MONDAY 17th JANUARY 2022
RECORD OF MEETING
WELCOME
Jane Rawlings welcomed everyone to her first monthly meeting as President. She explained the emergency fire procedures and asked members to wear their face masks when not drinking or eating. Visitors were welcomed including NECG Chairman Alia el Asmar.
Jane thanked our first Member Hosts Diane Atkinson and Helen Hopkins who made sure that solo members were not on their own.
SPEAKER
Professor Sarah Bridle from York University entertained the meeting with her discussion about the CO2 emissions associated with the production, processing, packaging and distribution of many of the foods that contribute to our diet. She clearly demonstrated the need for us to reduce our consumption of meat-based products to help reduce our impact on climate change. Sarah provided samples of dried mealworm and crickets, both low CO2 food stuff, for us to try with our tea and cake!!!!
RESOLUTIONS
Members were encouraged to complete, and post in the box provided, a voting slip for the NFWI 2022 resolutions.
FINANCE
Net expenditure for the first quarter of the financial year was £1,259, leaving a bank balance of nearly £7,000. The party food and drink were subsidised by £81 and £698 has been paid off from last year’s liabilities.
RAFFLE
The four raffle prizes were won by Morag Briscoe, Pauline Handley, Wendy Morris (vouchers) and Pat Parker (plant).
EVENTS
Upcoming Fulshaw events were advertised; walks, walking netball and 10 pin bowling. Also, a NECG walk and a CFWI virtual event. Members were encouraged to take part in RSPB birdwatch. Members were asked to make suggestions for future events.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Monday 21st February 2022. Speaker Lady Wildflower
MONDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2019
Our annual meeting was quite a packed event on Monday. I apologise for the chilliness of the hall and rooms, and I have fed back to the school about the temperature. May I thank you all for voting me back into the Presidential role. I’m sure past presidents of any WI never take for granted that they will be voted back in. So, it was with pleasure when I was invited back into the role. Thanks to Pam Townsley and Alia Abea for being tellers, and to Amanda Stevens for compiling the annual report, and Jennie Palin as retiring Treasurer for compiling the financial statement. We welcome Ruth McDonald as a new committee member and in-coming Treasurer. To do justice to Ruth, I have saved her introduction to you all for our December meeting/party. We also thanked retiring committee members, Jane Rawlings and Cathy Wallace who will still support the WI, but have retired from committee work.
We heard excellent feedback from Sheila Parker, Jane Martindale and Grace Brearley about what benefits they’d gained from their bursaries, and the lucky two winners of our bursary draw this month were Dee Waugh and Anne Kerr. We had eight chutney makers provide samples to test, and the winners were Dot Bracegirdle and Jane Rawlings – well done ladies. Ladies who had baked cakes throughout the year received £5 Sainsbury’s vouchers. Thank you ladies for all your hard work.
Things that you need to note:
· Christmas Party Ticket. For those who haven’t got your Christmas meeting/party ticket yet, there is still time to buy one – deadline from the caterer (Dee!) is November 29th. Just let Cherry know if you’d like a ticket, by sending her an email ([email protected]) and she’ll contact you about menu choices.
· Subscriptions 2020 – as per last year Jennie Palin/Ruth McDonald are requesting that you pay your WI membership subscription 2020 of £43.00 for a full member, and £21.10 for existing dual members. Cheques, made payable to Fulshaw WI, can be dated January 1st 2020 but won’t be cashed until after the first meeting on January 20th. You can pay by bank transfer to the Royal Bank of Scotland, sort code 16-34-24, Fulshaw Women’s Institute account number 10142838. Please add your name in the payment reference box. Early payers will not pay £3 for refreshments at the January meeting.
· Cheshire Federation Survey 2019 - If you haven’t filled in your Cheshire Federation survey, please can you do so? It will help shape the Cheshire Federation support for us going forward. You can do it either via Facebook (from the Fulshaw WI page) or via this link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6NPFT87 .
· Resolutions 2019 & 2020- Christine Kennedy took us through the activities of our sub-committee ‘Charities and Campaigns that Resonate with us’. The key points are:
· Promotion of cervical cancer screening – can each member tell someone about cervical cancer screening
· Prevent the decline in local bus services – can everyone try and use public transport more (just once a month would help).
· We’ve also been asked to help reduce violence against women - Either ask a male to wear a white ribbon on November 25th (which is the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women where men and boys are encouraged to wear white ribbons as a symbol of their opposition to violence against women), or wear one yourself.
· Also think about donating to a food bank this Christmas. The food bank volunteers are asking for a few Christmassy things like mince pies, packet gravy, packet custard, stuffing mix etc. You can donate in person at St Bart’s Church (near Waitrose) from 10-12 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays or in the food boxes at Sainsburys and Waitrose.
· Next January, not only will we have voting for the 2020 resolutions that are in your November copy of WI Life (pages 24-27, and Jean Hill will be supplying us with an information summary before the January meeting) but also we will be having an ‘amnesty’ toiletry collection for those potentially ‘unwanted’ toiletries that you may receive as a Christmas gift.
I look forward to seeing you in your 60’s outfits at our last monthly meeting on December 9th, but if you are unable to come, I hope you have a lovely Christmas when it arrives.
Donna x
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MONDAY 21st October 2019
RECORD OF MEETING
- Welcome and safety notices read.
- Donna introduced our speaker Pat Osborne and thanked her for standing in at short notice.
- Pat Osborne gave us a detailed history of Shibden Hall in Yorkshire together with a fascinating insight into Ann Lister who lived there and was the subject of the recent very successful television series Gentleman Jack starring Suranne Jones. Pat inspired us to plan a trip to Shibden and also Piece Hall next May which on the back of her talk is expected to be very popular.
- After refreshments there were a large number of notices and presentations as follows:-
- Last year approximately 650 events were booked at a cost of over £7,600.
- Donna mentioned the John Lewis Christmas event and closed booking after the meeting.
- Names already being taken for the Shibden Hall visit in May 2020.
- Christmas party tickets now on sale.
- Withington Girls School have again invited us to a free Christmas Tea party on 11th December at 6.30.
- Request for volunteers to help with refreshments next year.
- Grace appealed for volunteers to knit Christmas angels to be sold in aid of St Luke’s hospice.
- Gilly Hannah promoted a concert by the Vernon Brass Band at Wilmslow URC on Saturday 23rd November to raise funds for the church Funding the Future Appeal.
- Christine Kennedy gave an excellent summary of the Autumn PALS meeting where the subject was Modern Day Slavery Awareness which is one of next year’s 5 national resolutions.
- Christine also asked for volunteers to attend a meeting on 4th November to discuss resolutions and campaigns that resonate with us.
- Rosemary gave us a summary of the joy that she gained from using her bursary to learn how to make bread and to have a dancing lesson with Ian Waite of Strictly fame.
- A card was read out from Amanda to thank all those members who helped with the Macclesfield Art Fair.
- For our fundraising summer afternoon tea marking Cheshire’s Centenary Year we have booked the Phoenix Sports Club Styal for June 14th 2020. The event will be free but donations for the yet to be chosen charity will be gratefully received.
- We desperately need volunteers to step forward for the committee. Without a replacement treasurer for Jenny Palin we will not be able to function next year. This and other committee positions can be shared to accommodate busy lives.
- The raffle was drawn.
- Date of next meeting (AGM) 18th November.
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MONDAY 16th September 2019
RECORD OF MEETING
- Welcome and safety notices read. As in previous month the meeting is to follow the new format with the speaker on first.
- Introduction. - Jane Holland explained the the planned speaker Michelle Partington had pulled out at the last minute due to serious illness in the family. Babs Bray very kindly agreed to speak at short notice. Her topic was “The A-Z of decluttering.
- Barbara Bray had run her own cleaning company with 75 clients until she retired at 60. Always keen on living in a tidy house, her daughter encouraged her to write a guide to decluttering. Babs now sells the guide to raise money for her daughters charity the Lily Jo Project. The charity works to improve mental health among teenagers and Babs believes there is a clear link between mental health and a tidy home.
The talked rounded off with some practical advice for decluttering a wardrobe.
Vote of thanks given by Amanda Stevens.
- Bauble competition There were six entries which were judged by Barbara. Grace won first prize with a bauble made from recycled table cloth lace and beads from broken jewellery. This will be our entry for the CFWI centenary competition. Benita came second with her flying pig!!
- Harrogate Trip in December – if people want to go on the trip can they pay for their place by October 21st latest. Please let Jane know if you no longer want to attend.
- ‘Charities & Campaigns that resonate with us’ Group - We are looking for volunteers to join with Christine Kennedy, meeting approximately 2-3 times per year in the evening to review our charity support and WI campaign implementation. Their first meeting will be on Monday November 4th at 7.30pm at Christine’s house in Wilmslow. Please email Christine Kennedy if you would like to attend ([email protected]).
- NECG future events – Are members interested in a NECG hoedown (show of hands 18) or Activity weekend away 25-27 Sept 2020 (show of hands 6).
- Tree Planting - We are looking for volunteers to help us plant trees in ‘Spud Wood’ – date proposed is Friday February 28th with a reserve date of Friday March 13th. All you need is a pair of wellies, a fork or spade and probably a kagool! Amanda is investigating lunch locations. Let us know if you are interested in taking part.
- Committee changes 2020 – as you know, at the annual meeting we elect & re-elect our committee members and President. Two of our committee members are stepping down this year, and two others are changing roles, so we are looking for two willing and eager volunteers to replace those that are stepping down. As part of the role change we’re looking to for help in the treasurer role and the way the events are managed to make both those roles more easily accommodated into the lives of busy people. So if you’re interested in helping the committee shape itself for 2020 and beyond, please let me know before the November meeting.
- Christmas Charity – Toy Appeal. In light of the fact that the cost of living is rising considerably now, the committee are proposing collecting items only for the Toy Appeal, for hamper donations and the secret Santa this year. The ‘Secret Santa’ we’ve asked if you go buy something ‘pre-loved’ from a charity shop. We will be starting to collect items from the October meeting onwards.
- Main presents (age 0 – 17 years) – Lego, dolls, toiletries, cars, skate boards etc
- New Board Games / Puzzles
- Books (good condition pre-loved is ok)
- Teddies (good condition pre-loved is ok)
- Or you can just give money on 'just giving' (see Toy Appeal website).
10) Christmas Hampers. We will be collecting contributions to the Christmas hampers from next meeting
11)Cheshire Art Fair in Macclesfield (Thursday Sep 26th – Thursday Oct 3rd) – full details at theartfair.org.uk. Amanda Stevens and others helping
12) Wilmslow Art Under One Roof (12-13th October 10-5 Saturday, 12-6 Sunday) at the United Reformed Church Wilmslow SK9 1PR.
13) Point of information. The fee of £3 paid at each meeting is to cover welcome drink and refreshments. If you don’t want these then you do not have to pay. The Xmas party is our December meeting.
14) Thank you. Donna thanked Gillie, Angela, Penny and Di on refreshments, Lydie on portering and Gail for help on the events desk.
15) Next Monthly Meeting – 21st October: Lady Wildflower, History of Burlesque. Please note our next three meetings of the year are ‘closed’ meetings – no visitors.
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MONDAY 15 July 2019
Welcome and safety notices read. As in the previous month the meeting is to follow a new format with the speaker on first.
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MONDAY 18 June 2019
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MONDAY 15 July 2019
Welcome and safety notices read. As in the previous month the meeting is to follow a new format with the speaker on first.
- Jane Holland introduced the speaker by explaining that the Speaker Committee like to include health, lifestyle and a charity in the nine speakers chosen across the year and she was pleased to welcome Katie Awdas whose talk will cover all three topics
- The speaker Katie came to talk about living with Endometriosis, a condition that she has suffered since her periods started when she was 11. She explained what the condition was and how it affected her life. For Katie it took a very long time to get a correct diagnosis (she even had a healthy appendix removed in error) but now that she has faith in her doctor it is easier to live with the condition. Despite the pain and many stays in hospital Katie has managed to qualify as a teacher, hold down a teaching post and get married to a very understanding man! Katie encouraged us all to talk to other women about the condition and encourage people with similar symptoms to seek a correct diagnosis.
- Wendy Morris delivered an excellent vote of thanks.
- Elaine Ockleton spoke about the Alderley Edge Horticultural Show at the Festival Hall 31 August 2019. She encouraged members to submit entries for one of 113 competition categories.
- Jennie Palin explained that the Fulshaw WI centenary garden was to be visited by Britain in Bloom regional judges on the 23 July and national judges on the 8 August. Members are invited to meet the judges at 10.30am or later in the memorial garden for lunch.
- Notices
- Donna read out a letter from Cheshire President Jean Harding thanking all members who supported the Cheshire WI marquee at the Cheshire Show
- Cheshire are running a “design a celebration bauble” competition so Fulshaw will run a similar competition at the September meeting. All entries will be on show at our Xmas party but the best will be sent to Cheshire. Maximum size 15cm in diameter. Entries should focus on sustainability.
- Cheshire competitions for singles dominoes and scrabble 23 September, Tarvin. Donna keen to play dominoes if anyone wants to join her.
- Kettleshulme have invited members to join them for a walk. Three routes on offer.
- Our Xmas party will have a Swinging Sixties theme and members are encouraged to buy their outfits from charity shops. Also the Secret Santa present (still with 5 pound limit) should be from a charity shop.
- AGM meeting is in November and the members competition will be homemade chutney.
- The raffle was drawn
- Wendy thanked for vote of thanks, Diane Beech for portering and Sarah Kennon, Alison Boddington, Maureen Nicholson and Sally Hilldrup for excellent refreshments (ably supported by Cherry and Dot). Other members and committee members thanked for helping on the events desk.
- Date of next meeting 16 September.
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MONDAY 18 June 2019
- Welcome and safety notices read. 74 members, 7 visitors and 1 guest from Stuttgart in attendance.
- Our speaker Maria Glot is a resident of Saltaire, a member of Saltaire WI and an active supporter of the campaign that led to Saltaire being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Christine Roberts delivered an excellent vote of thanks.
- Donna reminded members that a trip to Saltaire is planned for October 10th. If interested please book before the summer break.
- Amanda Stevens spoke about 2 forthcoming art events. “Gathering”, an installation at Tatton Park 28/06/19-06/10/19 and the Art Fair Cheshire, Macclesfield Town Hall 26/09/19-03/10/19. Both organized to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice. Please speak to Amanda Stevens if you are able to volunteer as a steward or bake a cake.
- Wendy Morris was our delegate to the NFWI AGM in Bournemouth on the 5th June. She reported how moving it was to hear 4000 women sing Jerusalem. Both resolutions (Campaign to Protect Local Rural Bus Services and Don’t Fear The Smear) were approved 96% and 97%.
- Notices
- PALs meeting 19/09/10 on Modern Day Slavery. Christine Kennedy to attend but three other places in her car are available. Speak to Donna if interested in attending.
- Speak to Donna if you are interested in creating a darts team. No previous experience required.
- Beryl Hood Denman bursary of offer. £330 +£50 for travel to attend any course at Denman. See CFWI website for more details on how to apply.
- Strawberry Tea plus entertainment offered at Wilmslow High School 09/07/19 10.30-12.30. Speak to Donna or Dee if interested. Need to book soon.
- Yarn bombing to be assembled soon, so all remaining contributions can be dropped at Jennie Palin’s house. Jennie thanked all those who have knitted.
- Quarterly bursary was drawn. Won by Sheila Parker. She will spend it on a cookery course.
- Raffle drawn. 5 lucky winners
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MONDAY 20 May 2019
MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019
Hello Ladies,
What an excellent evening we had decorating Tunnock tea cakes with Dee Waugh. Many thanks Dee for all your preparative efforts and your clear instruction on the night. You’d never have thought that a tea cake and some fondant icing could create such peels of laughter and chatter as members made copies of Dee’s bunnies, pigs, unicorns and fish. Others went ‘off piste’ (mouse, swan, bee and an elephant!) with Gail producing the winning ‘tortoise eating a lettuce leaf’. The gift boxes created from re-cycled products were amazing; Grace’s ‘Tunnock-tea cake’ themed gift box was a wonder to behold, gaining her first prize in the ‘best gift box’ category.
After a well-deserved break, Christine Kennedy then took us through the opportunities and concerns of the two resolutions for voting at our May meeting. I attach her summary with the Youtube links that she mentioned. They are well worth a look at.
In terms of winning other prizes, although we were privileged to represent Cheshire in the NFWI national competition for the Elizabeth Bell competition (producing a 2018 Photobook summarising last year), we didn’t win at national level unfortunately. We also were beaten by Great Moor and Mottram St Andrew WIs with their winning A1 displays encompassing the theme from Hannah Mitchell ‘Life to me has been a great adventure’, although several of us thought our poster designed by Amanda Stevens was very impressive! We did at least take part as one of only seven WIs in NECG who did.
Onto other things, if anyone wants a ‘syringe driver bag kit to make up, Cherry has made 26 packs and I can re-send the instructions if anyone has mislaid them in their computer ‘filing system’.
Listed below is the flower pattern for making a flower (of any colour) to go to decorate the WI garden for our contribution to Wilmslow’s yarn-bombing initiative for the ‘Britain in Bloom competition. You can bring them to the next meeting for Jenny Palin to create the ‘yarn bomb’ for us. Volunteers are also needed for the garden maintenance in June, July and August – let me know if you’re interested.
Flower Pattern for Yarn Bombing
Cast on 120 stitches
K4 rows
K3 tog all row (40 sts)
K 4 rows
K2 tog all row (20 sts)
K4 rows
K2 tog all row (10 sts)
Finish off and sew sides together
We meet again hopefully, either at an event (eg Edwina Currie on Monday May 13th at the URC, 7.00pm for 7.30pm. Don’t forget to think of some questions to ask her!), or at our next monthly meeting on Monday May 20th (back to 3rd Monday in the month) where we will vote and be entertained by Andre Freitas who is going to talk about ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in an understandable, layman’s term language. Amanda Stevens has heard him talk and speaks highly of his understandability and interesting topic.
I attach the following:
· Christine Kennedy’s summary of the Resolution opportunities and concerns
· April NECG Newsletter containing events (do have a look).
See you out and about and enjoy the May Bank Holiday.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Resolution Notes
This year the NFWI Board of Trustees has decided to put forward the top two resolutions to the NFWI Annual Meeting in Bournemouth on 5 June. So we are not deciding between resolutions, but whether we want to support both, one or neither.
The resolutions are:
A call against the decline in local bus services and
Don’t fear the smear
Full briefing notes can be found on the WI Website:
https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/resolutions-and-mandates
Below is a brief ‘Briefing’
A call against the decline in local bus services
Over the last decade there has been a massive decline in the number of bus services, particularly of those in rural and semi-rural areas.
In order to alleviate loneliness, improve health and wellbeing, as well as promoting sustainable development, the NFWI calls on the government and local authorities to increase subsidies and work in partnership with bus companies and community transport operators to enable an adequate provision of services.
Proposer’s position
The proposer would like the importance of a local sustainable bus service, particularly in rural areas, to be more widely recognised. In light of the falling coverage of bus services and the wide-spread impact on communities, this resolution calls on local and national government to take action.
The scale of the problem
Since 2010, local authorities have faced budgets cuts which have put pressure on the delivery of local services such as health centres, post offices and libraries. Those without access to a car rely heavily on public transport, and the loss of a bus service can reduce access to services and facilities and contribute to social exclusion and loneliness.
According to the Campaign for Better Transport, council bus budgets have been cut by 45% since 2010. Local authorities across England and Wales were found to have taken £182 million away from supported bus services over the decade, affecting more than 3,000 bus services in England and 259 in Wales. According to Rural England, about half of people in smaller villages do not have access to any public transport and young people's access to education is being impacted by poor public transport provision.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI, taking into account any recent developments.
What could WI members do?
At local and regional levels, members could raise awareness of the importance of local bus provision, especially in rural areas, and promote bus use as a sustainable form of transport.
Nationally, the NFWI could work with organisations such as Campaign for Better Transport and the Local Government Association to call on Government to provide more funding to local authorities for the provision of bus services.
Arguments for the resolution
A bus service is a vital tool for connectivity, growth and social cohesion. It ensures that communities remain sustainable, reduces social isolation and ensures access to employment, education and local facilities such as shops, leisure centres and health services.
Arguments against the resolution
The NFWI already has a number of mandates relating to public transport in rural areas (June 1956, May 1963 and April 1948) so a new one may not be deemed necessary.
Don’t fear the smear
Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives a year, yet attendance is currently at its lowest for a decade.
The NFWI urges WI members to attend routine screening, to take action to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening and address barriers to attendance to help eradicate cervical cancer.
Proposer’s position
The proposer is concerned that the number of women attending routine cervical screening is falling despite the number of lives the test saves each year. She would like to see the introduction of a WI awareness raising campaign to help tackle the reasons for this.
The current situation in the UK
In England and Wales, women aged 25 to 49 who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screening (also referred to as a ‘smear test’) every 3 years. Women aged 50-64 receive invitations every 5 years.
Public Health England cites several barriers to attendance including:
embarrassment about having a smear test
Girls between 12-18 years old are offered the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. This helps to protect against four types of HPV, two of which cause 70% of cervical cancers in the UK. However, it is still recommended that women who have had the vaccine attend cervical screening so that abnormalities caused by other HPV types can be found early. Cervical screening can also help identify small cell cervical cancer, which the HPV vaccine does not fully protect against. For these reasons it is essential that all girls who have the HPV vaccine also attend cervical screening when invited.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI, taking into account any recent developments.
