Festive greetings as Muscles for Charity enters its 21st year.

This festive season marks the conclusion of the twentieth year of Muscles for Charity activity, and the beginning of the twenty first.  During that time our award winning, volunteer activity has topped 15,500 hours, (spread across ten different countries), and generated funding and awareness for 130 registered charities or non profits.

Underpinning everything is an outstanding ability to combine (international) friendship, hard work and fun as we assist people and organisations without handling any money.

Thank you for your contribution to the overall success.

During 2018 that success was reflected when Belgian team leader Johan Rens, and his wife Else, were invited by the Prior of Tongerlo Abbey to join them on 6th June to celebrate the feast of St Norbertus and the anniversary of its founding in 1128.

Johan describes the event, “What a special day it was! After a service, in Latin, we followed Brother Gabriel and the brotherhood to their private dining room. Try to imagine the most beautiful painted room, a long festive table on which was served a five course meal with wine and liquors. In the best possible atmosphere.  After that the Prior personally thanked Muscles for Charity for all the hard work, commitment, the difference they made, and the friendship”

As we celebrate and step into another New Year, it is a pleasure to acknowledge the contribution of the sons and daughters of volunteers and look forward to the continuing success of Muscles for Charity.

 

Colossal Yard Clearance marks final job of 2018 (UK)

After weather scares delayed the final job of the year, 7 volunteers set about transforming the overgrown backyard of Emma’s Florists last Saturday morning.

The aim of the job was to remove enough vegetation so that the garden could be used as storage space and car parking for Emma’s Florists.

To combat the vast amount of greenery the team utilised an industrial shredder, without which the provided skip would have been full very quickly.

The work enabled the back gates to the yard to be closed for the first time in long while, hopefully putting a stop to the frequent occurrence of fly-tipping.

 

Grateful words from Emma:
“I just wanted to thank the team for their work in the backyard, it looks amazing!”

The job benefited Inspire Suffolk, the second job for the great charity in the past few weeks – both sourced from their charity auction last month.

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

 

Muscles project number – 409                                                                                                        Total voluntary hours – 15,500

Muscles the movie ! – celebrating 20 years of Muscles for Charity.

To celebrate the twenty years since Muscles for Charity was formed, a movie has been made from the many photos that record the fun, friendship and camaraderie displayed by our team in working hard to complete the many and varied projects that have generated donations to over 130 registered charities and non profits, whilst benefiting our many grateful customers.

Please click on the link (below) to view the movie which, it is hoped, reflects the very essence of Muscles.

Hint – turn up your volume, the movie is packed with great music !

Click to View the Video

Thank you for being an important part of Muscles for Charity.

 

A Job Well Done in Trimley St Mary (UK)

On an overcast but dry Suffolk Saturday morning at Trimley St Mary, seven MFC volunteers responded to a successful bid at the recent ‘Inspire Suffolk’ Charity Auction.

In a great tie up, MFC donated their services to Inspire Suffolk’s annual Charity Auction as a prize, resulting in Kevin and Claire making a sizable bid to secure their services.

The garden clearance request included the dismantling of a garden shed, which was disposed of into a large skip on site.

The regular MFC team greeted new volunteer Clive Benneworth on his first job – a warm welcome to Clive.

The job was completed with the usual humor and camaraderie.

Missing from the below is Mr Boswell, who was joining the team and Claire in their catalog poses from behind the camera.

Muscles project number – 408                                                                                                           Total voluntary hours – 15,475

“You always make such a difference to the garden when you come” – volunteers transform garden.

On a beautiful autumnal Saturday in Sudborne 8 volunteers descended on the annual garden maintenance job for Kate.

The team tackled the usual trimming of hedges and trees in the front and back garden but didn’t shy from the challenge of removing the brick flower bed from the front garden in order to transform it into a much tidier bed of stones.

The team was rewarded with slices of Kate’s world famous Lemon Drizzle cake.

This job resulted in donations for the Woodbridge Soldiers Fund, Royal British Legion, Ipswich Hospital Cancer Information Unit, and a local young man raising money to join an expedition to Africa.

In addition to this, Adam and Richard managed to help a lost passer-by in finding her accommodation. The kind action prompted a donation to British Heart Foundation!

