at the weekend.  As always, I am really pleased with the results.  The neighbours like it too so will be popping in through the new gate.Thanks, guys. Kate xx

Muscles project number 378. The last time Kate featured in a photo was job 12 !

Thanks to the team. Kate thanks for all your generous donations to charity.

Another major Muscles milestone ! Overall voluntary hours exceed 14,000 as the UK team transform a widows garden.

An autumnal Saturday morning in eastern England.

Twelve volunteers tackle a series of jobs in a senior citizens garden and in doing so push the overall total of voluntary hours passed the 14,000 mark.

Glenys Evans, the delighted and extremely grateful recipient, pictured with the team, said “My sincere thanks to Phil and his team for all the work they did in my garden and porch on Saturday. I love gardening but after a fall and breaking my wrist in the garden in June I was unable to keep the plants under control. it is such a relief seeing the garden at rest until Spring. Best wishes, Glenys”

Included in the photograph is yet another father and son combination, Simon and Craig Grew. They are featured, with additional photos from this project, on the  UK 2016 page. Visit https://musclesforcharity.wordpress.com/muscles-uk/uk-2016/

MUSCLES FOR CHARITY STATISTICS TO DATE

377 completed projects in 12 countries, benefiting over 130 registered charities, volunteers operating in the UK, USA, Canada and Europe. Total voluntary hours 14,039. Averaging 37.23 hours per project.

‘Suffolk Family Carers’ benefit from Muscles team garden makeover in Ipswich.

Veronica Brunsdon, the delighted recipient of the latest Muscles for Charity garden makeover, (featured in the centre of the above photograph) commented after the transformation,

“Please pass on my sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who came for my ‘makeover’ today. They are such a lovely bunch of people and have again done a wonderful job.  I am so pleased with it.”

Eleven volunteers took part. (Bernie, David and Steve featured but are not shown in the team  photograph.)

The makeover included, but was not restricted to,digging up and removing two Rosemary bushes and an olive tree, clearing ivy from the eves of neighbour’s garage, hedge trimming, staining fence panels, moving 2 tonnes of pea shingle from the front of the house to the rear, spreading it over existing shingle on the raised bedding and raking level, cleaning the patio and brickwork, repairing and installing security lights.

Muscles for Charity project number 376.          Total volunteer hours – 13,999