What could WI members do?
At local and regional levels, members could help tackle some of the barriers preventing many women attending cervical screening by raising awareness of the screening programme and the benefits of attending.
Members could also encourage primary care to run awareness campaigns and call on CCGs and local authorities in England and local trusts in Wales to take action to improve attendance rates.
Nationally, the NFWI could build the evidence base around why some women do not attend cervical screening to help inform regional and local initiatives to tackle the problem. Alongside expert organisations, the NFWI could also push for improvements in care that are known to increase cervical screening uptake.
Arguments for the resolution
Cervical cancer screening has been a longstanding concern of the WI. A WI resolution was passed in 1964 calling on the NHS to provide comprehensive and routine smear tests for all women in order to detect cervical cancer. This resolution would enable members to build on the WI’s earlier work to introduce routine smear tests by helping to increase public understanding of and engagement with the screening programme.
Arguments against the resolution
There is an existing annual awareness raising campaign that highlights the importance of cervical screening and encourages more women to attend. Is there more the WI could add?
Additional Resources:
This short film from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust explains the smear test and why it’s important: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/video/you-guide-cervical-screeningsmear-test
NHS England launched a “Don’t Fear the Smear” video on YouTube in March 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKWtJZgGF9o
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- Welcome and Safety Notices read.
- Notices
- Welcome to 9 visitors and 1 guest
- Donna thanked members for contributions to plastic milk bottle tops, wool for Styal Prison Knitting Group, knitted prem baby hats, yarn bombing flowers and bees, syringe driver bags.
- Donna reported on a busy month including 19 ladies enjoying a 2km zipwire in Wales and a very good turnout for Edwina Curry. Money raised will go to East Cheshire Hospice.
- Pauline Handley reported that the Manager from Sainsburys had offered to do a reduce/reuse/recycle visit to his store but it had not been possible to arrange due to a mutual misunderstanding.
- Patterns for knitting flowers for the Wilmslow in Bloom yarn bombing are available.
- Kits are available from Cherry Dolden to make up into syringe driver bags.
- All banking by our WI treasurer is now done electronically. It is essential that cheques are clearly and accurately filled in and signed otherwise they are rejected by the bank and incur a charge.
- Hot drinks are not available at the start of the monthly meetings and access to the kitchen sinks is also not available for H&S reasons.
- Our speaker Dr Andre Freitas from Manchester University delivered a very thought provoking speech where he referred to Artificial Intelligence as causing a second, global, industrial revolution. AI systems will enable driverless cars, will change how children are educated and will automate the production of goods and delivery of services. This will bring about a social revolution that could increase the division between rich and poor. He said that the Government need to manage the use of AI to minimise its potentially adverse impact on Society. A very knowledgeable Q&A session followed
- Tea cake and more conversation followed.
- Voting on the resolutions to go to the NFWI AGM took place. Inclusion of the absentees email votes resulted in the following votes for Fulshaw WI:
- Preserve rural bus services
- For 66
- Against 0
- Abstentions 2
- Don’t fear the Smear
- For 64
- Against 0
- Abstentions 4
- Delegate to have discretion to vote on amendments
- For 68
- Against 0
- Abstentions 0
- Raffle took place
- Donna thanked the refreshment team Janet Codling, Emma Smallwood, Helen Battilana and Ann Thompson and the Committee for their support and hard work.
- Date of next meeting 17th June Maria Glot from Saltaire.
MONDAY 29 APRIL 2019
Hello Ladies,
What an excellent evening we had decorating Tunnock tea cakes with Dee Waugh. Many thanks Dee for all your preparative efforts and your clear instruction on the night. You’d never have thought that a tea cake and some fondant icing could create such peels of laughter and chatter as members made copies of Dee’s bunnies, pigs, unicorns and fish. Others went ‘off piste’ (mouse, swan, bee and an elephant!) with Gail producing the winning ‘tortoise eating a lettuce leaf’. The gift boxes created from re-cycled products were amazing; Grace’s ‘Tunnock-tea cake’ themed gift box was a wonder to behold, gaining her first prize in the ‘best gift box’ category.
After a well-deserved break, Christine Kennedy then took us through the opportunities and concerns of the two resolutions for voting at our May meeting. I attach her summary with the Youtube links that she mentioned. They are well worth a look at.
In terms of winning other prizes, although we were privileged to represent Cheshire in the NFWI national competition for the Elizabeth Bell competition (producing a 2018 Photobook summarising last year), we didn’t win at national level unfortunately. We also were beaten by Great Moor and Mottram St Andrew WIs with their winning A1 displays encompassing the theme from Hannah Mitchell ‘Life to me has been a great adventure’, although several of us thought our poster designed by Amanda Stevens was very impressive! We did at least take part as one of only seven WIs in NECG who did.
Onto other things, if anyone wants a ‘syringe driver bag kit to make up, Cherry has made 26 packs and I can re-send the instructions if anyone has mislaid them in their computer ‘filing system’.
Listed below is the flower pattern for making a flower (of any colour) to go to decorate the WI garden for our contribution to Wilmslow’s yarn-bombing initiative for the ‘Britain in Bloom competition. You can bring them to the next meeting for Jenny Palin to create the ‘yarn bomb’ for us. Volunteers are also needed for the garden maintenance in June, July and August – let me know if you’re interested.
Flower Pattern for Yarn Bombing
Cast on 120 stitches
K4 rows
K3 tog all row (40 sts)
K 4 rows
K2 tog all row (20 sts)
K4 rows
K2 tog all row (10 sts)
Finish off and sew sides together
We meet again hopefully, either at an event (eg Edwina Currie on Monday May 13th at the URC, 7.00pm for 7.30pm. Don’t forget to think of some questions to ask her!), or at our next monthly meeting on Monday May 20th (back to 3rd Monday in the month) where we will vote and be entertained by Andre Freitas who is going to talk about ‘Artificial Intelligence’ in an understandable, layman’s term language. Amanda Stevens has heard him talk and speaks highly of his understandability and interesting topic.
I attach the following:
· Christine Kennedy’s summary of the Resolution opportunities and concerns
· April NECG Newsletter containing events (do have a look).
See you out and about and enjoy the May Bank Holiday.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Resolution Notes
This year the NFWI Board of Trustees has decided to put forward the top two resolutions to the NFWI Annual Meeting in Bournemouth on 5 June. So we are not deciding between resolutions, but whether we want to support both, one or neither.
The resolutions are:
A call against the decline in local bus services and
Don’t fear the smear
Full briefing notes can be found on the WI Website:
https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/resolutions-and-mandates
Below is a brief ‘Briefing’
A call against the decline in local bus services
Over the last decade there has been a massive decline in the number of bus services, particularly of those in rural and semi-rural areas.
In order to alleviate loneliness, improve health and wellbeing, as well as promoting sustainable development, the NFWI calls on the government and local authorities to increase subsidies and work in partnership with bus companies and community transport operators to enable an adequate provision of services.
Proposer’s position
The proposer would like the importance of a local sustainable bus service, particularly in rural areas, to be more widely recognised. In light of the falling coverage of bus services and the wide-spread impact on communities, this resolution calls on local and national government to take action.
The scale of the problem
Since 2010, local authorities have faced budgets cuts which have put pressure on the delivery of local services such as health centres, post offices and libraries. Those without access to a car rely heavily on public transport, and the loss of a bus service can reduce access to services and facilities and contribute to social exclusion and loneliness.
According to the Campaign for Better Transport, council bus budgets have been cut by 45% since 2010. Local authorities across England and Wales were found to have taken £182 million away from supported bus services over the decade, affecting more than 3,000 bus services in England and 259 in Wales. According to Rural England, about half of people in smaller villages do not have access to any public transport and young people's access to education is being impacted by poor public transport provision.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI, taking into account any recent developments.
What could WI members do?
At local and regional levels, members could raise awareness of the importance of local bus provision, especially in rural areas, and promote bus use as a sustainable form of transport.
Nationally, the NFWI could work with organisations such as Campaign for Better Transport and the Local Government Association to call on Government to provide more funding to local authorities for the provision of bus services.
Arguments for the resolution
A bus service is a vital tool for connectivity, growth and social cohesion. It ensures that communities remain sustainable, reduces social isolation and ensures access to employment, education and local facilities such as shops, leisure centres and health services.
Arguments against the resolution
The NFWI already has a number of mandates relating to public transport in rural areas (June 1956, May 1963 and April 1948) so a new one may not be deemed necessary.
Don’t fear the smear
Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives a year, yet attendance is currently at its lowest for a decade.
The NFWI urges WI members to attend routine screening, to take action to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening and address barriers to attendance to help eradicate cervical cancer.
Proposer’s position
The proposer is concerned that the number of women attending routine cervical screening is falling despite the number of lives the test saves each year. She would like to see the introduction of a WI awareness raising campaign to help tackle the reasons for this.
The current situation in the UK
In England and Wales, women aged 25 to 49 who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screening (also referred to as a ‘smear test’) every 3 years. Women aged 50-64 receive invitations every 5 years.
Public Health England cites several barriers to attendance including:
embarrassment about having a smear test
- concerns about the test results
- concerns about the procedure being painful
- inconvenient appointment times
- unaware of screening
- unaware that they are at risk
- cultural or language barriers
- no female sample takers being available
- lack of understanding of HPV (human papillomaviruses) and the role it plays in cervical cancer development
Girls between 12-18 years old are offered the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine. This helps to protect against four types of HPV, two of which cause 70% of cervical cancers in the UK. However, it is still recommended that women who have had the vaccine attend cervical screening so that abnormalities caused by other HPV types can be found early. Cervical screening can also help identify small cell cervical cancer, which the HPV vaccine does not fully protect against. For these reasons it is essential that all girls who have the HPV vaccine also attend cervical screening when invited.
How could the WI work on this issue if it was passed?
A full campaign would be developed by the NFWI, taking into account any recent developments.
What could WI members do?
At local and regional levels, members could help tackle some of the barriers preventing many women attending cervical screening by raising awareness of the screening programme and the benefits of attending.
Members could also encourage primary care to run awareness campaigns and call on CCGs and local authorities in England and local trusts in Wales to take action to improve attendance rates.
Nationally, the NFWI could build the evidence base around why some women do not attend cervical screening to help inform regional and local initiatives to tackle the problem. Alongside expert organisations, the NFWI could also push for improvements in care that are known to increase cervical screening uptake.
Arguments for the resolution
Cervical cancer screening has been a longstanding concern of the WI. A WI resolution was passed in 1964 calling on the NHS to provide comprehensive and routine smear tests for all women in order to detect cervical cancer. This resolution would enable members to build on the WI’s earlier work to introduce routine smear tests by helping to increase public understanding of and engagement with the screening programme.
Arguments against the resolution
There is an existing annual awareness raising campaign that highlights the importance of cervical screening and encourages more women to attend. Is there more the WI could add?
Additional Resources:
This short film from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust explains the smear test and why it’s important: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/video/you-guide-cervical-screeningsmear-test
NHS England launched a “Don’t Fear the Smear” video on YouTube in March 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKWtJZgGF9o
______________________________________________________________________________________
MONDAY 18 MARCH 2019
1) Welcome and safety notices read.
2) Donna thanked members for helping tonight in various ways as we are 5 Committee members short.
3) Two cheques for annual subscription have bounced. Members advised that we will only absorb any consequential costs for a first offence.
4) Details of a cake box making competition to carry home next month’s tea cake animals were given.
5) One new member and visitors and two guests were welcomed.
6) Donna explained that the two leading resolutions that we voted on were Don’t fear the smear and Decline in local buses and that these would be put forward to the NFWI Annual Meeting in Bournemouth on 5 June. Wendy will be our delegate at National level and will be voting on our behalf on the resolutions.
7) Pauline is still trying to set up the event with Sainsbury’s concerning their use of plastic.
8) Amanda who is in Australia sent her thanks for the contributions towards the 12 photo collage competition.
9) Jean Hill is no longer able to store and bring the second hand books. Any volunteers?
10)There are 15 signed copies of Jenny Palin’s sons’ book about eating disorders available at £6 each.
11)New members meeting will be on Monday 8 April at the Old Dancer at 7pm. There will be light snacks, a WI quiz and indoor curling!
12)Edwina Curry event on May 13 is open to everyone, male or female.
13)The Barnby choir will be performing Carmina Burana by Orff and A Little Jazz Mass on Saturday 30 March at Alderley Edge Festival Hall at 7.30
14)Jane H gave a brief comment on the relationship between our WI group and charities. She then introduced our two speakers, Tina Cross from ROAR and Sally Hyman from Cribbs Uk.
Tina, a recovering drug addict spoke from the heart about her personal journey from losing her
children and spending time in prison to her role now as volunteer and ambassador for this
Macclesfield based charity who presently run 2 nine bed recovery housing projects offering a
safe and secure, stable 24 hour supported environment for people battling addictions. Service
users who follow the programme can then enter the next step accommodation
where they are helped by volunteer co-ordinators to engage in work experience, education
and training.
Sally spoke about what caused her to set up her charity, Cribbs UK which provides homes for
refugee families in Greece who are dealing with pregnancy or a new baby in the dangerous and
unsanitary conditions prevalent in refugee camps. The charitable income is spent on rent and
utilities, food, transport to hospital, medicine and hospital expenses, nappies, clothing and
breastfeeding equipment. They like ROAR are a small organisation and have housed
approximately 25 families since they began in 2016.
15) Donna thanked both our speakers and we adjourned for tea and cake.
16) After refreshments we held the bursary draw which was won by Jane Martindale who
planning to use it for a cookery course.
17) The raffle was held.
18) Donna thanked the refreshment team Dot, Cathy Hester, Jan Murray and Sarah Irvine. Also
Jackie Rabone for portering duties and Diana Beech for her assistance on the events table.
She also thanked the committee for juggling jobs with so many members absent.
19) The next meeting will be on April 29 due to Easter
1) Welcome and safety notices read.
2) Donna thanked members for helping tonight in various ways as we are 5 Committee members short.
3) Two cheques for annual subscription have bounced. Members advised that we will only absorb any consequential costs for a first offence.
4) Details of a cake box making competition to carry home next month’s tea cake animals were given.
5) One new member and visitors and two guests were welcomed.
6) Donna explained that the two leading resolutions that we voted on were Don’t fear the smear and Decline in local buses and that these would be put forward to the NFWI Annual Meeting in Bournemouth on 5 June. Wendy will be our delegate at National level and will be voting on our behalf on the resolutions.
7) Pauline is still trying to set up the event with Sainsbury’s concerning their use of plastic.
8) Amanda who is in Australia sent her thanks for the contributions towards the 12 photo collage competition.
9) Jean Hill is no longer able to store and bring the second hand books. Any volunteers?
10)There are 15 signed copies of Jenny Palin’s sons’ book about eating disorders available at £6 each.
11)New members meeting will be on Monday 8 April at the Old Dancer at 7pm. There will be light snacks, a WI quiz and indoor curling!
12)Edwina Curry event on May 13 is open to everyone, male or female.
13)The Barnby choir will be performing Carmina Burana by Orff and A Little Jazz Mass on Saturday 30 March at Alderley Edge Festival Hall at 7.30
14)Jane H gave a brief comment on the relationship between our WI group and charities. She then introduced our two speakers, Tina Cross from ROAR and Sally Hyman from Cribbs Uk.
Tina, a recovering drug addict spoke from the heart about her personal journey from losing her
children and spending time in prison to her role now as volunteer and ambassador for this
Macclesfield based charity who presently run 2 nine bed recovery housing projects offering a
safe and secure, stable 24 hour supported environment for people battling addictions. Service
users who follow the programme can then enter the next step accommodation
where they are helped by volunteer co-ordinators to engage in work experience, education
and training.
Sally spoke about what caused her to set up her charity, Cribbs UK which provides homes for
refugee families in Greece who are dealing with pregnancy or a new baby in the dangerous and
unsanitary conditions prevalent in refugee camps. The charitable income is spent on rent and
utilities, food, transport to hospital, medicine and hospital expenses, nappies, clothing and
breastfeeding equipment. They like ROAR are a small organisation and have housed
approximately 25 families since they began in 2016.
15) Donna thanked both our speakers and we adjourned for tea and cake.
16) After refreshments we held the bursary draw which was won by Jane Martindale who
planning to use it for a cookery course.
17) The raffle was held.
18) Donna thanked the refreshment team Dot, Cathy Hester, Jan Murray and Sarah Irvine. Also
Jackie Rabone for portering duties and Diana Beech for her assistance on the events table.
She also thanked the committee for juggling jobs with so many members absent.
19) The next meeting will be on April 29 due to Easter
MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2019
Welcome and Safety Notices read.
Welcome and Safety Notices read.
- Notices
- Welcome to visitors
- Welcome to 2 ladies from St Helens WI.
- Thank you for more bottle tops and wool for Styal prison. More wool will be needed later in the year for the Britain in Bloom Yarn Bombing.
- “Don’t fear the Smear”received most votes in the resolutions last month.
- Fulshaw WI has received a ballot form for electing 12 members to the NFWI Board of Trustees 2019-2021. Nominees listed in WI lIfe. If you have any preferences let Donna know (Hilary Haworth) otherwise the committee will select 12. Donna noted, of the 22 nominees only 6 live north of Watford Gap and 3 of them are Welsh.
- Diane Atkinson gave a brief description of her climate change ambassador training. 11 East Cheshire WIs attended and they plan to work together. Of the 45 that attended – 25% were from Cheshire Federation.
- Pauline Handley reported that the campaign group “Plastic Free Wilmslow” had wanted to organise a day at Sainsburys where customers unwrapped their purchases and left the wrapping behind (as had occurred successfully at Waitrose). Manager refused to allow this but offered a tour of the store for WI ladies to show what Sainsburys do to reduce/reuse/recycle. This would be on a Wednesday evening- date to be arranged. Members supported this action.
- Amanda reported on a “Single use material” audit that she carried out on the January meeting. Members approved the request for this audit to be sent to Transition Wilmslow.
- Cherry Dolden showed syringe driver bags that ECH would like us to make. Pattern available from Cherry and will be sent out electronically with the member’s sweep up notes.
- Wilmslow Wells for Africa Soup Day Saturday 2nd March. Cake bakers to deliver to Donna’s house Friday or Methodist Church Saturday.
- Committee preparing Mixed Media collage to represent “Life to me has been a great adventure”. Please send contributions to Amanda at [email protected].
- Monday 13th May extra event. URC church 7pm Edwina Curry “ Lies, Damn Lies and Politicians”
- Speaker Melanie Latham (Holly Cottage Preserves) spoke about “The art of chutney making”
- Melanie managed to make a beetroot, pear and Ginger (low sugar) chutney while amusing the audience with a constant stream of funny anecdotes.
- We also learnt to not cut off the root of an onion while chopping it if you want to avoid runny eyes
- You can grow ginger and turmeric from bulbs bought from the greengrocers.
- Wendy Morris gave a vote of thanks saying Melanie not only entertained us but also gave her confidence to make chutney.
- Tea and cake followed with a raffle with 5 prizes. Donna thanked Emma Smallwood for portering and Dot, Cherry, Pat, Rosemary and Jacqui for the refreshments. She also reminded members that the committee work extremely hard behind the scenes to make events and monthly meetings successful.
MONDAY 21ST JANUARY 2019
FULSHAW WI MEETING 21/01/19
AUDIT OF SINGLE USE MATERIALS ESPECIALLY PLASTIC
AREA OF MEETING
ITEM
COMMENT
COMPLETED
KITCHEN
Plastic milk bottles
Should we order milk in glass bottles?
If we continue to use plastic bottles ensure they are recycled ie committee members take them home for recycling.
Plastic spoons
These are washed and reused
completed
Black plastic bag for rubbish
Can we buy ones that will decompose. AS to check
Silver foil and clingfilm used by members bringing cake.
Encourage them to use re-usable plastic storage boxes (marg or ice-cream tubs or an old biscuit tin)
Serviettes used with cake
These will decompose eventually. Should we use plates? Do we have already have saucers that would work?
Is kitchen towel more sustainable than serviettes?
China cups
Reusable
completed
WELCOME DRINKS
Glasses
Reusable
completed
Drinks in bottles
Make sure they are re-cycled
completed
Drinks in cartons
Make sure they are re-cycled
completed
VARIOUS
Cotton table cloths
Reusable
completed
RAFFLE
Prizes
Wherever possible avoid prizes that are over-packaged.
completed
Remember this at Christmas. Do we need to wrap in cellophane? Is cellophane as bad as plastic?
Tickets
Can we avoid paper tickets
PAPER
Voting slips
Make them smaller, 6 to a page. Give everyone a marble and vote by putting in relevant jar.
Flyers
Try to re-cycle
- This is the first meeting with Donna Johnstone as President.
- Welcome and Safety Notices read. In the unlikely event that the fire alarm is activated leave the building in an orderly manner through the kitchen or the main entrance. Assemble across the road in the open space between the church and the hall. DO NOT GO HOME. A roll call will be completed to ensure everyone can be accounted for.
- Notices
- Welcome to visitors
- Welcome to 2 new members
- Thank you for bottle tops, hotel toiletries and knitted policemen.
- Members are asked to read the resolutions sheet, vote for one, initial the sheet and put it in the basket.
