Keeping fit with the walking group, well read with the book club, a visit to Blenheim Palace, being involved in the Federation’s skittles and quiz competitions – these are all opportunities available to members of Abbotts Ann WI in the coming months, as they learnt at their February meeting.
Also present was Martin Childs, a passionate supporter of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, who in his capacity as a fundraiser for this charity explained to members how this service came into being, and is now based just a few miles down the A303 at Thruxton airfield.
It costs more than £2,000 per day to keep the helicopter in the air during the hours of 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the winter months and 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. during the summer. It can be used in circumstances, where it is vital that the seriously injured are taken to the hospital which can best offer the emergency specialist treatment required. It is manned by a team of six paramedics, one of which acts as navigator guiding the pilot to areas which are often inaccessible to the ground based ambulance service.
The charity needs to be resourceful with its fundraising, as it receives no government or lottery funding, hence the yellow clothes banks dotted around the county, the plea for redundant mobile telephones, used ink cartridges and its own monthly lottery. However, Martin is knocking on an open door, as he finds the public are keen to support this locally based charity.
Diary Dates:
03 March – Danebury Group Spring Meeting
08 March – Walking Group
27 March – Welcome to Spring with Mavis Cotton (flower arranging demonstration)
02 April – HCFWI Spring Council Meeting at Portsmouth (ticket only event)
08 April – Book Club 12 April – Walking Group
24 April – Members Meeting
Members will be Welcoming Spring with Mavis Cotton on 27 March as she demonstrates the art of flower arranging and members have the opportunity to reveal their own skills, as the competition this month is a spring arrangement in an eggcup.
Sharon King