Muscles project number – 407                                                                                                           Total voluntary hours – 15,463

 

 

Muscles for Charity features at the ‘Inspire’ silent Auction at Milsons, near Ipswich on Friday 5th November 2018

Thanks for visiting the Muscles for Charity webpage. Our volunteers operate in the UK, USA, Belgium, and Canada and have completed projects for 130 different charities and non-profits over the last twenty years in 10 different countries.

We donated our services to ‘Inspire Suffolk’s‘ charity silent auction on Friday 2nd November 2018. Muscles for Charity offered the winning bidder the opportunity to undertake a complete a project for them. For example -constructing a fence or shed, making over a garden, laying paving slabs, clearing out a garage – the team will leave you with a smile on your face.
The team subsequently arranged for two successful bidders to have projects completed with the money going direct to ‘Inspire’.

Please feel free to browse this website for examples of previous jobs for inspiration and ideas on what we could achieve in your garden, house or shed. If you have any queries about the suitability of the job you have in mind, please check the video (featured below) for contact details.

‘Its amazing. I can’t believe the difference you’ve made” as nine Muscles volunteers complete a pensioners dream !

Felixstowe pensioner, Debs, is assisted by Alan Seaman as she places the final slab in a new garden feature built by the Muscles team on Saturday 6th October 2018.
Nine volunteers, lead for the first time by Adam Osborne, worked for several hours to help transform the rear garden of her Felixstowe home.

In addition to clearing parts of the garden, (above), the team’s combination of hard work and good humour, resulted in a wooden pergola being constructed, plus a circular pattern of paving slabs surrounded by shingle inside a rectangular base.

Special thanks to everyone concerned, especially Steve for ‘overseeing’ the sundial construction, Adam for his prep work and leadership and Phil (not in the picture) for organizing the refreshments.

The delighted Debs subsequently wrote – “Once again I can’t thank you enough for the miracle you performed in my garden. All of my friends are also suitably impressed and amazed. The pergola is already decked out with lights and will be covered weird and wonderful stuff shortly..
Once I have a final bill for materials I shall be making a donation to Blue Cross. Many, many thanks and it was a pleasure to meet you all.
Debs

Finally a special mention and note of thanks to ‘Vera‘ ! As the team were well staffed, they were also able to complete some garden clearance tasks and remove unwanted items to the local tip, in the back of Nick’s trusty Volvo, ‘Vera’.  A Muscles life-saver on many occasions.

Muscles project number – 405                                                                                                           Total voluntary hours – 15,342

 

 

Twelve volunteers involved in garden makeover for Sammamish, WA seniors.

An overcast early Fall Saturday morning in Sammamish, WA and twelve Muscles volunteers, plus two enthusiastic young members, completed a garden makeover for Alan and Jeanie Mebane.

The team included Spokane based, Neal Skaufel (277 miles from home) and Muscles co-founder, East End Ed – 4,782 miles from his London home.

The before and after photos (above) only show the front of the project. The team worked on all four sides of the detached house, causing Alan and Jeanie to remark, ” Yeaah Muscles Team!  What a splendid job everyone did, individually and collectively “.

Footnote, as Muscles for Charity celebrates its 20th anniversary, this project marks the fact that all the founding members have now completed jobs in the UK, USA and Belgium.

Muscles team at the seaside use an alligator during a garden makeover, but no bucket and spades or fish ‘n chips on the beach !

Felixstowe beach on a beautiful summer weekend morning.  Relaxing and bracing.

A short distance from the beach nine Muscles volunteers removed and disposed of a number of conifers from a pensioners garden. Photo (below) features Diana’s garden before the team arrived.

 

The job was made easier with the use of an Alligator (also known as a ‘farm jack’ ), donated by the recipient of a job earlier this year and much appreciated given the unusually high temperatures this summer – and that Saturday in particular.

The conifers were disposed of in one journey to Felixstowe Municipal Recycling centre, where the helpful supervisor recognized the MFC Charity status and made no charge.

The charity benefiting from the teams efforts was National Ankylosing Spondilitus Society, close to the heart of the delighted recipient, Diana.        Nice job, guys !

 

‘Mates’ complete Muscles fencing project

Spring tree and shrub growth beside this rural cottage required the attention and strength of Muscles ‘mates’ during a scorching two part clearance that coincided with the final stages of the 2018 World Cup competition.

Special thanks from Adam and Katie to Bernie, Kevin, David, Ian, Alan T, Nick, Ed and Phil.