- Please sign up this evening if you wish to go on the Salford Art trip 13/02/19
- Please express an interest in the Harrogate Spring Flower Show 25/04/19 so that numbers can be identified
- CFWI Centenary Year 2020. Wendy Morris explained that a year of activities is being planned for 2020. There are three competitions where multiple entries will be accepted. Deadline 28/06/19
- 200 word prose, “What being a member of the WI means to you”.AS to deadline date.
- Souvenir cloth bag design 25x25cm
- Art, “Scenes of Cheshire” 15x11cm, green ink on white card. To be printed as notelets.
- Speaker John Stirling, “From Toy Town to Buckingham Palace”.
- John was an amusing and eloquent speaker. He talked about his childhood acting roles in BBC TV programmes, his production work with Morecambe and Wise and his abortive film project that left him with 13 abused and abandoned donkeys.
- John and his wife Annie have devoted their lives to caring for abandoned donkeys and involving disabled children in their care. Dame Judy Dench is patron of their charity and they have the support of many other celebrities.
- John and Annie completed a walk with donkeys from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace where the Queen came out to meet them and feed carrots to the donkeys!
- A hearty vote of thanks was delivered by Grace Brearley.
- Tea and cake followed with a raffle with 6 prizes. Donna thanked Anne Crawford for portering and Diane Beech, Rosemary Reid, Norma Lynn and Jenny Bordoli for the refreshments.She also thanked the committee members for working so hard and the members for tolerating her ‘first night nerves’!
FULSHAW WI MEETING 21/01/19
AUDIT OF SINGLE USE MATERIALS ESPECIALLY PLASTIC
AREA OF MEETING
ITEM
COMMENT
COMPLETED
KITCHEN
Plastic milk bottles
Should we order milk in glass bottles?
If we continue to use plastic bottles ensure they are recycled ie committee members take them home for recycling.
Plastic spoons
These are washed and reused
completed
Black plastic bag for rubbish
Can we buy ones that will decompose. AS to check
Silver foil and clingfilm used by members bringing cake.
Encourage them to use re-usable plastic storage boxes (marg or ice-cream tubs or an old biscuit tin)
Serviettes used with cake
These will decompose eventually. Should we use plates? Do we have already have saucers that would work?
Is kitchen towel more sustainable than serviettes?
China cups
Reusable
completed
WELCOME DRINKS
Glasses
Reusable
completed
Drinks in bottles
Make sure they are re-cycled
completed
Drinks in cartons
Make sure they are re-cycled
completed
VARIOUS
Cotton table cloths
Reusable
completed
RAFFLE
Prizes
Wherever possible avoid prizes that are over-packaged.
completed
Remember this at Christmas. Do we need to wrap in cellophane? Is cellophane as bad as plastic?
Tickets
Can we avoid paper tickets
PAPER
Voting slips
Make them smaller, 6 to a page. Give everyone a marble and vote by putting in relevant jar.
Flyers
Try to re-cycle
MONDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2018
Welcome and Safety Notices read.
11. Dot presented each lady who had produced cakes each month for Refreshments with a £5 gift voucher as a small thank you and a contribution to the cost of their ingredients.
Welcome and Safety Notices read.
- Notices.
- Wendy welcomed Alia el Asmar (President Great Moor and District WI, President NECG WI and Resolutions Adviser for CFWI) and Jenny Boswell (President, Cheadle and Gatley WI)
- Wendy thanked members for all the donations for our toy and shoe box appeals
- Members are invited to shop at our makers market during the evening
- Members are invited to taste the petit fours and vote for their favourite.
- Resolutions
- Jean Hill, Fulshaw’s Resolution Officer, briefly reviewed Fulshaw WI activities and how they reflected WI resolutions. Speakers such as Shari Royle (January) and Cheshire Youth Engagement Officer (September) spoke about issues relating to personal mental health. Regular coffee and chat meetings offer members an opportunity to support each other. Members support the in-together cafe for dementia sufferers. Jean said that Fulshaw has always been known for a very high return of Resolution votes. Jean then introduced the nominated Resolutions for consideration in 2019.
- Alia explained the NFWI resolutions process to the meeting and showed a film that illustrated the fact that the WI have been campaigning for 100 years starting with the problem of a shortage of sanitary housing. She also stated that her aim was to increase the Cheshire vote this year. Although it had risen year on year it was still a very low return.
- Secretary’s Annual Report 2018
- On our website Fulshaw WI are described as a “lively, interested and interesting group of ladies” and the review of 2018 definitely illustrates this.
- At our 10 monthly meetings we listened to 11 speakers who made us laugh, educated us about drugs and blood bike riders, encouraged us to wear more hats, do more flower arranging, inspired us to support local charities and educated us about the next generation of radio telescopes.
- In addition to the monthly meetings an enormous number of events were organised and 95 members attended at least one of these events. They included walks, cycle rides, white water rafting, theatre, dining out, NECG activities, Art appreciation events, book club and so much more.
- The 2018 committee had worked very hard to organise such a busy calendar of events. Other Fulshaw WI members supported by doing refreshments, portering, giving the vote of thanks, running the book stall and gardening but all of it only worked because of the exceptional leadership of Wendy. The meeting thanked her for all her hard work and inspiration!!
- Secretary’s annual report, proposed by Wendy Morris and seconded by Margaret Whitely, was accepted.
- Treasurer’s Annual Report 2018
- Accounts for 2018 have been verified by a WI appointed person
- During the year receipts were over £16.5k and outgoings just under £16.5k.
- Membership income pays for speakers and monthly meeting costs
- Raffle income helps to subsidise the Christmas party
- Jennie offered to take any interested members through the accounts in detail.
- Average meeting attendance was 69 and 83 visitors came during 2018
- The objective with every visit, theatre trip etc is to break even.
- Subscription for 2019 will be £42. Please complete two membership forms to renew your membership (GDPR reqirement)
- Treasurer’s annual report, proposed by Amanda Stevens and seconded by Sarah Kennon, was accepted.
- President’s Address 2018
- The president talked about the journey she had taken over the last five years first as a committee member and then for four years as president. She said the experience had helped her grow in confidence and to make new friends at Fulshaw but also in the wider WI family. She also said that she had felt the members willing her on all the way, how they were warm and friendly towards visitors which showed by almost 40 ladies on the Waiting List. She also announced that the Waiting List would now be closed for the foreseeable future.
- She thanked the committee for all their hard work and made special mention of the three other retiring members Sheila, Gail and Lorna.
- She also thanked the members for their support in many areas such as cake making, knitting, collecting bottle tops, organising and attending events and helping out at meetings.
- She then showed a fantastic photo presentation that captured Fulshaw WI 2018.
- Four members have retired and four new members have stood so the new committee was introduced to the meeting without there being an election – twelve spaces on the committee. The new committee is
- Jennie Banfield
- Dot Bracegirdle
- Cherry Dolden
- Jane Holland – unable to attend
- Donna Johnstone
- Christine Kennedy – unable to attend
- Jennie Palin
- Jane Rawlings
- Amanda Stevens
- Wendy Taylor
- Cathy Wallace
- Dee Waugh
- President vote.
- Petit four competition. Lorna announced the winners
- 3rd Pam Clements
- 2nd Amanda Stevens
- 1st Dot Bracegirdle
11. Dot presented each lady who had produced cakes each month for Refreshments with a £5 gift voucher as a small thank you and a contribution to the cost of their ingredients.
MONDAY 15th OCTOBER 2018
MONDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let Wendy know if they did not want this.
2. Visitors welcomed.
3. Notices.
• Next years subscription will be £42 (£1 increase on this year)
• The weekend away to Hawes was very well received. On a budget of £1600 a profit of £5 was made! Wendy thanked all the members of the organising committee especially Sheila who hunted out so many bargains when organising the catering.
• Lady Lever visit. Contact details required.
• 29/11/18 trip to Good Food Show, Birmingham. Tickets available. Please express interest ASAP so Dee can try to get a group discount.
• 4/10/18 Folk singer Louise Jordan performing in Heaton Moor. Speak to Wendy if interested.
• Stockport without Abuse sent a nice letter to thank us for our donation (surplus from Esther McVey evening).
• Fulshaw WI will be collecting toys from next month for the Macclesfield based charity. Dates for packing to be announced soon.
• Coffee and Chat 24/09/18 Unico cafe, Grove Street. 10 -12noon.
4. Community Notices
• Art Trail Wilmslow 5-7 October includes 2 artists at John Lewis
• Art Fair Cheshire. An event to be held at Macclesfield Town Hall September 2019. Work from 80 artists on sale to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice. Last event raised £65k. Volunteers are needed to help organise the event. See Amanda Stevens for more details.
5. NECG Notices
• Autumn meeting 10/10/18 Woodford. Tickets from events desk
• Autumn Walk 19/10/18 Crown Inn car park, Hawk Green 10am. Optional lunch in pub after the walk.
• Autumn Outing 16/11/18 to Liverpool. £10.50
• Carol service 11/12/18 2pm.
6. Speaker, PC Jane Commins from Cheshire Police. She works as a School Liaison Officer and talks to students about on-line safety and drugs. She talked about the key messages she shares with students.
• New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), often known as legal highs, are now illegal.
• “Talk to Frank” is a great website for drug related advice and information.
• Young people take drugs because
❖ They are stressed
❖ They have low self-esteem
❖ They want to be accepted by their peers
❖ Drugs are easily available
❖ They are mis-informed about what harm drugs can do.
• Fighting the supply of drugs is a very challenging task. It is no good just taking out the dealers at the bottom of the supply chain.
7. Heartfelt vote of thanks was delivered by Rosemary Bradley.
8. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 5 lucky raffle winners.
9. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Animals Behaving Badly by Dr Michael Leech
10. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Penny, Gillie, Di and Dot and Diana and Ann for portering.
MONDAY 16th JULY 2018
Welcome and Safety notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and guests asked to advise if they object.
7 visitors welcomed.
Wendy informed the meeting of various notices:-
The Christmas party has been brought forward to December 10th due to a prior booking at the church.
Last call for Calendar Girls at the Lowry.
Immediate payment required for Dusty, Lady Lever trip and weekend away.
New white water rafting date announced for 26th September.
Autumn Council Meeting, 17th October Storyhouse Chester Eve Pollard.
Thanks for all donations .
Reminder that there is no August meeting.
Sheila announced various NECG events:-
Craft Day 15th September Woodford Community Centre.
Liverpool Trip including Christmas markets 17th November.
A talk by Elizabeth Gowing 10th October.
Walk in Cheadle Hulme 18th July.
Wendy welcomed the speakers Sarah Diggle and Janet Thompson from the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary. This charitable organisation is run by the Humane Education Society working for a more compassionate society through education and practical work with children and animals. Their extremely interesting talk gave us an amazing insight into the wonderful work that they and all their army of volunteers do on a daily basis rescuing unwanted animals, looking after them for however long is necessary and endeavouring to find suitable and loving homes for as many as possible. Their ‘residents’ include cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, dagos (similar to gerbils only larger), pigs, ex battery chickens, horses, ponies and donkeys. Their magnificent work is completely funded by fundraising activities and generous donations including weekly collections from Lidl and Sainsbury’s who donate out of date fruit and vegetables to the sanctuary as well as collecting items from customers such as tinned pet food, litter and bedding which they then pass on. We learnt about the large variety of fundraising events which they organise including fun days, Halloween and Christmas celebrations, sponsored dog walks and marathon runs, fun days at the sanctuary and collection tin rattling often accompanied by the cutest of mini Shetland ponies in the town centre and elsewhere. We also learnt how their many volunteers give freely of their time not only caring for the animals but also in gardening , maintenance and running their Facebook page which is a valuable tool for reaching out to perspective ‘foster parents’.
Margaret Whitley gave the vote of thanks and we adjourned for tea and cakes.
The second half of the meeting covered the following items:
There will be no meeting in August. Next meeting is 17th September when the speaker will be PC Jane Commins on the subject of Drugs - Crime and Consequences.
Wendy thanked the porters and Dot and her team of refreshments ladies.
She advised that £70 had been spent on the purchase of a new urn.
Jenny Palin thanked everyone who has volunteered over the past year to help maintain our WI garden. Everyone involved is invited to join the Wilmslow in Bloom judges on Tuesday 31st July at a reception and lunch at 12.30pm at the Memorial Gardens following the judging of the exhibits.
Reminder of “coffee and chat” at Único 30th July.
The Summer Holiday competition was judged and Wendy and Barbara Death were worthy winners.
There were 4 lucky raffle winners.
The bursary draw was won by Cherry Dolden who is going to use the £150 to attend a course at Denman.
MONDAY 18th JUNE 2018
1.Welcome and safety notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and guests asked to advise if they objected to this.
2.10 visitors welcomed.
3. Wendy informed the meeting of various notices.
a) There is still availability on the Wedgewood trip on June 27th.
b) Names required for the Terracotta Army trip on October 5th. Members need to advise if they are eligible for a concession ticket.
c) The Amazon visit organised by Lydie is now full but there may be a possibility of arranging another trip if there is sufficient interest and a waiting list will be started.
d) Afternoon tea (in the morning) at Wilmslow High School on July 12th.
e) Invitation from Over Alderley & Birtles WI to a Strawberry Tea on August 14th.
f) Next month’s speaker will be Sarah Diggle from the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary /Humane Education Society. Members were encouraged to bring suitable donations eg cat food, hay, shavings etc. or items which the sanctuary can sell to raise funds.
g) We are still collecting two litre plastic bottles for Wilmslow in Bloom.
h) Also we still need old bras which are sent to Uganda to be sold in the markets to help local women.
i) A special raffle for a large bag of Clarin’s goodies will be held this evening in order to raise enough funds to purchase a ‘bereavement box’ of books for St Anne’s Fulshaw School.
4. We need another PALS rep and Donna outlined what the position entailed and asked for a volunteer to take on the role which is shared with her. Margaret Whitley offered to take on the role if nobody else came forward as she is the PAL rep for Over Alderley and Birtles. Sarah Kennon, Jane Martindale and Justine Birchall all approached Donna.
5. Wendy spoke briefly about the recent visit to Cardiff to attend the Annual Meeting and advised us that the Mental Health Resolution which we voted for, was passed by 98%.
6. Wendy told us about her visit to the charity ROAR (reach out and recover) and expressed a desire to get more involved, possibly with a speaker from them for next year’s programme.
7. The speaker was Kate from The Mustard Seed Florist in Tytherington who entertained us with a demonstration entitled Summer Meadow. She spoke about her aim to reduce the use of non recyclable products in her business e.g. plastic buckets, oasis, cellophane etc and instead use recyclable containers, chicken wire and natural products such as hessian and paper. At the same time she arranged a beautiful display containing only British grown flowers which was then raffled at the end of the meeting.
8. Diana Beech gave a vote of thanks.
9. Tea and cakes and chatting were enjoyed.
10. After the break Wendy thanked the tea ladies and mentioned the following:-
a) Any visitors wanting to go on the members waiting list should speak to Lorna.
b) There will be a craft display at next month’s meeting on the theme of Summer Holiday and members are encouraged to contribute.
c) There are some good photos on our Facebook page of the recent Suffragette march in Manchester and of the visit to Cardiff.
d) Fulshaw WI was mentioned 10 times in the latest NECG newsletter!
11. Raffle time. The coveted Clarins prize was won by Pat Pinnock. The floral arrangement was won by Jane Martindale. Four other ladies won the monthly raffle prizes.
The meeting ended with a reminder about next month’s meeting and an appeal for members to help clear away as there were 4 committee members absent, a request which was responded to by many.
MONDAY 21ST MAY 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let Wendy know if they do not want to be featured.
2. Visitors welcomed including the President and Treasurer from Ringway and Halebarns WI.
3. Additional events.
The speaker explained that the Blood Bikers delivered blood, platelets, plasma, samples and breast milk for the NHS during out-of-hours, 7pm-6am, weekends and public holidays. This service saves the NHS a considerable sum of money. The volunteers ride bikes that are bought and serviced by the charity so all riders have to be fund raisers too. There were many questions from a captivated audience and Jennie Banfield gave an excellent vote of thanks.
6. Jean Hill led the meeting through the Resolution process and voting. The members voted overwhelmingly FOR the resolution and gave Pam at Row of Trees (our delegate) the discretion to change our vote on our behalf if the arguments against are so strong or agree to any wording change. I will, however, tell her that as a WI of our strength of feeling.
7. Wendy announced that she will be standing down as President in November after four years. It’s time to let someone else give it a go and bring new ideas. So Fulshaw are looking for several new committee members and also anyone who thinks they may like to become President.
7. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with a raffle.
8. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Mustard Seed Florists.
9. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team, Olwyn,Sandra and Dot and porters Anne C and Rosemary B.
Monday 16th April 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let know if they did not want this.
2. Visitors welcomed.
3. Additional events.
6. An eloquent vote of thanks was given by Sylvie.
7. A request for ladies to go on the rota for Thanking the Speaker, Portering and Gardening.
8. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with a raffle.
9. The bursary draw took place and was won by Lydie Donald who wants to use the money to learn about jewellery making.
10. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Blood Bikes.
11. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Dot, Kathy, Jan, Sarah and Elaine. Ann and Wendy for portering, plus all committee members for their hard work.
Monday 19th March 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let know if they did not want this.
2. 13 visitors welcomed.
3. One new member welcomed.
4. Additional events.
• Esther McVey MP to speak 27/4/18 at URC.
• Jane Holland explained about the free tickets for Withington Girls High School performance of Phantom of the Opera 12 noon Tuesday 3rd July.
• Jennie Banfield gave a quick notice about the forthcoming event for the Art Appreciation Group.
5. Community Notices.
• Members asked to knit baby hats for Stepping Hill. Any colour and size plus small red hats.
6. Speaker, comedian Kerry Leigh, had everyone in stitches. Kerry, from Stockport, explained how she had become a comedian. Her own life and that of her children and family gave her much of the material for her shows and she always focused on positive humour to avoid offending anyone. She can be seen as host at the monthly, all female, “Laughing Cow comedy nite” in Manchester.
7. Delightful vote of thanks was delivered by Margaret Whiteley.
8. A request for ladies to go on the rotas for Thanking the Speaker, Portering and Gardening.
9. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 4 lucky raffle winners.
10. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Hats by Bronwen
11. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Dot, Linda, Pat and Madeleine. Sarah and Diane for portering. Diana Beech for working on the Events Table plus all members and committee members for their hard work
Monday 12th February 2018
1 Four new members welcomed
2 Wendy thanked members for their contributions to the green bottle top collection, jigsaws to swap and chocolates and toiletries for early essentials
3 Voting slips for NFWI resolutions were distributed and completed
4 Speaker Shari Royle inspired us all to make the most of every day because you never know what might change your life. She told us how a terrible car accident in her twenties had left her with multiple, life changing injuries that were to shape her future. Despite pain and disfigurement she has led a fulfilling life and has used her experience to motivate others.
5 Liz Moss gave an eloquent and amusing vote of thanks
6 Tea, cakes and raffle were enjoyed by all.
Monday 11th December 2017
The 1940s street party themed Christmas gathering was very well attended with most ladies in appropriate period costume. The hall looked magnificent with 40s posters, fashion and make-up tips.
The hot-pot supper was well received and the quiz, music and pass-the-parcel provided for a cheery atmosphere. Mother Christmas and her Left Hand Elf dropped in to conduct the draw for the hampers and ladies eventually went home having selected their Secret Santa gift.
Monday 20th November 2017
Wendy then thanked Lorna, Gail, Jane Holland, Jennie, Sheila, Jane Rawlings, Amanda, Cathy and Dee our excellent committee. Jennie Banfield was thanked for producing our excellent Newsletter and all the non-committee members who helped at the meetings and the events throughout the year. Wendy was able to announce that our raffle money of £175 this evening will go to the Stockport charity, Stockport without Abuse and Dee will buy pillows and duvets. She also thanked members for collecting buttons for the Holocaust Project, Toys and Time for the Toy Appeal, toiletries for the homeless, cakes for Wilmslow Wells, contributing to make the Dementia Café so successful with hours of volunteering, attending our Coffee and Kindness event and welcoming our friends and neighbours in need of friendship, supporting the ACWW with their Pennies for Friendship campaigns and tonight bringing 79 pairs of socks for the homeless and 40 drain bags for the hospital.
Jean Harding, CFWI Chairman Address: Jean Harding was with us and she addressed us all. Jean is responsible for 200 WIs in Cheshire and ~9,000 members in total. Jean is trying to visit as many of these WIs as possible. Jean is a member of Easton WI on the Wirral and is her own WI President as well as the CFWI Chair. The CFWI is preparing for their 100 year celebrations in 2020. Jean talked about the very positive future for the national WI and reminded us about the many important resolutions that had been passed and supported over the years. Jean was warmly applauded at the end of her address.
Monday 18th October 2017
TW also and has a big project working towards restoration of Lindow Moss on the outskirts of Wilmslow, an ancient mossland which is currently being degraded by long term peat cutting. They also work with Cheshire East planners, providing critical feedback on local environmental and housing planning applications. TW are developing ‘walks for health’ around the town and working towards preserving our mature trees and hoping to plant more.
Pippa is a senior hospital doctor and she explained that only 10% of our health during our lives is due to the health care system but that 90% is due to us having work, education, housing, food, transport, family and friends and being part of a community. The difference in average life expectancy between rich and poor communities is a staggering 19 years. Pippa was very keen to spark our interest in joining Transition Wilmslow as it is very rewarding and there is so much to do. She hoped that WI members would attend Transition events which are all listed on the TW website https://transitionwilmslow.co.uk/
Amanda gave Pippa a very warm vote of thanks and we all applauded a very inspiring talk. We had learned so much about extremely important environmental issues that affect the quality of our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren and how we can address these issues in our own community.
