W.I. Newsletter May 2025

Great news, our President, Secretary and Treasurer all offered to stay in post for another year, so we didn’t have to twist the arms, at our Annual Meeting this month, of other members to take on these roles – this time!   Others on the committee are also willing to serve another year.  

President, Lynne Lucas gave thanks to everyone who had helped us have another successful year and our Secretary, Aileen Catterson, said that the committee continued to “plan and plot” each month to offer a varied programme of speakers, outings and visits. 

Thanks to our two recent fund-raising events our finances for the year ending 31.03.25 were sound.  However, we still need to have enough reserves to fund our monthly meetings, the income from our share of membership fees does not cover all our outgoings on speakers and hall hire etc.   Our Treasurer, however, does a sterling job keeping us on the straight and narrow, advising when we can spend money or where we should be more prudent!

Our members also voted to support the Resolution “Bystanders can be Lifesavers” which will be debated at the NFWI AGM on 04 June – which this year will be held virtually!   This resolution advocates increasing public confidence and training in the delivery of CPR and improving access to defibrillators.  

As has become a custom, we started the evening with a fish and chip supper and for once the number of members who had ordered and paid for one corresponded to those that were delivered.  Yes – delivered this year, we didn’t have to collect them ourselves.  There was also an ice cream, ordered from the Village Shop, to follow.

Four of our members had helped serve refreshments at the Plant Sale, organised by the Fete Committee, in the Village Hall earlier in the month.  Again, this was very successful.   There was a delicious VE cake at our Coffee Morning, courtesy of our President.  The recipe had been garnered from our monthly Magazine, WI Life.   

Our quiz team are now in the final of the HFCWI annual quiz in September, much to the surprise of the five members of our WI who took part in the recent area round of the event.   Despite some dithering and misunderstanding on a few answers, they still won by a good margin. 

Our next meeting is during the afternoon of TUESDAY 24 JUNE and we will be visiting Summerdown Farm near Basingstoke.  This visit is funded by our Pamela King Bursary.  Members if you haven’t already put your name on the list, please let our Secretary know as soon as possible if you wish to attend.  Lifts will be arranged for anyone who doesn’t drive.

Other outings and visits planned for this year include a visit to The Vyne at Basingstoke in July – via car sharing and our summer outing to Sherborne Castle on 7^th August – the latter is open to non-members.

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