Late Notices:
Welcome and Safety notices: Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page and website. Members were reminded to turn their mobile phones off.
Notices:
Two members said how impressed they had been by the way that staff members helped customers having trouble coping with money at the checkout. He was also asked if there is positive recruitment for disabled employees and Andy said they do employ some disabled staff.
Cathy gave Andy and Rob a very warm vote of thanks.
Late notices:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday 17th July 2017
The essential oils circulated on strips of paper were Geranium (antidepressant, releasing stress and balancing sebum production), Frankincense (to help asthma, bronchitis and regenerating new skin cells) and grapefruit (good for skin care). We then were able to sample a range of very aromatic oils that we could rub on our skin should we wish to: - Rice bran oil, Castor Oil and Avocado oil. We felt a bit ‘slippery’ and aromatic on a hot summer evening and the school room smelt lovely! Wendy handed out free samples of two mini lotion bars to everyone to rub on our arms to produce a beautiful scent. Wendy was thanked by Amanda for her talk making us think more about the cosmetics we use in a very enjoyable way. We all gave Wendy a good round of applause.
3. Late Notices:
_________________________________________________________________________________________
- Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let Wendy know if they did not want this.
- Visitors welcomed.
- Notices.
- Wendy explained that four members of the current committee are standing down and only two members have expressed an interest in joining the committee. Help and support is needed to sustain our WI for the future.
- Tellers are needed for two neighbouring WIs. Two tellers for Didsbury 7pm Tuesday 6th Nov – Anne Kerr and Alison Hampson volunteered and an additional one for Row of Trees, Wilmslow Thursday 8th Nov 2pm. Sarah Kenyon and Kate Sibthorp (should Sheila not be available) volunteered to do Row of Trees.
- NECG Xmas trip to Liverpool on Friday 16th November
- Carol Concert – 11th December, All Saints Church, Church Road, Cheadle Hulme
- Art Appreciation planning meeting 10.30 am on 31 October at Unico. All welcome.
- Craft and Yoga day Saturday 1 December.
- History Wardrobe performing V for Victory at Bramhall Hall 15 November. Tickets from Staircase House, Stockport.
- Xmas Concert at Withington Girls School Wednesday 5th December. Tickets free but members can donate to schools chosen charity.
- Wendy has ordered Mental Health postcards. They will be distributed to members at November’s meeting so they can be completed and sent to chosen health professional to encourage them to consider mental health as well as physical health.
- Speaker, Dr Michael Leach talking about ‘Animals Behaving Badly’
- Explained that he is a Wildlife Photographer who specialises in higher vertebrates (lions, tigers, gorillas etc) and has worked all over the world.
- Far from being glamorous he explained that the work was arduous and it can take 24 hours to achieve 1.5 usable seconds of footage.
- His doctorate involved studying animal intelligence. It is believed that there are two types of intelligence. People/animals are either innovators (very creative with original ideas but get bored easily) and imitators (those who follow the lead of the innovator, copy their behaviour and stick with it).
- These ideas were illustrated by stories of Bernhard the crane, George the Kenyan monkey and the banana stealing gorilla.
- Vote of thanks was delivered by Diane Atkinson who thanked Michael for such an amusing and thought provoking talk.
- More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 5 lucky raffle winners. Anne Crawford won the quarterly bursary presented to her by Gail.
- Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – AGM with Canape competition.
- Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team, Cocktail ladies and the porters.
MONDAY 17th SEPTEMBER 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let Wendy know if they did not want this.
2. Visitors welcomed.
3. Notices.
• Next years subscription will be £42 (£1 increase on this year)
• The weekend away to Hawes was very well received. On a budget of £1600 a profit of £5 was made! Wendy thanked all the members of the organising committee especially Sheila who hunted out so many bargains when organising the catering.
• Lady Lever visit. Contact details required.
• 29/11/18 trip to Good Food Show, Birmingham. Tickets available. Please express interest ASAP so Dee can try to get a group discount.
• 4/10/18 Folk singer Louise Jordan performing in Heaton Moor. Speak to Wendy if interested.
• Stockport without Abuse sent a nice letter to thank us for our donation (surplus from Esther McVey evening).
• Fulshaw WI will be collecting toys from next month for the Macclesfield based charity. Dates for packing to be announced soon.
• Coffee and Chat 24/09/18 Unico cafe, Grove Street. 10 -12noon.
4. Community Notices
• Art Trail Wilmslow 5-7 October includes 2 artists at John Lewis
• Art Fair Cheshire. An event to be held at Macclesfield Town Hall September 2019. Work from 80 artists on sale to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice. Last event raised £65k. Volunteers are needed to help organise the event. See Amanda Stevens for more details.
5. NECG Notices
• Autumn meeting 10/10/18 Woodford. Tickets from events desk
• Autumn Walk 19/10/18 Crown Inn car park, Hawk Green 10am. Optional lunch in pub after the walk.
• Autumn Outing 16/11/18 to Liverpool. £10.50
• Carol service 11/12/18 2pm.
6. Speaker, PC Jane Commins from Cheshire Police. She works as a School Liaison Officer and talks to students about on-line safety and drugs. She talked about the key messages she shares with students.
• New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), often known as legal highs, are now illegal.
• “Talk to Frank” is a great website for drug related advice and information.
• Young people take drugs because
❖ They are stressed
❖ They have low self-esteem
❖ They want to be accepted by their peers
❖ Drugs are easily available
❖ They are mis-informed about what harm drugs can do.
• Fighting the supply of drugs is a very challenging task. It is no good just taking out the dealers at the bottom of the supply chain.
7. Heartfelt vote of thanks was delivered by Rosemary Bradley.
8. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 5 lucky raffle winners.
9. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Animals Behaving Badly by Dr Michael Leech
10. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Penny, Gillie, Di and Dot and Diana and Ann for portering.
MONDAY 16th JULY 2018
Welcome and Safety notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and guests asked to advise if they object.
7 visitors welcomed.
Wendy informed the meeting of various notices:-
The Christmas party has been brought forward to December 10th due to a prior booking at the church.
Last call for Calendar Girls at the Lowry.
Immediate payment required for Dusty, Lady Lever trip and weekend away.
New white water rafting date announced for 26th September.
Autumn Council Meeting, 17th October Storyhouse Chester Eve Pollard.
Thanks for all donations .
Reminder that there is no August meeting.
Sheila announced various NECG events:-
Craft Day 15th September Woodford Community Centre.
Liverpool Trip including Christmas markets 17th November.
A talk by Elizabeth Gowing 10th October.
Walk in Cheadle Hulme 18th July.
Wendy welcomed the speakers Sarah Diggle and Janet Thompson from the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary. This charitable organisation is run by the Humane Education Society working for a more compassionate society through education and practical work with children and animals. Their extremely interesting talk gave us an amazing insight into the wonderful work that they and all their army of volunteers do on a daily basis rescuing unwanted animals, looking after them for however long is necessary and endeavouring to find suitable and loving homes for as many as possible. Their ‘residents’ include cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, dagos (similar to gerbils only larger), pigs, ex battery chickens, horses, ponies and donkeys. Their magnificent work is completely funded by fundraising activities and generous donations including weekly collections from Lidl and Sainsbury’s who donate out of date fruit and vegetables to the sanctuary as well as collecting items from customers such as tinned pet food, litter and bedding which they then pass on. We learnt about the large variety of fundraising events which they organise including fun days, Halloween and Christmas celebrations, sponsored dog walks and marathon runs, fun days at the sanctuary and collection tin rattling often accompanied by the cutest of mini Shetland ponies in the town centre and elsewhere. We also learnt how their many volunteers give freely of their time not only caring for the animals but also in gardening , maintenance and running their Facebook page which is a valuable tool for reaching out to perspective ‘foster parents’.
Margaret Whitley gave the vote of thanks and we adjourned for tea and cakes.
The second half of the meeting covered the following items:
There will be no meeting in August. Next meeting is 17th September when the speaker will be PC Jane Commins on the subject of Drugs - Crime and Consequences.
Wendy thanked the porters and Dot and her team of refreshments ladies.
She advised that £70 had been spent on the purchase of a new urn.
Jenny Palin thanked everyone who has volunteered over the past year to help maintain our WI garden. Everyone involved is invited to join the Wilmslow in Bloom judges on Tuesday 31st July at a reception and lunch at 12.30pm at the Memorial Gardens following the judging of the exhibits.
Reminder of “coffee and chat” at Único 30th July.
The Summer Holiday competition was judged and Wendy and Barbara Death were worthy winners.
There were 4 lucky raffle winners.
The bursary draw was won by Cherry Dolden who is going to use the £150 to attend a course at Denman.
MONDAY 18th JUNE 2018
1.Welcome and safety notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and guests asked to advise if they objected to this.
2.10 visitors welcomed.
3. Wendy informed the meeting of various notices.
a) There is still availability on the Wedgewood trip on June 27th.
b) Names required for the Terracotta Army trip on October 5th. Members need to advise if they are eligible for a concession ticket.
c) The Amazon visit organised by Lydie is now full but there may be a possibility of arranging another trip if there is sufficient interest and a waiting list will be started.
d) Afternoon tea (in the morning) at Wilmslow High School on July 12th.
e) Invitation from Over Alderley & Birtles WI to a Strawberry Tea on August 14th.
f) Next month’s speaker will be Sarah Diggle from the Wilmslow Animal Sanctuary /Humane Education Society. Members were encouraged to bring suitable donations eg cat food, hay, shavings etc. or items which the sanctuary can sell to raise funds.
g) We are still collecting two litre plastic bottles for Wilmslow in Bloom.
h) Also we still need old bras which are sent to Uganda to be sold in the markets to help local women.
i) A special raffle for a large bag of Clarin’s goodies will be held this evening in order to raise enough funds to purchase a ‘bereavement box’ of books for St Anne’s Fulshaw School.
4. We need another PALS rep and Donna outlined what the position entailed and asked for a volunteer to take on the role which is shared with her. Margaret Whitley offered to take on the role if nobody else came forward as she is the PAL rep for Over Alderley and Birtles. Sarah Kennon, Jane Martindale and Justine Birchall all approached Donna.
5. Wendy spoke briefly about the recent visit to Cardiff to attend the Annual Meeting and advised us that the Mental Health Resolution which we voted for, was passed by 98%.
6. Wendy told us about her visit to the charity ROAR (reach out and recover) and expressed a desire to get more involved, possibly with a speaker from them for next year’s programme.
7. The speaker was Kate from The Mustard Seed Florist in Tytherington who entertained us with a demonstration entitled Summer Meadow. She spoke about her aim to reduce the use of non recyclable products in her business e.g. plastic buckets, oasis, cellophane etc and instead use recyclable containers, chicken wire and natural products such as hessian and paper. At the same time she arranged a beautiful display containing only British grown flowers which was then raffled at the end of the meeting.
8. Diana Beech gave a vote of thanks.
9. Tea and cakes and chatting were enjoyed.
10. After the break Wendy thanked the tea ladies and mentioned the following:-
a) Any visitors wanting to go on the members waiting list should speak to Lorna.
b) There will be a craft display at next month’s meeting on the theme of Summer Holiday and members are encouraged to contribute.
c) There are some good photos on our Facebook page of the recent Suffragette march in Manchester and of the visit to Cardiff.
d) Fulshaw WI was mentioned 10 times in the latest NECG newsletter!
11. Raffle time. The coveted Clarins prize was won by Pat Pinnock. The floral arrangement was won by Jane Martindale. Four other ladies won the monthly raffle prizes.
The meeting ended with a reminder about next month’s meeting and an appeal for members to help clear away as there were 4 committee members absent, a request which was responded to by many.
MONDAY 21ST MAY 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let Wendy know if they do not want to be featured.
2. Visitors welcomed including the President and Treasurer from Ringway and Halebarns WI.
3. Additional events.
- • Still places available for weekend away, 7-9 September, Swarthghyll Farm, Yorkshire. Deposit due this meeting.
- • Places still available for painting day 14/07/18
- • CFWI opportunity to learn to play croquet 20/07/18.
- • CFWI British Cheese Tasting evening 07/09/18
- • Still places available for Wedgewood day out 27/06/18
- • Dusty Springfield at the Lowry 25/07/18
- • Visit to Lady Lever Gallery 09/10/18
- • Wilmslow-in-Bloom are building a greenhouse out of 2 litre plastic bottles (clear and green) and need more bottles. Collection points Bank Square and by the bike rack at Sainsburys.
- • Alderley Edge Golf Club have an Open Day 03/06/18, 11am -3pm
The speaker explained that the Blood Bikers delivered blood, platelets, plasma, samples and breast milk for the NHS during out-of-hours, 7pm-6am, weekends and public holidays. This service saves the NHS a considerable sum of money. The volunteers ride bikes that are bought and serviced by the charity so all riders have to be fund raisers too. There were many questions from a captivated audience and Jennie Banfield gave an excellent vote of thanks.
6. Jean Hill led the meeting through the Resolution process and voting. The members voted overwhelmingly FOR the resolution and gave Pam at Row of Trees (our delegate) the discretion to change our vote on our behalf if the arguments against are so strong or agree to any wording change. I will, however, tell her that as a WI of our strength of feeling.
7. Wendy announced that she will be standing down as President in November after four years. It’s time to let someone else give it a go and bring new ideas. So Fulshaw are looking for several new committee members and also anyone who thinks they may like to become President.
7. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with a raffle.
8. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Mustard Seed Florists.
9. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team, Olwyn,Sandra and Dot and porters Anne C and Rosemary B.
Monday 16th April 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let know if they did not want this.
2. Visitors welcomed.
3. Additional events.
- • Esther McVey MP to speak 27/4/18 at URC. Tickets still available.
- • Still places available for weekend away, 7-9 September, Swarthghyll Farm, Yorkshire.
- • Book this evening for Queen of the Coal, Royal Exchange 9/7/18
- • New Members evening at Old Dancer 30/4/18
- • NFWI speaker and fashion show at Woodford 14/5/18
- • Quilting Day for beginners to be run by Grace Brearley 7/7/18
- • Manchester Street Art tour, please pay this evening.
- • Trees of Hope trail to be organised by Manchester City Council in recognition of the 1st Anniversary of the Manchester Arena Attack. Looking for volunteers to speak to the public to explain about the project whilst they leave messages of hope at various locations in the city between the 19th And 27th May between 8am and 8pm. They are looking for 2 - 3 shifts of 2 - 3 hours. T-shirts and briefing will be provided. Let Wendy know if you are interested so that she can tell you when the online booking link is open.
- • A reminder about registering to be an organ donor. Elaine Ockelton explained that her nephew who is six months old is desperate for a liver transplant and currently nothing is available.
- • Thank you for knitting the hat for babies at Stepping Hill Hospital.
- • If anyone has a chronic medical condition and would like reflexology treatment from a trainee please see Wendy
6. An eloquent vote of thanks was given by Sylvie.
7. A request for ladies to go on the rota for Thanking the Speaker, Portering and Gardening.
8. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with a raffle.
9. The bursary draw took place and was won by Lydie Donald who wants to use the money to learn about jewellery making.
10. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Blood Bikes.
11. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Dot, Kathy, Jan, Sarah and Elaine. Ann and Wendy for portering, plus all committee members for their hard work.
Monday 19th March 2018
1. Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos will be taken and placed on social media. Members and Guests asked to let know if they did not want this.
2. 13 visitors welcomed.
3. One new member welcomed.
4. Additional events.
• Esther McVey MP to speak 27/4/18 at URC.
• Jane Holland explained about the free tickets for Withington Girls High School performance of Phantom of the Opera 12 noon Tuesday 3rd July.
• Jennie Banfield gave a quick notice about the forthcoming event for the Art Appreciation Group.
5. Community Notices.
• Members asked to knit baby hats for Stepping Hill. Any colour and size plus small red hats.
6. Speaker, comedian Kerry Leigh, had everyone in stitches. Kerry, from Stockport, explained how she had become a comedian. Her own life and that of her children and family gave her much of the material for her shows and she always focused on positive humour to avoid offending anyone. She can be seen as host at the monthly, all female, “Laughing Cow comedy nite” in Manchester.
7. Delightful vote of thanks was delivered by Margaret Whiteley.
8. A request for ladies to go on the rotas for Thanking the Speaker, Portering and Gardening.
9. More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 4 lucky raffle winners.
10. Wendy reminded the members about the next month’s meeting – Hats by Bronwen
11. Wendy thanked the Refreshment Team – Dot, Linda, Pat and Madeleine. Sarah and Diane for portering. Diana Beech for working on the Events Table plus all members and committee members for their hard work
Monday 12th February 2018
- Welcome and Safety Notices read. Photos to be taken and placed on social media
- Ten visitors welcomed
- Five new members welcomed
- Additional events
- Esther McVey MP to speak 27/4/18. Venue to be confirmed
- Art on the Street walking tour of Manchester. 11am 8/5/18. Max 25
- Quilting Group – Jane Holland
- Weekend Away 7th – 9th September – Swarthghyll Farm
- Clarins – 1st May – John Lewis – Max 20
- Souper Day – 3rd March – Cake donations
- Manchester Day Parade – 17th June
- Speaker Dr Althea Wilkinson works at Jodrell Bank for the University of Manchester. She explained that radio astronomy uses radio and other types of waves to see what is in space. To see more we need a telescope 200 times the size of Jodrell Bank’s Lovell telescope. This is not practical to build so an international project, Square Kilometre Array (SKA) has been developed to use many smaller dishes to gather information and combine it using computers to achieve the same effect.
These dishes will be built in areas in Southern Africa and Western Australia where interference from computers and mobile phones is minimal and the whole project is being coordinated from Jodrell Bank. Althea is working on the project in the area of Signal and Data Transport (SaDT) and she is very excited about what the project might discover, in the next few years, about life in outer space. - Speaker Jenny Gibbs came to talk about the charity she works for, Wilmslow Wells for Africa (WWA). The charity was started in 1984 after Barbara Mottershead and her husband had lived in South Africa and realised the problems that existed due to poor, dirty water supplies. Since the charity was formed, 200 projects have been completed in 17 different countries.
Clean water supplies not only reduce the risk of illness (persistent bouts of diarrhoea in under 5s can lead to a lifelong inability to absorb nutrients and hence cause malnutrition) but keep people safe from attack by animals and crocodiles, keep women and girls safe from attack by men and help girls continue with their education. More than 99% of the money raised by WWA goes into projects and their analysis shows that the average cost to provide clean water supplies is £3-4/person helped.
WWA has a new venture where they are funding sanitation projects to provide toilet and hand washing facilities in places such as schools. These are critical to enable female students and teachers to continue their attendance during menstruation. - Delightful votes of thanks were delivered by Pauline Handley and Grace Brearley.
- Applause for the Refreshment ladies – Helen, Cherry and Pat and for Portering, Diana
- More chat, tea and cakes were enjoyed and the evening ended with 5 lucky raffle winners
1 Four new members welcomed
2 Wendy thanked members for their contributions to the green bottle top collection, jigsaws to swap and chocolates and toiletries for early essentials
3 Voting slips for NFWI resolutions were distributed and completed
4 Speaker Shari Royle inspired us all to make the most of every day because you never know what might change your life. She told us how a terrible car accident in her twenties had left her with multiple, life changing injuries that were to shape her future. Despite pain and disfigurement she has led a fulfilling life and has used her experience to motivate others.
5 Liz Moss gave an eloquent and amusing vote of thanks
6 Tea, cakes and raffle were enjoyed by all.
Monday 11th December 2017
The 1940s street party themed Christmas gathering was very well attended with most ladies in appropriate period costume. The hall looked magnificent with 40s posters, fashion and make-up tips.
The hot-pot supper was well received and the quiz, music and pass-the-parcel provided for a cheery atmosphere. Mother Christmas and her Left Hand Elf dropped in to conduct the draw for the hampers and ladies eventually went home having selected their Secret Santa gift.
Monday 20th November 2017
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed our CFWI Chair Jean Harding and the tellers:- Marilyn (Didsbury) and Sam (President of Cale Green) and Lisa (committee member of Cale Green)
- Wendy thanked members for their generous donations for the Christmas hampers.
- Members were invited to shop at our makers market of 7 stalls during the evening.
- Wendy thanked members for the 40 drain bags they had brought along for Dee to take to Macclesfield Hospital.
- Knitting by every member (for the tree decoration) will be passed around during the evening.
- Wendy asked for volunteers for the CFWI Quiz team and the Crown Green Bowls team to contact Jennie Palin if interested.
- Wendy explained that we need volunteers from among the members who are interested in promoting next year’s NFWI resolutions to contact Jean Hill, the Chair of the Resolutions Sub-Committee.
- Tickets for the NFWI AM in Cardiff are £20 (Observer). See Events Table.
- The CFWI spring meeting is available for visitors to attend. See Events Table.
Secretary’s Annual Report 2017: This was presented by Pauline Handley in her last year as secretary. The 2017 meeting attendance has been very high at 66 members per session on average and 75 in November and December. There were around 12 visitors at each meeting. The members were reminded of all the excellent speakers that had visited us during 2017. Members were asked to suggest speakers themselves for 2018. Fulshaw WI has had so many amazingly varied events, visits and activities this year- 110 days with activities in total. We have tried to make sure that there is something for everyone. We have had visits to many places, meals, walks, theatre trips, bike rides, bowling, rifle shooting among many others. Our centenary garden has produced flowers, fruit and vegetables and Jennie has made blackcurrant jam for the raffle tonight from the fruit. The NECG events had been successful and well supported. In summary 2017 has been the busiest year yet for Fulshaw WI! Pauline thanked Wendy and the committee for being so cheerful, hardworking, and proactive at all times and she wished the new committee good luck for 2018.
Treasurers Annual Report: Jennie had prepared a ‘pass the parcel’ and after every sixth pass, the member stripped off the wrapping and read out the first point below. In turn lots of members contributed to the meeting by reading out one each of the subsequent points:-
- The accounts have been vetted and approved by the Independent WI appointed auditor.
- In rounded figures, we have receipts of over £12,000 and payments of £11,000 and although we made over £1,000 during the year, our outstanding debts for events, bursaries owing etc almost exactly cancel this out.
- We have succeeded in breaking even on visits, meals out, theatre trips and sporting events.
- The half of the subscriptions which Fulshaw keeps has paid for all the Speakers, meeting costs and Hall hire during the year. Although we do not always charge a refreshment fee, when you do pay one, there is sufficient extra money to provide a welcome drink and nibbles every month.
- The reason we are able to heavily subsidise our Christmas party, give Bursaries and competition prizes is because we are good at making money in other ways.
- Our Raffle has made about £600 profit this year as we have several dedicated Committee members who source excellent prizes and you are all good at buying the tickets.
- Welcoming 82 visitors during the year may make us a bit more squashed but it boosts our income by about £400. Although we provide these visitors with refreshments, they are usually very generous in buying additional raffle tickets.
- We are not allowed to give money directly to another charity but many of our payments to speakers are actually passed on to a charity chosen by them.
- Many WIs have just one annual outing per year. If we didn't have Committee members who were willing to take payment for umpteen events every month we couldn't possibly sustain the number of activities we have.
- The accounts are really complicated but Jennie is more than happy to try and answer any queries on any of the finances now or at a later date.
- Lastly - The subscription for 2018 is £41 for full membership and £20 as a dual member. Subscriptions paid on time will result in you not paying an entrance fee in January. There are two ways of paying: By cheques dated January 1st 2018 and handed in at the Christmas party. These will not be banked until the day after the January meeting.( But please make sure that you don't change bank accounts.) or by Bank transfer by January 8th. See Jennie Palin for details.
President’s Annual Report: Wendy presented her report and firstly thanked the two committee members who are standing down this year – Rosemary Bradley and Pauline Handley.
Wendy then thanked Lorna, Gail, Jane Holland, Jennie, Sheila, Jane Rawlings, Amanda, Cathy and Dee our excellent committee. Jennie Banfield was thanked for producing our excellent Newsletter and all the non-committee members who helped at the meetings and the events throughout the year. Wendy was able to announce that our raffle money of £175 this evening will go to the Stockport charity, Stockport without Abuse and Dee will buy pillows and duvets. She also thanked members for collecting buttons for the Holocaust Project, Toys and Time for the Toy Appeal, toiletries for the homeless, cakes for Wilmslow Wells, contributing to make the Dementia Café so successful with hours of volunteering, attending our Coffee and Kindness event and welcoming our friends and neighbours in need of friendship, supporting the ACWW with their Pennies for Friendship campaigns and tonight bringing 79 pairs of socks for the homeless and 40 drain bags for the hospital.
Jean Harding, CFWI Chairman Address: Jean Harding was with us and she addressed us all. Jean is responsible for 200 WIs in Cheshire and ~9,000 members in total. Jean is trying to visit as many of these WIs as possible. Jean is a member of Easton WI on the Wirral and is her own WI President as well as the CFWI Chair. The CFWI is preparing for their 100 year celebrations in 2020. Jean talked about the very positive future for the national WI and reminded us about the many important resolutions that had been passed and supported over the years. Jean was warmly applauded at the end of her address.
- 2018 Committee: the tellers were asked to announce the names of the new committee. There were 14 members standing for election and the 12 members elected were:- :- Dot Bracegirdle, Lorna Davey, Gail Hodgett, Jane Holland, Donna Johnstone, Wendy Morris, Jennie Palin, Sheila Parker, Jane Rawlings, Amanda Stevens, Cathy Wallace, Dee Waugh.
- President Vote: Wendy was re-elected by a secret ballot as the President for 2018.
- Vote of thanks: Amanda gave a vote of thanks to the tellers for their time and commitment and presented a floral gift.
- Canape competition: Lorna announced the winners: -3rd Kate Sibthorp, 2nd Wendy Morris, and 1st Dot Bracegirdle. They were asked to send their recipes to Sheila for the website.
- Late Notices:-
- Christmas party tickets are still available for the 1940s party.
- Packing toys for the Lalley Appeal will be on 11th December. Cheryl will be giving a donation of her stall proceeds to the Lalley Appeal.
- Wendy thanked the three tea ladies: Jess, Susie and Jane for their hard work and delicious cakes.
- All the 7 stall holders were thanked for making the evening so enjoyable by selling such a wonderful range of goods and crafts.
- Glenda was thanked for helping to set up.
Raffle: this was held at 9.45 pm and the meeting finished at 9.55 pm.
Monday 18th October 2017
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed new visitors for the evening: - Val, Ffion, Clair. Other visitors included Anne and Claire.
- The CFWI Chester Cathedral Christmas concert will be on 6th December at 11.00am. This is the last opportunity to sign up to attend.
- Please sign your name if you are going to enter a canape at the AGM meeting in November.
- The Christmas party will be a 40s street party. Tickets on sale for £5 tonight and next month.
- Wendy thanked Jennie Banfield for organising a very successful visit for about 20 members to the Whitworth Art Gallery.
- Jennie B asked members going to the London Art Gallery visit on 9th November to see her to get a wrist band to gain entry to the exhibition. Members travelling with Jennie will get theirs at Wilmslow station before departure.
- More spaces available for paper folding workshop on 4th November.
- Another date for bowling was announced, organised by Dee.
- Resolutions from the NFWI Annual meeting 2017:
a) The coffee and kindness morning will be at the Unico Café on Grove Street, Wilmslow at 10 -12 on Monday 13th November. Bring a friend. This event is linked to the resolution to address loneliness.
b) Resolution to increase awareness of plastic microfibres: Pauline informed members about the newly discovered problem of environmental contamination caused by the vast numbers of tiny plastic microfibres released into water courses when we wash manmade fibres in washing machines (e.g. 700,000 fibres released per wash for acrylics). Members were told how they can modify machine washing cycles to reduce fibre release.
10. Lalley Toy Appeal: members were thanked for the toys and 10 members had volunteered to help pack for the appeal.
11. Dee asked members if they could sew some material breast bags to carry the drip bottle for women after major breast surgery. Wendy to provide a pattern and strong material is needed. Dee will donate them to the Macmillan Dept. at Macclesfield Hospital. Meeting: We welcomed Pippa Tyrell who is the Chair of Transition Wilmslow (TW) to tell us the aims and objectives of our own local green organisation. Pippa gave us an inspiring illustrated talk outlining the principles and practice behind the ‘greenest bunch in Cheshire’, as Pippa calls them! The Transition movement is a worldwide movement and started 10 years ago in the UK with Totnes as the first UK Transition town and Wilmslow followed on very soon after. The whole aim is for towns to become less dependent on fossil fuel and develop into more sustainable, resilient communities using more alternative energy sources. Climate change could be catastrophic for the planet and will get immeasurably worse unless urgent changes are made to the way we live our lives. Pippa went onto talk about our relationship with transport, food and energy to explain different approaches to making our lives more sustainable in a lower fossil fuel economy.
TW also and has a big project working towards restoration of Lindow Moss on the outskirts of Wilmslow, an ancient mossland which is currently being degraded by long term peat cutting. They also work with Cheshire East planners, providing critical feedback on local environmental and housing planning applications. TW are developing ‘walks for health’ around the town and working towards preserving our mature trees and hoping to plant more.
Pippa is a senior hospital doctor and she explained that only 10% of our health during our lives is due to the health care system but that 90% is due to us having work, education, housing, food, transport, family and friends and being part of a community. The difference in average life expectancy between rich and poor communities is a staggering 19 years. Pippa was very keen to spark our interest in joining Transition Wilmslow as it is very rewarding and there is so much to do. She hoped that WI members would attend Transition events which are all listed on the TW website https://transitionwilmslow.co.uk/
Amanda gave Pippa a very warm vote of thanks and we all applauded a very inspiring talk. We had learned so much about extremely important environmental issues that affect the quality of our lives and the lives of our children and grandchildren and how we can address these issues in our own community.
Late Notices:
- The AM is next month. Members were asked if they wished to stand for the Committee, although this request has been in the Newsletter on two occasions and has been announced previously. Members are welcome to have a stall at the makers market.
- The new committee will be voted in at the AM. Members can vote by proxy for committee members if they are absent by contacting the secretary or anyone else attending.
- Please let Wendy know if you are not rejoining next year.
- Wendy thanked the tea ladies for the evening; Jean, Norma and Nicky.
- Glenda and Julie were thanked for portering. Sarah Kennon volunteered to help Glenda portering at the AM.
- Visitors were asked if they wanted to fill in an application form to join the WI to speak to Lorna.
- The draw for the last Bursary of the year was made and it went to Rosemary who would like to have more dancing lessons.
- The winners of the ’Autumn’exhibiton held tonight were Cherry and Cheryl – congratulations ladies!
- ’Wild life gardening & the wider green landscape’. A lecture by Chris Baines (nationally recognised wild lfe expert on Friday 24th November at the Wilmslow Guild ( www.wilmslowguild.org or 01625 523903 please book ahead. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Welcome and Safety notices: Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page and website. Members were reminded to turn their mobile phones off.
Notices:
- Wendy welcomed the visitors: Ann, Mary, Pat, Joan, Janet, Helen, Jean, Ann & Dorothy.
- Guests of members were Jan, Pam, Marie, Margaret, Sheila.
- We also welcomed Sheila Bell of the Tytherington Treacles WI Committee.
- Lou Gardiner joined us for a short time in order to show us her magnificent, flowing, embroidered cape that she was commissioned to make called ‘The cape of empowerment’ for PUKKA tea. The cape celebrates women around the world. Lou wants to photograph individual women wearing it and telling their stories. She will be having a photo shoot in the Church Hall. This evening was the first time Lou had shown her cape to an audience and one of our members modelled it for her.
- Please donate pennies for friendship (ACWW) this evening.
- Do apply for tickets to the Chester Cathedral Christmas carol service if you are interested.
- Three spaces left on the next Painting course to be filled tonight.
- Register for the paper folding course on 4th November if you are interested.
- Next month there will be an exhibition ‘Autumn’ in any medium although it is not a competition.
- There will be a ‘Coffee and Kindness’ event run by our WI and friends to be held in the Old Dancer.
- Lorna will be organising a ‘best canape’ competition at the AGM in November. Meeting: We welcomed Andy, the manager of our Wilmslow Waitrose and his wine department manager Rob to entertain us with a wine tasting evening. We tasted a Spanish Vina Sol rose made from the Grenache grape followed by a very nice Italian Red made with the Negroamaro grape. Rod encouraged us to look for the tones of spice, berries, plum and redcurrant and we did try… Waitrose supplied us with nibbles to help our palates. Andy then followed the tasting by telling us about his own 30 year career path in retailing that had led him to Waitrose Wilmslow. Andy has managed branches all over the country (Whitney, Sandbach, Buxton, Stourbridge & Droitwich and others) before coming to our Wilmslow branch four months ago. Andy is determined to update and improve the store and there will be very significant structural changes e.g. a new car park and a new ‘in store’ coffee shop. It is now classed as an ‘old’ store and will be upgraded. Waitrose is a community focused company and staff are encouraged to be involved in local volunteering activities for which they are paid by Waitrose. Andy promised to drive the performance of the branch and the customer is his priority.
Two members said how impressed they had been by the way that staff members helped customers having trouble coping with money at the checkout. He was also asked if there is positive recruitment for disabled employees and Andy said they do employ some disabled staff.
Cathy gave Andy and Rob a very warm vote of thanks.
Late notices:
- The October meeting will be a talk by Pippa Tyrell on Transition Wilmslow. This is the last open meeting in the year for visitors to attend.
- Barbara Death and Jackie Rabone will be holding two coffee/tea/cake sessions (10-12 & 2-4) in aid of Macmillan nursing on September 27th at 76 Patch Lane, Bramhall.
- Rosemary and the tea ladies for the evening, Dot, Jan, Sarah & Cathy, were warmly thanked for their excellent cakes.
- Diana and Glenda were thanked for being the porters for the evening. Glenda volunteered to do it every month and we need another volunteer.
- Helen & Christine were thanked for providing the evening fizz in Dee’s absence.
- Donna was thanked for helping Jane on the Events Table in Amanda’s absence.
- The Wilmslow Art Trail was advertised and leaflets were available.
- Visitors were encouraged to fill in an application form should they wish to join the WI.
- A £150 bursary will be available next month so do put in applications.
- Wendy thanked Sheila and Jane Holland for organising the evening.
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Monday 17th July 2017
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed our visitors for the evening: - Mary, Dorothy, Pat K, Joan, Ann M, Ann S, Anne T. Also friends of members were welcomed: - Christine, Irene & Carolyn.
- Notice was given for the NECG Craft Day on 7th October. £5 for an all-day craft workshop. Only 100 places so book early!
- Final calls for CFWI lectures: - John McCarthy & Kate Bliss: must be paid for this month.
- Book group for July: ‘Not so Innocent’ discussion at the Carters Arms. The author Lynette Heywood will be at our book group meeting!
- Jennie Banfield gave details of the next three art gallery visits she has organised: - National Gallery (13 registered), Whitworth Gallery (11 registered) and the Tate Liverpool (not enough registered yet for a guided tour). Please see Jennie tonight to sign up and pay for these meetings. The train to catch to London on the 9th November is the 8.11 am from Wilmslow. If you want to see more paintings after the lectures book an open ticket for the return journey. The Whitworth visit will cost £7.50 plus £4.50 for tea and cake plus £3.00 for a donation (optional). Jennie is planning art gallery visits in the New Year as well.
- Amanda met with Lou Gardiner who is starting her piece of embroidery for PUKKA teas. Lou would like some ‘words of wisdom’ from women’s groups to go on individual geranium shaped pieces. Amanda asked people to get in touch with her if they would like to join her to ‘bounce ideas’ around to help Lou.
- Wendy asked for volunteers to help with the Lalley Toy appeal for the Christmas toy collection.
- Wilmslow in Bloom judging is tomorrow (18th) and if you have helped in the WI garden this year, you are welcome to the lunch on the Carrs at 12.30pm.
- Glenda asked member to save the green plastic top off milk bottles to help with an Air Ambulance collection.
- Wendy told the members that the committee had been able to wash some of the many hundreds of Teddies left in St Anne’s Square as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the MEN arena bombing.
The essential oils circulated on strips of paper were Geranium (antidepressant, releasing stress and balancing sebum production), Frankincense (to help asthma, bronchitis and regenerating new skin cells) and grapefruit (good for skin care). We then were able to sample a range of very aromatic oils that we could rub on our skin should we wish to: - Rice bran oil, Castor Oil and Avocado oil. We felt a bit ‘slippery’ and aromatic on a hot summer evening and the school room smelt lovely! Wendy handed out free samples of two mini lotion bars to everyone to rub on our arms to produce a beautiful scent. Wendy was thanked by Amanda for her talk making us think more about the cosmetics we use in a very enjoyable way. We all gave Wendy a good round of applause.
3. Late Notices:
- Wendy asked members over the summer to reject all plastic straws (in their holiday cocktails!) as they are a serious threat to wild life in the environment.
- The next meeting will be on 18th September and will be given by someone from Waitrose.
- Wendy thanked the tea ladies Alison, Sally and Maureen; helped of course, as ever, by Rosemary.
- Glenda and Diana were thanked for their help as porters.
- The bursary draw was made and Wendy Morris was selected for a machine embroidery course – well done Wendy!
- Jennie asked that more people sign up for the gardening rota, which they promptly did.
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Monday 19th June 2017
2. Notices:
Wendy introduced Derek Poulson who gave us an attention grabbing, fast paced and fast talking verbal tour around the British Isles using dialects and accents to describe where people were born and raised. Derek called his talk ‘It’s not what you say – it’s the way that you say it’. Derek was originally a Yorkshire Methodist from a family of singers and he sang at church ‘dos’. Then, through being an actor at an early age, Derek developed a great interest in the variations of spoken accents in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland itself. He is now a very successful and entertaining public ‘speaker’ and he kept us all highly entertained by his ‘jokey’ approach to accents. The UK has a huge variety of distinct regional accents e.g. Brummie, Glaswegian, Scouse, Cockney and Geordie – to name but a few. Derek explained (in amongst his very clever switching of accents) how various invasions e.g. from France & Germany, had irreversibly changed various accents over the millennia. Interestingly he explained that the sounds we make depend where our voices resonate – in the hard palette of our mouth, throat, nose or a combination of the throat and nose. Derek emphasised that we should be proud of our regional accents! However he did not think an airline pilot talking in a thick Geordie accent from the cockpit would instill confidence in the passengers! He ended his talk by saying that the public schools (from 1896) and the BBC have been successful vehicles for a ‘social engineering’ of spoken English so that our now ‘received pronunciation’ means that strong accents have disappeared in many spheres of life. We were all totally amazed by Derek’s mastery of so many complex accents in very swift succession and his ability to keep us so amused and engaged throughout his ‘performance’!
The vote of thanks was given by Amanda thanking Derek for his ability to ‘educate and entertain’ and we all showed our appreciation with a big round of applause!
4. Late Notices:
The raffle was held and the meeting ended at 10.00pm.
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- Welcome and Safety Notices:
2. Notices:
- Wendy welcomed our visitors for the evening; Hilary, Pat, Christine, Irene, Margaret and Janice and a warm welcome to April, the president of Tytherington Treacles WI.
- Members were asked to sign up for an Ecological Guided walk over Lindow Moss on Tuesday September 20th if interested (1.30 - 3.30pm), starting at the Lindow Common Car Park on Racecourse Road, Wilmslow. John Handley of Transition Wilmslow will lead a walk over the ancient peatland and describe the history of the landscape and show members where the Lindow Man Bog Body was discovered.
- Members interested in joining Jennie Banfield’s Art Appreciation Society were asked to email her directly. A few more spaces had become available on the 30th June for the Art Trip to London.
- Annmarie’s fund raising event made £4,000 and we gave her a round of applause!
- The Lalley Toy appeal is requesting more toys this year as they are to provide them for 4,000 children.
Wendy introduced Derek Poulson who gave us an attention grabbing, fast paced and fast talking verbal tour around the British Isles using dialects and accents to describe where people were born and raised. Derek called his talk ‘It’s not what you say – it’s the way that you say it’. Derek was originally a Yorkshire Methodist from a family of singers and he sang at church ‘dos’. Then, through being an actor at an early age, Derek developed a great interest in the variations of spoken accents in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland itself. He is now a very successful and entertaining public ‘speaker’ and he kept us all highly entertained by his ‘jokey’ approach to accents. The UK has a huge variety of distinct regional accents e.g. Brummie, Glaswegian, Scouse, Cockney and Geordie – to name but a few. Derek explained (in amongst his very clever switching of accents) how various invasions e.g. from France & Germany, had irreversibly changed various accents over the millennia. Interestingly he explained that the sounds we make depend where our voices resonate – in the hard palette of our mouth, throat, nose or a combination of the throat and nose. Derek emphasised that we should be proud of our regional accents! However he did not think an airline pilot talking in a thick Geordie accent from the cockpit would instill confidence in the passengers! He ended his talk by saying that the public schools (from 1896) and the BBC have been successful vehicles for a ‘social engineering’ of spoken English so that our now ‘received pronunciation’ means that strong accents have disappeared in many spheres of life. We were all totally amazed by Derek’s mastery of so many complex accents in very swift succession and his ability to keep us so amused and engaged throughout his ‘performance’!
The vote of thanks was given by Amanda thanking Derek for his ability to ‘educate and entertain’ and we all showed our appreciation with a big round of applause!
4. Late Notices:
- There are two spaces now available on the Emma Bridgewater visit on the 13th July at £30 each.
- The July meeting will feature Wendy Teall who will give members a small ‘goodie bag’ of her natural beauty products at the end of her talk and demonstration.
- Also in July we will be having a swap of bracelets and necklaces to be organized by Lorna.
- Wendy thanked the refreshment ladies – Donna, Cheryl, Annmarie and Emma for the superb cakes and Glenda and Carolynne for being the porters for the evening.
- Please e-mail Wendy if you want to bring a visitor to the next meeting.
- The last bursary of £150 will be awarded at the July meeting so please apply ASAP if interested.
The raffle was held and the meeting ended at 10.00pm.
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Monday 15th May 2017
Lou had begun to develop her unique embroidery technique 23 years ago at Art College in London and she started by explaining her methods to us. Lou now works with a very fast industrial sewing machine to produce ‘explosive’ embroidered pieces. She also uses digital printing, often with iridescent paint worked into black stitching patterns using a huge array of layers of complex stitches and it can take her 300 hours to complete a work. It is a tough, challenging career to follow and Lou has to do her own publicity and promotion to get her work known around the world as well as in the UK. Managing the marketing, finance and Social media are also vitally important to running a successful business.
Lou has just come back from Australia where she gave seminars and workshops in four cities and she has recently entered the 2017 Womens Hour craft awards to be considered as one of the top 12 craft artists in the UK. We wish Lou lots of luck as we all thought she should win as her work is so inspirational! Lou has had works exhibited at the Saatchi Art gallery and at Liberty’s in London and not forgetting Hoopers of Wilmslow on our annual art trail. Lou has also been invited to New York to display her work in 2018 which is a very exciting opportunity.
All through her talk Lou was searingly honest about the tremendous emotional commitment needed to achieve success in her chosen career path. Lou has a very extrovert, ‘sparky’ informal style of talking to a group that drew us into her creative world of magical beauty and colour - in fact we were mesmerized!
After the talk we could look more closely at her work and some members bought some of her wonderful silk scarves, cards and prints. Lou has a website so please do have a look at her work at http://www.lougardiner.co.uk.
Amanda gave Lou a very well thought through vote of thanks and very ably put into words how much we had gained from her talk!
4. Late Notices:
Monday 20th March 2017
1. Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started.
Jane Holland opened the meeting by explaining that Wendy, Pauline, Jennie and Amanda were all unable to attend tonight's meeting and hence all the other committee members were all helping by covering their duties, assisted by some members. Jane said that she was chairing the meeting and then pointed out the fire exits, toilets and safety notices. She asked members to tell her if they did not want their photograph used on the website. She then went onto to relay two amusing stories about our members. The first involved Dot and Cathy Hessner who turned up to Book Club a week early but still managed to enjoy a pleasant evening drinking in the pub and the second involved Cathy Wallace who went to the bus stop in Handforth rather than Handforth Dean to start the recent walk. When she realised her mistake, she managed to thumb a lift and was dropped off to meet the rest of the group in a very trendy 'souped up' car!
The meeting opened at 8.10 pm.
2. Notices:
Jane welcomed all our visitors for the evening:
3. Meeting:
Jane welcomed Ruth Thomson who has worked at the Stockport Air Raid Shelters for 17 years and who gave us an interesting talk entitled 'Women's Work in World War Two'.
She began by telling us about the scale of the female workforce, by 1943, 90% of single women and 80% of married women were in someway involved in war work. She then went onto to explain the different women's groups and illustrated them with tales of named individuals.
ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) was the women's branch of the British Army and Princess Elizabeth served in this group who amongst other roles, worked on anti-aircraft artillery and the role of women increased as the war progressed.
There were ~ 182,000 WAFS during the war, of which Sarah, Winston Churchill's daughter was one, and they were responsible for a range of jobs including catering, meteorology and aircraft maintenance.
WRNS (or Wrens as they were known) was the women's branch of the Royal Navy and they worked on a variety of jobs including cooks, radar plotters and air mechanics.
The ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) was a British civilian operation, which ferried planes between factories and front-line operations, eventually taking over from some RAF pilots. Disabilities were often ignored although women had to have 500 hours flying experience to join, far more than men so prejudice against women was still rife.
The WVS, later WRVS, which had the unfortunate motto of 'Never Say No', played a key role in the evacuation process, distributed clothing, assisted with food rationing and helped in mobile canteens. It is estimated they helped 10,000 people per night for 57 consecutive nights of the London Blitz.
The Women's Land Army and the associated Women's Timber Corp, were set up to help with agriculture and carried out jobs such as driving tractors, growing crops, animal welfare and anti-vermin squads. Unlike their country colleagues, this type of work came as a great shock to many city girls who had never been involved with working with the land before.
Another area that women were heavily involved with was working in the munitions factories. This often involved long hours and dangerous work. Working with cordite led to yellowing of the skin and hair, hence the nickname 'canary girls'.
After the war, many women went back to their old jobs and way of life but had experienced things they would never would have without the war.
In 2005, the Queen unveiled the first national memorial, the 'Monument to Women of World War Two', which is situated in Whitehall.
Ruth rounded off her talk by helping ladies achieve the working women's 'look' by wearing scarves on their heads and bright red lipstick.
Lorna gave the vote of thanks to Ruth for her fascinating talk.
4. Late Notices:
Monday 13th February 2017
1. Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. Wendy pointed out the fire exits, toilets and safety notices. Members were asked to tell Wendy if they did not want their photograph used on the website. The meeting opened at 8.10 pm.
2. Notices:
Wendy welcomed all our visitors for the evening:
4. Late Notices:
Monday 16th January 2017
1. Quiet space to work at all times and meeting rooms for hire (<60 people).
2. Free Wi-Fi, 12 public computers, e-books via Wi-Fi, audio books to download which can never be ‘overdue’ as they disappear from your smart phone or computer on the return date!
3. Reservations can be made on-line for £1. All reservation for the WI will be free in February if this talk is mentioned.
4. Library events are many and varied: book club, toddler activities, half term holiday events, children’s theatre productions etc.
5. Self-help books on many topics: such as teenage mental health which can be taken out anonymously.
6. Resources for dementia sufferers: memory boxes, reminiscence packs, themed music, items on Cheshire at war. All these and more are to stimulate memory and discussion.
7. Book group boxes: £80 per year for 12 boxes of 12 books for book groups to use. A long list of titles is available.
8. Volunteers: anyone can volunteer to help e.g. for children’s assisted reading and the house bound book service.
9. Family history research: huge library resources and free tuition is available for 1h and work packs available on ancestor searching methods.
10. Everything else! Including books, DVDs, online resources and music.
2. Notices:
‘Singing for Fun’ was led by a very inspiring music teacher and singer, Denise Vaughn. Denise was passionate that the arts are just as important as any other subject in the curriculum for young people. People of any age need to have their creativity channelled to help them realise their full potential. Denise herself was an actor/singer for a number of years and now she is a school music specialist working with all ages in schools in the area. Denise then led the packed room of WI members in a most enjoyable evening of rhythm, harmony and pitch, with singing of course! We started by clapping in rounds of four rhythms, making us concentrate hard. We sang ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ also in a round with hand expressions for every word whilst concentrating on our posture. Denise has an electric personality and boundless energy and humour so that 45 minutes on a dreary January evening sped by and everyone enjoyed themselves hugely! Amanda gave Denise an extremely warm vote of thanks and we all showed our appreciation in a very loud round of applause!
4. Notices
Monday 12th December 2016 - Christmas Party
The next meeting will be on Monday January 16th and we will be singing to start the New Year!
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Monday 21st November 2016 - Annual Meeting
5) Adoption of Committee for 2017: The committee as above was unanimously elected by a show of hands
6) Nomination for President 2017: Wendy said she was willing to stand for re-election for 2017 and put herself up for election by ballot. Every member was asked to write down the name of the committee member that they wanted as president on a blank piece of paper. The two tellers from Row of Trees (Heather Robinson) and Mobberley (Ann Wilson) WI collected the voting slips and counted the results. Wendy Morris was unanimously re-elected.
Monday 17th October 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. Wendy pointed out the fire exits and safety notices. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm.
Notices:
Late Notices:
Monday 20th September 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm.
Notices:
Apparently it is often the female relations who contrive to incriminate the abused/at risk woman so that the men carry out the murder.
We were told about organisations that help women who feel threatened and at risk:- i) Karma Nirvana Campaign : ii) Stophonourkillings.com iii) Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) forced marriage unit: iv) the honour network helpline.
This talk was deeply troubling for all of us but as our DCI told us we must always be alert to listen if someone from another culture or indeed our own says they are at risk of abuse or worse.
Amanda gave our DCI a very thoughtful vote of thanks and we all felt inspired that one of our own members has had, and continues to have, a very important role in helping helpless women of cultures other than our own.
Late notices (9.48pm).
The meeting finished at 10.15pm
Monday 19th July 2016
Visitors who had visited previously were also welcomed; Diana, Julia, Ann, Tris & Christine. Josie visiting from Hale WI and Janet for the first time.
Jill O came for the first time since becoming a new member.
The NECG autumn visit to Chatsworth is going ahead and there are already 39 members signed up, please pay at the desk.
The walk tomorrow will be led by Diana Beech who outlined the walk to members.
The profit from yesterday's afternoon tea for ‘Early Essentials' Stockport is not yet known as the proceeds of the auction tonight will also go to 'Early Essentials'.
There are leaflets available if anyone wants to enter the Alderley Edge Show on the 20th August and submit an exhibit.
The cancelled Wilmslow Show had been a great disappointment to all WI members involved in preparing for the WI stall.
Wendy thanked members for their knitted products and said that twiddle muffs were available for people with dementia if requested.
3. Speaker for the Evening:
Waitrose had cancelled due to illness and instead the committee had agreed to put on a varied evening covering a number of very different topics.
Sheila explained the joint initiative between the Lancashire and Cheshire Federations of the WI, Manchester County Council and NHS Blood and Transplant to promote organ donation in the NW. This campaign culminates in Organ Donation week at the beginning of September. Sheila presented some of the statistics behind the campaign and explained that only 25% of people in Manchester are on the register compared to 33% in the rest of the UK.
Pauline went on to talk about ‘Time to Talk about Organ Donation’. Surprisingly 40 % of families refuse permission for their loved ones’ organs to be used after their death, even though many of them are on the Organ Donor Register. This is often because the families are unaware of the wishes of their loved one. When relatives understand before death that the person wanted to donate their organs and tissues than family consent goes up to 90%! Age is not a barrier to Organ Donation – 50% Organ Donors are over 50 and the oldest organ donor is 87. People in their 70s and 80s have become donors and saved many lives. Most donors are over 50. Medical conditions are not usually a barrier
HOW CAN WE TALK TO OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION? We know it is a difficult topic to bring up. We all have busy lives and so do our families, so where and when can we tell them? Make it a priority to find the opportunity – mention the WI initiative you can read and photocopy the WI life article about OD from February 2016 – pass it around to friends.
Amanda then asked the ladies present to put their hands up if they were on the register and 34 people said they were. This represents about 49% of the members present as there were around 70 members at the meeting. The average number of WI members on the register in the NW is 58% so this straw poll indicates that Fulshaw is slightly below the NW average. Also Amanda asked how many people on the register had told their family and friends about their wishes and 25 of the 34 (73%) said they had which is an excellent response. Amanda asked members to consider going on the register if they are currently not on it and for everyone to tell their relatives and friends their wishes. She will then ask the same questions again at the September meeting.
Lucy Jones, a double lung transplant recipient told us her inspiring life story: Lucy came over from the Wirral after work to tell us about her life changing transplant operation. All her life Lucy has had cystic fibrosis and 10 years ago her quality of life was so very poor that she decided to put her name on the waiting list for a lung transplant. This was not an easy decision to make because of the risks linked with the operation. After the operation Lucy could begin to lead a normal life, exercising regularly, riding a bike and eventually travelling frequently to many worldwide holiday destinations. Lucy is a research scientist at Unilever and she is passionate about telling people about the wonderful life-giving opportunities provided to very seriously ill patients by organ transplant, many of whom die while still on the waiting list. Lucy is a ‘transplant buddie’ at Wythenshawe Hospital where she helps counsel patients waiting for a transplant. We were all inspired by her story and we were left with much to think about. Amanda gave Lucy a very warm vote of thanks and we all clapped her very loudly!
3. Jean Hill asked members if they would be interested helping in developing the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan: Jean outlined what expertise was needed and handed out a questionnaire to fill in and return to the Wilmslow Parish Hall by the end of July.
4. Cheese Tasting: Sheila had provided 6 different cheeses to go on each table so that members could ‘guess the cheese’ after tasting all six. White or red wine was provided to help the cheese down! Identifying the cheeses proved tricky and the best table got 3 correct!
5. Auction of homemade cake stands to raise funds for ‘Early Essentials’: Amanda and Jennie donned white coats (on a hot evening) and Amanda very ably auctioned off over 30 tiered cake stands that Dee had made for the 10th Anniversary party on the Sunday. Jennie showed the sale goods to the members and about £120 was collected in a very entertaining way. Well done Amanda and Jennie! The profit will be lower than £120 as there was a cost in buying and assembling the lovely cake stands. Well done Dee!
6. ‘Summer’ Competition: The ladies from the NECG – Alia, Judith and Trish judged the competition with lots of lovely entries. First prize was awarded to Jennie P for her tennis raquet adorned with lots of summer home made items. Second place was awarded to Gail for her beautiful painting of a rose. Gail has only just started painting after winning the first bursary of the year!
7. Notices:
The meeting ended at 10.00 pm
Monday 16th June 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page and website.
Amanda Stevens gave a vote of thanks to Ann for her very interesting presentation.
Monday 16th May 2016
Professor Andrew Hughes gave an extremely thought provoking and informative talk entitled ’3Cs: Christie, Cancer and Cancer research UK’. Andrew began with an 11 question quiz relating to cancer in the UK e.g What % of people will get cancer in their life time? (Answer 50%);How many different types
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed all our visitors for the evening: Marie, Joan, Rachel, Ann, Lynn, Ann and Leslie.
- Wendy also welcomed our new member Elaine Sloane.
- Wendy asked the members if they would permit the Events Table ladies and other committee members (should they wish) to be served with tea and cakes before everyone else. They could then get back to the Events Table to take bookings during the tea break. Unanimously agreed by the members
- Wendy mentioned that Dot Bracegirdle was our ‘Member of the Month’ in the Newsletter.
- Wendy announced that two cars would be driving to Haughton Hall on Thursday (Dee and Wendy driving).
- Wendy reminded everyone about the very successful Dementia café at the Methodist church that Donna had helped to set up. Volunteers are still welcome and they should speak to Donna.
- As part of Dementia Awareness Week the ‘In Together’ Dementia café will be hosting a drop in session at Wilmslow Library on Thursday 18th May. Just call in between 10.00am and 12.00 noon.
- On Friday 26th May Wilmslow Library are raising money for the charity Mind. Grace Brierley will be showing people how to do stitching and crafting to create lavender sleepy bears! Please collect a ticket from the library.
- The WI walk on the evening of next Monday (22nd May) at 6.30 pm will now start from the Boddington Arms.
- The new venue for the book club will be the Carters Arms on Chapel Lane Wilmslow (trial session) as the Rifleman’s is closing down.
- Donna Johnstone is one of our two Public Affairs Liaison Officers (PALs rep) with Pauline Handley. Donna explained the ethos behind this role. There are lectures 2-3 times a year put on by CFWI to raise awareness of a number of national issues that the NFWI support and promote. Donna had recently attended a lecture on Climate change. The PALs group at NFWI headquarters put forward the resolutions to be discussed at the Annual General Meeting.
- Donna reminded WI members of the date for the Wilmslow Wells for Africa Open Garden Day on Saturday 24th June.
Speaker: Alison Gosling gave us an excellent talk entitled ‘The Crying Game’ about why and when women cry. Alison did a Masters Course in Counselling at Manchester University and as part of it she researched crying and wrote a dissertation on the subject. Alison is now a counsellor at the Beacon Centre. Alison’s talk was very absorbing and thought provoking in a very good way as we ALL cry! Alison pointed out that crying is very rarely discussed. However the fact that we cry is embedded in so many aspects of our culture e.g. in every day expressions, song titles, books and films. For example we say ‘have a good cry’ or ‘cry it all out’ or ‘I’ll give you something to cry about’ (less good!) or we talk about ‘dissolving in tears' and even ‘crocodile tears’. Alison took us through how we deal with emotion that can lead to crying. Sometimes people suppress tears and crying completely so that maybe years later the emotion has to be released for people to be able to process that emotion and recover their emotional health e.g. after a bereavement. We might think it ‘weak’ to cry in front of others and our parents’ generation might have had ‘a stiff upper lip’ and not reveal feelings in the form of tears. However Victorians did cry far more freely, so attitudes to crying can vary depending on the era and culture of the time. Alison asked us to talk to our neighbour sitting next to us about when we cry. She listed the times when women are likely to cry – after bereavement (usually but not always), ‘pain’ of a broken heart, listening to music, tears of joy – although the depth of emotion will clearly vary greatly. There are many reasons for crying e.g. – a child’s tears of anger or protest, ‘a cry for help’, tears of despair, grief, disappointment, frustration or even of happiness etc. Sometimes we cry and we have no idea why we are crying. However as we all realise – crying is a universal language used worldwide to communicate deeply felt emotion. Everyone had their own personal thoughts and in many ways it was cathartic to just sit and think of our own relationship with our own tears over the years.
- Resolution voting: This year the NFWI were taking two resolutions to the Annual General Meeting in Liverpool and we voted on both: 1) Alleviating loneliness and 2) The reduction of plastic waste in our oceans. Members raised their hands to vote and both motions were carried almost unanimously.
- Tea and scarf swap: during the tea interval members were encouraged to carry on swapping scarves. Ladies who had not brought one for swapping could make a donation if they saw a scarf they liked at the end of the session.
- Late Notices:
- Our next speaker on 19th June will be Derek Poulson talking on ‘It’s not what you say; it’s the way that you say it’.
- Wendy reminded members that they can invite family or friends to meetings but that they must email Wendy to check that there is a space available.
- We were told that the Lalley Toy Appeal organiser Dee Drake had won an ‘Inspiring Woman’ award. She had thanked our WI as we were the first WI to help her with her Christmas toy appeal.
- The tea ladies Liz, Sylvie and Janet were thanked for their lovely cakes.
- Glenda was thanked as she has volunteered to be a porter for all our meetings.
- Dee was thanked for her tireless and imaginative purchases of gifts for the raffle every month without fail!
- Liz Moss and Jean Hill were thanked for running our very successful book swap system that we have at every meeting
- Raffle: the raffle was held at 9.45 pm and the meeting closed at 9.50pm
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- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy announced that we have one new member: Heather Christiansen
- Visitors were Jean Whinnett, Janet Broddle, Christa Rodwell, and Ann Shaw
- Guests of members welcomed were Isabelle Monaghan, Ruth Moyes, Helen Blackwell and Jess Murray. Liz Robertson plus 1 from The Heatons
- Wendy gave us all the extremely sad news that Kay, one of our founding members, had recently died after a very brave battle with cancer. Wendy wanted us all to know how Kay had been such a wonderful WI member since the branch was set up. Kay was a committed, vibrant and a very well-loved member. Wendy read out a letter she had received from Kay when she resigned due to her illness last year. Fulshaw then offered Kay an honorary membership with cakes from our meetings to go to Kay every month, which she loved as she knew we were thinking of her! The whole meeting was dedicated to Kay’s memory and we raised our glasses to celebrate Kay’s life!
Lou had begun to develop her unique embroidery technique 23 years ago at Art College in London and she started by explaining her methods to us. Lou now works with a very fast industrial sewing machine to produce ‘explosive’ embroidered pieces. She also uses digital printing, often with iridescent paint worked into black stitching patterns using a huge array of layers of complex stitches and it can take her 300 hours to complete a work. It is a tough, challenging career to follow and Lou has to do her own publicity and promotion to get her work known around the world as well as in the UK. Managing the marketing, finance and Social media are also vitally important to running a successful business.
Lou has just come back from Australia where she gave seminars and workshops in four cities and she has recently entered the 2017 Womens Hour craft awards to be considered as one of the top 12 craft artists in the UK. We wish Lou lots of luck as we all thought she should win as her work is so inspirational! Lou has had works exhibited at the Saatchi Art gallery and at Liberty’s in London and not forgetting Hoopers of Wilmslow on our annual art trail. Lou has also been invited to New York to display her work in 2018 which is a very exciting opportunity.
All through her talk Lou was searingly honest about the tremendous emotional commitment needed to achieve success in her chosen career path. Lou has a very extrovert, ‘sparky’ informal style of talking to a group that drew us into her creative world of magical beauty and colour - in fact we were mesmerized!
After the talk we could look more closely at her work and some members bought some of her wonderful silk scarves, cards and prints. Lou has a website so please do have a look at her work at http://www.lougardiner.co.uk.
Amanda gave Lou a very well thought through vote of thanks and very ably put into words how much we had gained from her talk!
4. Late Notices:
- Wendy warmly thanked the ‘tea’ ladies – Anne, Alison & Pat (and Gail for helping) – for their excellent cakes. We gave them a very warm round of applause.
- The next talk will be on Monday 15th May and will be called the ‘Crying Game’ by Alison Gosling a counsellor. Why do women cry? It will be uplifting and not depressing as we all have to release our emotions in some way at some times.
- Lorna will be organising a scarf swap on the 15th May so members were asked to bring along lots of scarves to enjoy finding ‘new’ ones!
- Kate Sibthorpe asked members if anyone knew of any sixth form girls who would be willing to accompany her daughter to go out for 2 hours on one evening in the week. They would be paid. Her daughter has a learning disability.
- The draw was made for members to do willow weaving: - Helen Hopkins, Jennie Palin, Alison Hampson, Carolyn Powell, Pat Peel, Cherry Dolden, Ann Kerr, Jane Rawlings and Donna Johnstone were selected.
- The bursary draw was also made and Lis Fleming was chosen to go on a fitness course.
- The visit to the Emma Bridgewater Factory on 13th July was promoted for members to sign up.
- The raffle was held at 9.55 pm and the meeting closed at 10.00pm
Monday 20th March 2017
1. Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started.
Jane Holland opened the meeting by explaining that Wendy, Pauline, Jennie and Amanda were all unable to attend tonight's meeting and hence all the other committee members were all helping by covering their duties, assisted by some members. Jane said that she was chairing the meeting and then pointed out the fire exits, toilets and safety notices. She asked members to tell her if they did not want their photograph used on the website. She then went onto to relay two amusing stories about our members. The first involved Dot and Cathy Hessner who turned up to Book Club a week early but still managed to enjoy a pleasant evening drinking in the pub and the second involved Cathy Wallace who went to the bus stop in Handforth rather than Handforth Dean to start the recent walk. When she realised her mistake, she managed to thumb a lift and was dropped off to meet the rest of the group in a very trendy 'souped up' car!
The meeting opened at 8.10 pm.
2. Notices:
Jane welcomed all our visitors for the evening:
- First time visitor was Margaret Bradley and previous visitors were Joan Kershaw and Anne Shaw. Other guests were Isobel Monaghan (friend of Gretchen Bailey), Janet Coll (friend of Fiona Breed) and Rachel Lawton (friend of Karen Hawker).
- Notice was given that WI Exhibition Stewards and Refreshment Area Stewards were required for the Cheshire Show on the 20th and 21st June. Anyone interested to sign up on the Events Table.
- Jane advertised the NECG Spring Meeting on the 12th April - tickets are available at the Events Desk and there will be an excellent speaker, Lillian King who is a retired Chief Superintendent from the Greater Manchester Police.
- Poynton WI has invited Jordan Cox – The Coupon Kid – to give a talk on the 30th March at the Royal British Legion and Fulshaw WI is invited. Sign up tonight at the Events Table or let Sheila know.
- The Big WI-Kender - at Forest Camp Activity Centre, Cuddington on 29th Sept – 1st Oct. After the successful weekend last year Fulshaw is able to offer a small number of tickets – approx 10 for this brilliant event organised by five local WI's including ourselves - total tickets on sale 55. £60 to include camping or bunks in a warm bunk house (as requested), catered food inside and entertainment including a Bollywood themed night by Ria, talks and competitions . Craft classes run by volunteers with a very small charge and outside activities. Tickets to be paid for by the April Meeting.
- Jennie has asked for volunteer gardeners to help monthly at the WI centenary garden in Wilmslow at the junction of Moor Lane and Arlington Way. Members can pick a day and time of their own choosing to garden in pairs. A list was put up for members to sign for a gardening rota for each month.
- A Candlelight walk will take place in the grounds of Capesthorne Hall on Friday 21st April, on behalf of East Cheshire Hospice. Commencing at 7.00pm, choose from a 2.5k, 5k or 10k walk. Anyone interested to contact Sarah Kennon.
- Annmarie Lambert, one of our members, spoke about the Summer Garden Party she was holding on behalf of The Christie. The event will take place on Sunday 4th June at her house on Styal Road between 2.00 and 5.00pm. Tickets cost £4 for adults and £3 for children and includes the cost of admission plus tea and cake. Members were asked to sign up if they wanted to attend.
- A New Members evening has been planned for 7.30pm on Monday 3rd April at the Old Dancer on Grove Street. This will be a great opportunity for new members to get to know one another plus other members of Fulshaw WI. There will be some light-hearted games followed by a meat and cheese platter supper. All welcome.
3. Meeting:
Jane welcomed Ruth Thomson who has worked at the Stockport Air Raid Shelters for 17 years and who gave us an interesting talk entitled 'Women's Work in World War Two'.
She began by telling us about the scale of the female workforce, by 1943, 90% of single women and 80% of married women were in someway involved in war work. She then went onto to explain the different women's groups and illustrated them with tales of named individuals.
ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) was the women's branch of the British Army and Princess Elizabeth served in this group who amongst other roles, worked on anti-aircraft artillery and the role of women increased as the war progressed.
There were ~ 182,000 WAFS during the war, of which Sarah, Winston Churchill's daughter was one, and they were responsible for a range of jobs including catering, meteorology and aircraft maintenance.
WRNS (or Wrens as they were known) was the women's branch of the Royal Navy and they worked on a variety of jobs including cooks, radar plotters and air mechanics.
The ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) was a British civilian operation, which ferried planes between factories and front-line operations, eventually taking over from some RAF pilots. Disabilities were often ignored although women had to have 500 hours flying experience to join, far more than men so prejudice against women was still rife.
The WVS, later WRVS, which had the unfortunate motto of 'Never Say No', played a key role in the evacuation process, distributed clothing, assisted with food rationing and helped in mobile canteens. It is estimated they helped 10,000 people per night for 57 consecutive nights of the London Blitz.
The Women's Land Army and the associated Women's Timber Corp, were set up to help with agriculture and carried out jobs such as driving tractors, growing crops, animal welfare and anti-vermin squads. Unlike their country colleagues, this type of work came as a great shock to many city girls who had never been involved with working with the land before.
Another area that women were heavily involved with was working in the munitions factories. This often involved long hours and dangerous work. Working with cordite led to yellowing of the skin and hair, hence the nickname 'canary girls'.
After the war, many women went back to their old jobs and way of life but had experienced things they would never would have without the war.
In 2005, the Queen unveiled the first national memorial, the 'Monument to Women of World War Two', which is situated in Whitehall.
Ruth rounded off her talk by helping ladies achieve the working women's 'look' by wearing scarves on their heads and bright red lipstick.
Lorna gave the vote of thanks to Ruth for her fascinating talk.
4. Late Notices:
- Jane warmly thanked the ‘tea’ ladies – Pat Langan, Cherry Dolden and Pat Peel.
- The next talk will be on Monday 24th April which will feature Louise Gardiner, telling us about her work as an artist, designer and embroiderer.
- Jane reminded everyone that if they wanted to bring a visitor with them to a meeting, they should email Wendy to ask her.
- The raffle, with 6 lovely prizes was held and the meeting closed at 10.00pm
Monday 13th February 2017
1. Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. Wendy pointed out the fire exits, toilets and safety notices. Members were asked to tell Wendy if they did not want their photograph used on the website. The meeting opened at 8.10 pm.
2. Notices:
Wendy welcomed all our visitors for the evening:
- Returning visitors were Pat Kelsey, Lesley Wilson, Joan Kershaw, Janet Codling, Niamh Murphy and Ann Mellor and the first time visitor was Linda Handy (Sarah Kennon’s friend), Ann Smylie (Sarah Kennon’s friend visiting from France), Sally (Susan Handley’s daughter), Janet Sandler (Christine Makinson's friend), Christine Ashall (Christine Makinson's friend).
- Notice was given that we would be arranging a visit down the Alderley Edge mines later in the summer – suggested by Julie Petho.
- Wendy advertised the NECG spring meeting on the 12th April - tickets are available at the Events Desk and there will be an excellent speaker, Lillian King who is a retired Chief Superintendent from the Greater Manchester Police.
- Poynton WI has invited Jordan Cox – The Coupon Kid – to give a talk on the 30th March at the Royal British Legion and Fulshaw WI is invited.
- The Big WI-Kender - at Forest Camp Activity Centre, Cuddington on 29th Sept – 1st Oct. After the successful weekend last year Fulshaw is able to offer a small number of tickets – approx 10 for this brilliant event organised by five local WI's including ourselves - total tickets on sale 55. £60 to include camping or bunks in a warm bunk house (as requested), catered food inside and entertainment including a Bollywood themed night by Ria, talks and competitions . Craft classes run by volunteers with a very small charge and outside activities. Tickets to be paid for by the April Meeting
- Amanda talked about the new Dementia café held every Monday afternoon at the Methodist church on Water Lane. Volunteers are very welcome to help and to talk to the dementia sufferers and their carers. Just turn up at 2.00 pm. Also please recommend the café to anyone who may be suffering from dementia
- Jennie asked for volunteer gardeners to help monthly at the WI centenary garden in Wilmslow at the junction of Moor Lane and Arlington Way. Members can pick a day and time of their own choosing to garden in pairs. Pauline lives at 2 Arlington Way and invited gardeners to knock on the door if they need water or they have forgotten some tools! A list was put up for members to sign for a gardening rota for each month.
- Members were asked to bake cakes for the Wilmslow Wells for Africa Souper Day to be held on the 4th March. Helen Battilana will take collection of the cakes in Wilmslow - Address, dates and times to be confirmed. Wendy M will take any from the Bramhall/Wilmslow area
- The Wilmslow Clean Team has a spring tidy up of litter on local Wilmslow Roads on Saturday 4th March. They meet on the first Wednesday of the month and the following Saturday if anyone is interested in joining them or just to help on the day. Amanda asked members to look at their website to find out the details of where and when they meet up. http://wilmslowcleanteam.org.uk. Volunteers are very welcome!
4. Late Notices:
- Wendy warmly thanked the ‘tea’ ladies – Diana, Benita, Jill and Lydie – for their excellent cakes and this month we had a gluten free cake and a low sugar cake which were both very popular. We gave them a very warm round of applause.
- The next talk will be on Monday 20th March and will be on ‘Womens Work in World War 2’ by Ruth Thomson.
- The raffle was held at 9.55 pm and the meeting closed at 10.00pm
Monday 16th January 2017
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Library Talk:
1. Quiet space to work at all times and meeting rooms for hire (<60 people).
2. Free Wi-Fi, 12 public computers, e-books via Wi-Fi, audio books to download which can never be ‘overdue’ as they disappear from your smart phone or computer on the return date!
3. Reservations can be made on-line for £1. All reservation for the WI will be free in February if this talk is mentioned.
4. Library events are many and varied: book club, toddler activities, half term holiday events, children’s theatre productions etc.
5. Self-help books on many topics: such as teenage mental health which can be taken out anonymously.
6. Resources for dementia sufferers: memory boxes, reminiscence packs, themed music, items on Cheshire at war. All these and more are to stimulate memory and discussion.
7. Book group boxes: £80 per year for 12 boxes of 12 books for book groups to use. A long list of titles is available.
8. Volunteers: anyone can volunteer to help e.g. for children’s assisted reading and the house bound book service.
9. Family history research: huge library resources and free tuition is available for 1h and work packs available on ancestor searching methods.
10. Everything else! Including books, DVDs, online resources and music.
2. Notices:
- New members and visitors were welcomed by Wendy. She explained that after this evening she would know how many more spaces are available for people on the waiting list.
‘Singing for Fun’ was led by a very inspiring music teacher and singer, Denise Vaughn. Denise was passionate that the arts are just as important as any other subject in the curriculum for young people. People of any age need to have their creativity channelled to help them realise their full potential. Denise herself was an actor/singer for a number of years and now she is a school music specialist working with all ages in schools in the area. Denise then led the packed room of WI members in a most enjoyable evening of rhythm, harmony and pitch, with singing of course! We started by clapping in rounds of four rhythms, making us concentrate hard. We sang ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ also in a round with hand expressions for every word whilst concentrating on our posture. Denise has an electric personality and boundless energy and humour so that 45 minutes on a dreary January evening sped by and everyone enjoyed themselves hugely! Amanda gave Denise an extremely warm vote of thanks and we all showed our appreciation in a very loud round of applause!
4. Notices
- More spaces are available on the Kwik fit course on 18th January at 6.30pm in Wilmslow
- Also there are spaces on the next painting workshop on 4th February from 10.00am - 3.00 pm.
- We will now be collecting for the NFWI charity ACWW promoted by the Public Affairs group that supports women around the world in developing countries.
- Wendy asked for more volunteers for the new Dementia café at the Methodist Church on Water Lane, Wilmslow. Just turn up to help on a Monday afternoon at 2.0pm.
- Wendy has received thank you letters from 1) the school for £100 towards library books 2) from the Lalley y appeal for all the toys and help at Christmas. Wendy will promote the charity next year to other local WIs.
- Pat Parker stood up to thanked members for their generosity for the Lalley Toy Appeal. Her family had been a recipient this year - as her daughter in law had a bad accident - following on from one of the members putting her name forward. She said the family was overwhelmed by ours and the charity’s generosity. A concert is being held on the 10th February.
- Sarah Kennon will be offering craft classes to members at half price to teach lampshade making.
- Anyone wanting to suggest ‘outings’ is welcome to do so and Julie P has suggested a visit to the Alderley Edge mines.
- Wendy encouraged more members to write a 500 word article or poem about their life since they joined the WI. The deadline is the February meeting.
- The ‘tea ladies’ were thanked for their hard work this evening.
- The draw for the £150 January bursary was made and Grace Brierley won it for attending a ‘Creative Stitches’ course.
- Members can report to Merton Park in Handforth next Saturday if they would like a free demonstration on pruning fruit trees.
- The raffle was drawn and the meeting ended at 10.00 pm.
Monday 12th December 2016 - Christmas Party
- Welcome:
- Bollywood Party and the Meal:
- 66 members attended the annual Christmas party and were seated at 9 tables.
- Ladies brought their Secret Santa presents and enjoyed a glass of mulled wine on arrival.
- The main hall was beautifully decorated with a colourful theme to complement the Bollywood evening thanks to Lorna, Gail and Cathy. The side room tables were covered in red banquet paper and a cyclamen plant for each table. Water and wine (red and white) were on the tables as well as pre meal snacks:- Bombay mix, bread sticks and mango chutney.
- Ria, the Bollywood dance instructress, arrived at 7.45 pm and the majority of members went into the main hall for Ria to instruct them in a quite complex Indian dance sequence. We all lined up and followed her instructions in short sequences that she cleverly built up until, after 40 minutes, we could do a respectable complete dance sequence to music. We all had excellent fun and felt very pleased with ourselves!!
- Ria then gave us a wonderful dance demonstration to Bollywood music of about 6 dances in quick succession. She is a very talented artist who has her own dance troupe and we were lucky that she was available to work with us and show us her amazing dance sequences. We warmly applauded her dancing!
- The meal was prepared by our own Dee of ‘Sweet Temptation’. Dee prepared three curries for us – chick pea, chicken and vegetable - served with Naan and rice. This was followed by a range of shop bought puddings. The whole meal was absolutely delicious.
- Wendy gave us three pages of quizzes to do during the meal (general knowledge, chocolates, and brand names). These were very varied and very enjoyable for a quiz!! The winners were awarded with – guess what – chocolates!
Raffle and President’s Closing Remarks:
1. The raffles were held and the draw for the members who made the tea and cakes was won by Alison Boddington.
2. The raffle for the 16 hampers was held and members were delighted with their prizes.
3. Cyclamen plants were won with tickets under the members seats.
4. Members were reminded to hand in their cheques to Jennie for £39 for next year’s subs - to be dated the 1st January. These can be delivered to Jennie at 31, Strawberry Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 6AQ before the January meeting to get entry free.
5. Wendy thanked everyone for all their hard work in planning and setting up the party which was deemed by all to have been a very successful evening.
6. Wendy also thanked Dee for all her hard work in preparing such a delicious meal.
7. Amanda gave Wendy a very warm vote of thanks for her idea of the Bollywood party and for her tireless work during our 10th birthday year for the Fulshaw WI.
8. Everyone left with a secret santa gift and wished each other a very happy Christmas!
The evening finished at 10.45pm.
The next meeting will be on Monday January 16th and we will be singing to start the New Year!
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Monday 21st November 2016 - Annual Meeting
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy thanked members for their generous donations for the Christmas hampers.
- Wendy welcomed the two tellers for voting for President (Heather Robinson from Row of Trees WI and Anne Wilson from Mobberley WI)
- Members were reminded of Jane’s walk on Thursday to meet at Twinnies Bridge at 10.15am and of the bowling day tomorrow (22nd November).
- Places are still available on the Christmas Dabble day on Saturday 26th November.
- Wendy asked if any members would like to contribute to the collection of information on how hospitals deal with dementia patients. The email link to Head Office, should members feel they can help in the search for information to support the NFWI resolution on dementia passed this year at the Brighton AGM, will be sent in an email.
- The CFWI information board was available at the meeting for members to provide more background information.
- Donna told the meeting that the Methodist church is setting up a dementia café every Monday between 2-4 pm starting on January 9th. Volunteers are very welcome to help out for a couple of hours.
- Members wanting Christmas party tickets (£5) should buy them this evening.
- Secretary’s Annual Report: This was presented by the Pauline Handley. The members were reminded of all the excellent speakers that we had had during 2016 and every talk had been of a very high standard. Members were asked to suggest speakers themselves for 2018 if they know of an interesting topic and a good speaker to recommend. Fulshaw WI has had so many amazingly varied events, visits and activities this year- more than ever for this very special year. We have tried to make sure that there is something for everyone. This has been a very successful year and this is thanks to the many members who have helped throughout the year. We have had visits to many places, meals, walks, theatre trips, bike rides, orienteering, bowling, rifle shooting among many others. We have supported many different charities by giving donations (food, bras, knitted items etc), making collections (sanitary products, baby clothes for new borns and toiletries for new Mums etc) and donating money to some of the charities. We have had two very successful 10th Birthday celebrations- an afternnoon tea and a weekend away in Wales sleeping in a bunk house! Our centenary garden has contributed to the fact that Wilmslow acheived a gold medal in the annual Britain in Bloom competition. The talented members of the WI with craft skills helped the school (St Anne's, Fulshaw) design and make a banner to celebrate their 140th Anniversary. The NECG events had been successful and well supported. In summary, 2016 has been the most succesful year yet for Fulshaw WI!
- Treasurer’s Annual Report: This was presented by Jennie Palin. We began the year with a carry forward sum of £6401.32 plus £30 float and we are ending it with £6139.54 plus £30 float. We had set a budget which aimed at reducing our balance and that is precisely what we have done. Our average attendance at meetings has risen from last year and now stands at 63 and we have also welcomed an average of 8 visitors each meeting. Much of our expenditure is, as it were, out of our control. Over half of each subscription goes straight to the National and Cheshire Federations. We also pay Insurance but beware - this only third party insurance and there is even some dispute on whether it includes our own events as well as those organised by County and National. You are certainly not insured directly and I would advise everyone who is concerned about engaging in our shooting, bowling and even more dangerous walks and cycle rides to take out their own policies. We try to break even on all events and we have affordable and free events as well as those we have to pay for. We have paid no entry fee for January, June & November. There will be free entry for January if members bring along a cheque to renew their membership to the Christmas party in a sealed envelope. Cheques only please and write your name clearly on the envelope: £39 for full membership and £19 for dual members. But please make sure you don't change your bank account. We also highly subsidise our Christmas party as this is the meeting that is the most well attended - 72 came last year. We try not to make money but our raffles are always very successful and make money. We spent about £437 on Raffle prizes and made £1005. Three x £150 bursaries were awarded in our anniversary year to members to take a course of their choosing. 2016 has been another very successful year financially.
- President’s Annual Report: This was presented by Wendy Morris. Wendy started with a brief review of many of our very successful events of the year - such as the Highgrove visit, Tea and Tents, Plas Ceiriog and Brighton for the NFWI (Wendy attended). Wendy reflected on how many of our members felt very supported by our WI which means a lot of different things to each one of us. We are very linked into the NFWI and we have voted on the National Resolutions, agreed to cap our membership at 100 and voted to have proxy votes ourselves if we cannot attend the Annual Meeting. Wendy expressed our gratitude to the headmistress Claire Daniel for allowing us to use the school. Wendy has invited 100 visitors to our meetings this year and we have approx. 40 ladies waiting to join our branch. 17 new members have joined us this year while 3 members have moved away. Wendy emphasised that we should not be complacent about membership because many WIs around the country are not so lucky and are losing members. Wendy warmly thanked the committee for their continued support all through the year and she thanked Helen Hopkins for all the work she has done organising our speakers as Helen is standing down for 2017. Wendy told the meeting that Jane Holland would be replacing Helen as the Speaker Coordinator on the committee and that Cathy Wallace would also be joining the committee as a Deputy Treasurer and MCS representative. Wendy ended her report by thanking the members for giving her the opportunity to serve the Fulshaw WI as President.
- Introduction of Committee Nominees for 2017: -
- Rosemary Bradley (Refreshment Officer): organises and runs the refreshments for the meetings and plans the Rota.
- Lorna Davey (New Members Co-ordinator): responsible for new members and visitor hospitality, flowers for the raffle and running the AM competitions.
- Pauline Handley (elected Secretary): records the minutes for the committee meetings and the monthly member meetings.
- Gail Hodgett: helps with refreshments, setting out and putting away and stands in with all other positions when required.
- Jane Holland (Speaker Coordinator): explained that she joined the WI one year ago and why she decided to stand for the committee.
- Jennie Palin (elected Treasurer): keeps a very detailed record of all the WI finances, reports to committee, maintains the Fulshaw centenary garden. Mans the reception desk.
- Sheila Parker (Website and Joint NECG rep): set up and runs the Fulshaw WI website.
- Jane Rawlings (Assistant Treasurer): mans the events desk and plans and leads the walks and cycle rides and many other events.
- Amanda Stevens (Vice President and Joint NECG rep): mans the events booking table.
- Dee Waugh (Catering Management): Organises and serves the reception drinks and nibbles, buys the raffle prizes. Catering for in house events.
- Cathy Wallace (Assistant Treasurer and MCS rep): will man the raffle and take over the MCS role from Wendy. 5)
5) Adoption of Committee for 2017: The committee as above was unanimously elected by a show of hands
6) Nomination for President 2017: Wendy said she was willing to stand for re-election for 2017 and put herself up for election by ballot. Every member was asked to write down the name of the committee member that they wanted as president on a blank piece of paper. The two tellers from Row of Trees (Heather Robinson) and Mobberley (Ann Wilson) WI collected the voting slips and counted the results. Wendy Morris was unanimously re-elected.
- Dip competition: there were 28 entries and the winners were: - 1st: Pat Pinnock (apricot and gorgonzola dip) and joint 2nd: Jess Davidson (chocolate and brandy dip) and Lydie Donald (beetroot and chickpea hummus), who were all awarded prizes for their delicious dips voted on by all the members.
- Raffle: winning tickets were drawn at 10.05 and prizes chosen.
- Late Notices:
- Members were reminded to buy their party tickets (£5) for the Bollywood style party to be held at the URC rooms on 12th December.
- Wendy advertised a poem/short story challenge for early next year! Members are asked to write up to a 500 word poem or short story about any experience they have had since joining the WI. This of course is entirely optional and is not a competition. The entries will be put together as a record to end our 10th Anniversary year.
- Wendy thanked the PAL reps Donna and Pauline
- Everyone showed their appreciation for the wonderful cakes provided for the evening by Linda, Wendy and Rosemary.
- The Makers Market stall holders were thanked warmly for their contribution to a very successful evening
Monday 17th October 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. Wendy pointed out the fire exits and safety notices. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm.
Notices:
- Wendy thanked members for the huge numbers of toys for the Lalley Appeal that had been donated. Then Anne Marie Lambert thanked us in person at the meeting. We are welcome to help pack the toys on Monday 12th December in the daytime or on Sunday 11th December. Money can be donated on the Lalley Toy Appeal Just Giving website.
- Wendy also thanked the members for their hamper donations.
- The visitors welcomed for the evening were: Joan, Jane, Annie, Caroline, Niamh, Sonia, Diana and Ruth.
- Our new member Gillie was also welcomed.
- The Christmas Craft day on Saturday 26th November will cost £3 and members can drop in and out during the day (10.00am - 3.00 pm) but they should bring their own lunch.
- CFWI textiles archive will be open to view on 18th November in Chester.
- There will be a NECG Carol Concert on 13th December at All Saints Church Cheadle Hulme, commencing at 2.00pm.
- At our AGM in November there will be a ‘best dip’ competition. Open to all members. Crostini will be provided.
- The Day School in water colour painting will run again next year due to popular demand. Dates to be arranged.
- There will be a workshop making lampshades next year to be run by Sarah Kennon and a Colour Me Beautiful workshop by Catherine Jones.
- The St Anne’s School 140th Anniversary banner is progressing very well indeed co-ordinated by Amanda. We will be able to view the Banner on the 13th November.
- ‘Organ Donation Resolution: Time to Talk’: Amanda asked for a hand count of members who were on the organ donors list and then one for the members who had told their family of their wishes. 47 out of the 68 members present are registered donors (69%) and 35 of the 47 members had told their families of their wishes (74%). This compares to the same questions posed at the July meeting where only 49% of members were registered donors, although 73% had told their relatives. Thus on this count there had been a 29% increase in registered donors since July, although not all the same members would be present in October as in July. This new count is therefore a useful but encouraging approximate indication of an increase in registered donors.
- Dr Michael Leach gave us a very entertaining talk on his life as a wild life photographer all over the world. After completing a degree in Zoology and a PhD in primate behaviour, Michael became a wild life photographer making many wild life films including for the BBC and working with David Attenborough. He now writes books (29 and translated into 18 languages) as his main occupation. As a cameraman Michael had many exciting film projects - filming bears and penguins and gorillas and many other animals in many countries worldwide. He gave us many fascinating insights into the world of photography e.g. it takes 24 hours to produce 1.5 seconds of useable film and it took him 3 years to produce a 48 minute film on snow leopards. The photographs he showed were superb and he told us some of the various ‘tricks’ of the trade to produce excellent shots of birds and animals in our own gardens. Michael could have talked to us for hours as he is an extremely entertaining speaker who clearly enjoys talking about wildlife and we could have listened to him for hours and we wanted to see more of his wildlife shots. Michael has that rare ability to entertain and educate the audience all at the same time!
Late Notices:
- Wendy announced that Fulshaw WI had won the prize for the best ‘Autumn Sunshine’ entry at the recent NECG meeting.
- There will be a choir concert by the St Anne’s Hospice choir on the 9th December and Wendy has leaflets.
- Denman College has thanked us for our donation to their maintenance funds.
- The draw for our second 10th Anniversary bursary was made and Cheryl S’s name was pulled out of the ‘hat’ to do a glass art course.
- Visitors who want to join the WI should fill in the application form and speak to Lorna.
- Jean Hill reported that Councillors Ruth McNulty and Rod Menlove were very grateful to Fulshaw WI for putting on such a successful “Junk Food” meal recently which made £120 to go to the charity in addition to the donation that attendees gave.
- The next meeting will be the AGM with the committee reports and anyone wanting to have a stall should contact Wendy
- Raffle: the raffle was held at 9.55 pm and the meeting finished at 10.00 pm.
Monday 20th September 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the Events Table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm.
Notices:
- Wendy welcomed the ‘tea ladies’ including Jess and her two week old son Samuel!
- New visitors welcomed were Maggie, Anne, Cathy, Jean and Mary.
- Returning visitors welcomed were Marie, Elaine, Gillie, Joyce, Danita and Janet.
- One of our members (Alison) has moved this month and we wish her well in her new home.
- Chatsworth House visit: still spaces available: sign up tonight.
- Christmas Craft day on 26th November, approx. £5 for lots of crafts: sign up tonight.
- ‘Junk Food’ meal this Friday: all 80 tickets are now sold.
- Wendy told members that at the AGM it would now be possible to have a proxy vote for president and/or committee members if a member could not attend and she asked for a vote on this proposal. The motion was carried.
- Profits over and above those sent to NFWI for the raffle tickets will be sent for the Denman fund for the September meeting only. This was supported by the members in a vote.
- Dee Drake (visitor) gave us a talk on the Lalley Toy Appeal which she runs. This is a charity to collect toys and raise money to buy Christmas toys for disadvantaged children in Manchester and Cheshire including the addition of Wythenshawe and Macclesfield this year. The target is to provide 1,500 sacks of toys. Members may have unopened childrens toys or duplicates. New and unopened gifts only are accepted. Donations can also be given through ’Just giving’. Ages are 0-17 both boys and girls. Dee was invited to stay for the evening talk and cakes.
Apparently it is often the female relations who contrive to incriminate the abused/at risk woman so that the men carry out the murder.
We were told about organisations that help women who feel threatened and at risk:- i) Karma Nirvana Campaign : ii) Stophonourkillings.com iii) Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) forced marriage unit: iv) the honour network helpline.
This talk was deeply troubling for all of us but as our DCI told us we must always be alert to listen if someone from another culture or indeed our own says they are at risk of abuse or worse.
Amanda gave our DCI a very thoughtful vote of thanks and we all felt inspired that one of our own members has had, and continues to have, a very important role in helping helpless women of cultures other than our own.
Late notices (9.48pm).
- Wendy ask the membership if the would be willing to support the Lalley toy appeal. Membership agreed. The toys should all be unwrapped.
- The Fulshaw bursary for £150 will be offered again next month and members should send details of the course they wish to do directly to Wendy.
- We will be starting our Christmas hamper collection as of the October meeting - any toiletries, books, chocolates, biscuits and drinks to name a few would be much appreciated. This year's event will be a Bollywood extravaganza. Please ensure that any edibles are well in date.
- The speaker for October will be Dr. Michael Leach on Wild Life Photography.
- Wilmslow Methodist Church offer an evening of "In the Mood for Music" on the Saturday 15th October at 7.30pm. Tickets £10 - under 18's free. Call 01625 528892.
- Stockport Operatic Society are performing Crazy for You at the Plaza in Stockport:- 25th Oct to 29th Oct.
- Party tickets will go on sale at the October and November meeting. It will be a Bollywood and curry evening.
- Dee told members that had bought her cake stands from the 10th Anniversary party that she had a washer available for each one that was left of the bottom of the bottom plate.
- Wendy thanked the kitchen team for their excellent home made cakes.
- Amanda reminded members about our ’Time to Talk’ campaign’ about organ donation and that at the next meeting we will find out how many more members had registered to be organ donors and how many more had told their friends and family that they are donors, compared with the count we made at the July meeting.
- Wendy again thanked our DCI for her very thought provoking serious talk.
- Wendy also thanked the committee who organised the weekend away at Glyn Ceiriog to celebrate our 10th Anniversary as it had been a tremendous success.
The meeting finished at 10.15pm
Monday 19th July 2016
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. - Notices:
Visitors who had visited previously were also welcomed; Diana, Julia, Ann, Tris & Christine. Josie visiting from Hale WI and Janet for the first time.
Jill O came for the first time since becoming a new member.
The NECG autumn visit to Chatsworth is going ahead and there are already 39 members signed up, please pay at the desk.
The walk tomorrow will be led by Diana Beech who outlined the walk to members.
The profit from yesterday's afternoon tea for ‘Early Essentials' Stockport is not yet known as the proceeds of the auction tonight will also go to 'Early Essentials'.
There are leaflets available if anyone wants to enter the Alderley Edge Show on the 20th August and submit an exhibit.
The cancelled Wilmslow Show had been a great disappointment to all WI members involved in preparing for the WI stall.
Wendy thanked members for their knitted products and said that twiddle muffs were available for people with dementia if requested.
3. Speaker for the Evening:
Waitrose had cancelled due to illness and instead the committee had agreed to put on a varied evening covering a number of very different topics.
- NECG presentation from the President, Alia El Asmar: Alia explained that the NECG comprised of 12 WIs in the region putting on joint events through the year. E.g. the Chatsworth visit is being run by the NECG as is the next walk from Disley in October. The team organised by the NECG who took part in the recent midnight walk will raise over £1,700 for St Ann’s Hospice. The autumn meeting will be on October 12th and the speaker will be Jean Martin (of Britain’s Got Talent fame) who will deliver an entertaining talk called ‘Signed, Sealed and Delivered’. Alia explained that they are always on the lookout for new and entertaining speakers.
Sheila explained the joint initiative between the Lancashire and Cheshire Federations of the WI, Manchester County Council and NHS Blood and Transplant to promote organ donation in the NW. This campaign culminates in Organ Donation week at the beginning of September. Sheila presented some of the statistics behind the campaign and explained that only 25% of people in Manchester are on the register compared to 33% in the rest of the UK.
Pauline went on to talk about ‘Time to Talk about Organ Donation’. Surprisingly 40 % of families refuse permission for their loved ones’ organs to be used after their death, even though many of them are on the Organ Donor Register. This is often because the families are unaware of the wishes of their loved one. When relatives understand before death that the person wanted to donate their organs and tissues than family consent goes up to 90%! Age is not a barrier to Organ Donation – 50% Organ Donors are over 50 and the oldest organ donor is 87. People in their 70s and 80s have become donors and saved many lives. Most donors are over 50. Medical conditions are not usually a barrier
HOW CAN WE TALK TO OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION? We know it is a difficult topic to bring up. We all have busy lives and so do our families, so where and when can we tell them? Make it a priority to find the opportunity – mention the WI initiative you can read and photocopy the WI life article about OD from February 2016 – pass it around to friends.
Amanda then asked the ladies present to put their hands up if they were on the register and 34 people said they were. This represents about 49% of the members present as there were around 70 members at the meeting. The average number of WI members on the register in the NW is 58% so this straw poll indicates that Fulshaw is slightly below the NW average. Also Amanda asked how many people on the register had told their family and friends about their wishes and 25 of the 34 (73%) said they had which is an excellent response. Amanda asked members to consider going on the register if they are currently not on it and for everyone to tell their relatives and friends their wishes. She will then ask the same questions again at the September meeting.
Lucy Jones, a double lung transplant recipient told us her inspiring life story: Lucy came over from the Wirral after work to tell us about her life changing transplant operation. All her life Lucy has had cystic fibrosis and 10 years ago her quality of life was so very poor that she decided to put her name on the waiting list for a lung transplant. This was not an easy decision to make because of the risks linked with the operation. After the operation Lucy could begin to lead a normal life, exercising regularly, riding a bike and eventually travelling frequently to many worldwide holiday destinations. Lucy is a research scientist at Unilever and she is passionate about telling people about the wonderful life-giving opportunities provided to very seriously ill patients by organ transplant, many of whom die while still on the waiting list. Lucy is a ‘transplant buddie’ at Wythenshawe Hospital where she helps counsel patients waiting for a transplant. We were all inspired by her story and we were left with much to think about. Amanda gave Lucy a very warm vote of thanks and we all clapped her very loudly!
3. Jean Hill asked members if they would be interested helping in developing the Wilmslow Neighbourhood Plan: Jean outlined what expertise was needed and handed out a questionnaire to fill in and return to the Wilmslow Parish Hall by the end of July.
4. Cheese Tasting: Sheila had provided 6 different cheeses to go on each table so that members could ‘guess the cheese’ after tasting all six. White or red wine was provided to help the cheese down! Identifying the cheeses proved tricky and the best table got 3 correct!
5. Auction of homemade cake stands to raise funds for ‘Early Essentials’: Amanda and Jennie donned white coats (on a hot evening) and Amanda very ably auctioned off over 30 tiered cake stands that Dee had made for the 10th Anniversary party on the Sunday. Jennie showed the sale goods to the members and about £120 was collected in a very entertaining way. Well done Amanda and Jennie! The profit will be lower than £120 as there was a cost in buying and assembling the lovely cake stands. Well done Dee!
6. ‘Summer’ Competition: The ladies from the NECG – Alia, Judith and Trish judged the competition with lots of lovely entries. First prize was awarded to Jennie P for her tennis raquet adorned with lots of summer home made items. Second place was awarded to Gail for her beautiful painting of a rose. Gail has only just started painting after winning the first bursary of the year!
7. Notices:
- Due to the cancellation of our planned speaker for September, Wendy told members that the next meeting will be a talk by one of our members who is in the Manchester CID talking about ‘How to solve a murder’.
- Visitors were asked to fill in forms and give them to Lorna if they were interested in applying to join Fulshaw WI.
The meeting ended at 10.00 pm
Monday 16th June 2016
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page and website.
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed first time visitors Maureen, Joan, Ann & Sandra.
- Visitors who had visited previously were also welcomed; Geraldine, Lesley & Tris.
- The WI walk on the 23rd June has had to be cancelled due to Pauline’s ankle injury.
- There are more tickets available for our 10th birthday party on 17th July.
- The NECG autumn visit to Chatsworth is going ahead and there are already 39 members signed up.
- Wendy read out a lovely thank you letter from a visitor to our last meeting.
- Wendy said that an email would be going out with details of the Wilmslow show and slots available.
- Wendy thanked the members who had made and brought the amazing bunting for Britain in Bloom to the meeting.
- Wendy thanked members for the huge amount of donated products for the ‘Early Essentials - Stockport’ charity that they had brought to the meeting.
- There are leaflets available if anyone wants to enter the Alderley Edge Show.
- Elizabeth Raffald (1733-1781): the first ‘domestic goddess’ who made the first Manchester Street map, wrote the first ever cookery book and wrote a book on midwifery. This all during a life giving birth to 16 daughters of whom only 3 survived. Elizabeth is to be immensely admired.
- Anne Lee (1736-1784): after her own personal unhappy life having been committed to an Asylum, she was then inspired to start the extreme religious ‘Shaker’ movement and she took it over to New York.
- Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) was a very significant woman in literature and social reform. She is best known for her books – Mary Barton, The Cranford novellas and Ruth.
- Lydia Becker (1827-1890): a botanist who started the Suffragist movement.
- Elizabeth Wolstenholme (1833-1914): an ardent feminist, suffragist and poet.
- Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928) is probably the best known of these ‘Manchester Women’ and has been named as one of the most important people of the 20th Century. She was of course a political activist and leader of the Suffragette movement. She also founded the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) and her daughter Christabel is almost as well known.
- Marie Stopes (1880-1958) was a paleo botanist and the first female lecturer at Manchester University. She was a pioneer in sexual health and birth control and wrote the first popular sex manual in Britain. She also started the first birth control clinics so Marie is also an extremely important figure in Manchester and the rest of the UK.
Amanda Stevens gave a vote of thanks to Ann for her very interesting presentation.
- Notices:
- Wendy told members that the next meeting will include a presentation by Waitrose with wine tasting. Due to ill health Waitrose has now had to cancel. Further details of our next meeting to follow.
- Wendy reported back to us about the Brighton AGM that she had attended and both resolutions were passed. Next year the AGM will be in Liverpool and she recommended it to us as a really excellent experience.
- There was a draw for the summer Bursary which is offered as part of our ways of celebrating our 10th birthday. Amanda Stevens won the bursary and she told us that it was for Willow Weaving and it would cover the cost of a day course for 10 Fulshaw members in willow weaving later on in the year.
- Alison Boddington asked members if anyone was prepared to hold a bucket to raise money for the RNLI for one hour at a time on 20th August.
- Members were asked to sign up if they wished to attend afternoon tea at the High School on 14th July between 12.30 – 2.00pm.
- Visitors were asked to fill in forms and give them to Lorna if they were interested in applying to join Fulshaw WI.
Raffle at 9.55 pm: Four prizes were awarded to lucky members!
Monday 16th May 2016
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Sue Roberts was thanked for donating a cookery book for the raffle
- Wendy welcomed the visitors for the evening: - Elaine , Heather , Jane , Patricia, Joanna , Lesley, Barbara, Beatrice, Claire Slack (Mobberley WI), and Marilyn (friend of Amanda)
- This evening is the final call for The Canary Girls, Show of Hands at Gawsworth and Relatively Speaking at the Lowry.
- Hilly passed on that the Macclesfield branch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind are looking for puppy walkers and foster carers.
- A home is needed for two female Burmese cats aged three due to Wendy’s friend moving into rented accommodation. Please register interest with Wendy.
- Volunteers are still required for the Wilmslow Show 10th July for two hour slots,
- Bunting makers for Britain in Bloom are needed - fabric, tape and instruction can be provided by Jennie
- We require ladies to help with the banner for the school - any offer of help however small will be gratefully received.
- Donna Johnstone mentioned the Wilmslow Wells for Africa Open Gardens - 25th June. Flyer to follow.
- Elaine Ockleton handed out The Alderley Edge Village Show brochures - Saturday 20th August. The brochures will also be available next month.
- Applications are invited for our June Bursary. Previous applications will go into the hat. Please send Wendy an email on how you would like to spend £150 for educational purposes in the local area or Denman.
- There will be a collection next month for donations (list to be sent out) for the charity Early Essentials (for newborns and their mothers) for anyone who is unable to attend the Afternoon Tea or those who would like to contribute in some way.
- There will be two more painting workshops on 19th July and 8th October.
- The Fulshaw WI 10th Anniversary summer garden party will be held on Sunday 17th July at the Wilmslow Pheonix Sports club, please sign up. Musical entertainment will be provided.
- Jennie said that ’weeders’ would be welcomed on the WI 100th Anniversary garden on the corner of Arlington Way and Moor Lane Wilmslow. She thanked the ”Little Gnome” who has left little notes saying what they have done to the garden! She had hidden a container (a cache) somewhere on the plot to be found by members who could place a new small item inside and sign the log book inside.
- One of our new members was warmly congratulated for receiving an ’Inspirational Women’ award in Manchester recently. She is a DCI in the Manchester Police Force and she explained briefly that the award was for her work recognising hidden domestic violence and abuse. She was warmly applauded for her work and award.
- The next meeting will be on the ’Women who made Manchester’ at the June meeting.
Professor Andrew Hughes gave an extremely thought provoking and informative talk entitled ’3Cs: Christie, Cancer and Cancer research UK’. Andrew began with an 11 question quiz relating to cancer in the UK e.g What % of people will get cancer in their life time? (Answer 50%);How many different types
Monday 22nd March 2016
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7. 30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page.
Members were asked to sign a list to say if they were willing for their e-mail address to be sent to other members when organising and planning different events.
- The raffle was announced
- Members were thanked for their entries for the NECG ‘New Baby’ card competition and a prize would be awarded to the winner this evening
- The name of the winner for the first 10th Anniversary bursary will be drawn at the end of the evening.
- There are 10 tickets available tonight for the NECG talk on 13th April by the father of the sextuplets.
- Places are still available for booking onto our 10th Anniversary weekend away on 16th September.
- Members were thanked for cakes for the Wilmslow Wells for Africa Souper day which went towards a total of £300.
- Members were also thanked for all their wonderful knitted squares for a mother and baby neonatal incubator unit. There were 104!
- Wendy asked members for ideas for the WI tent at the Wilmslow show in July. Fulshaw WI and Row of Trees are both contributing to a stall. Games and exhibit ideas are requested. Volunteers to help are also requested.
- Wendy welcomed visitors to the meeting:- Beryl O’Donnell, Mandy Maffei, Marie Stonehewer, Joyce Davis, Julia Sutton and Diana Boswell
Wendy welcomed Dave Walker of the Ark veterinary surgery in Mobberley. Dave talked to us for an hour and the time flew by as he kept us totally entertained. He told us about his life as a vet with many amazing and often amusing anecdotes about the various animals and situations he had encountered during his professional career. At the age of 10 he had been allowed by his local vet in Dewsbury to help out every day after school treating animals and he had continued to do this until he went to London University to train as a vet. After being a vet in Hampshire, Knutsford, Denbydale and Bolton he finally set up the Ark practice in 1999 in Mobberley (with another clinic in Northwich) and he now has 6 vets and 25 staff working for him. They have a wide range of diagnostic equipment ‘in house’ which saves vital time and thus saves lives of seriously ill or injured animals.
Dave is passionate about his work and he has had a very wide experience treating a huge range of farm animals, birds, family pets, zoo animals, wild animals and exotic pets. To be a good vet Dave says it’s vital to love the animals but to like the people more! We learned (among many things!) that it is possible to anaesthetize and operate on Koi carp (each worth up to £35K), to open up a tortoise for internal surgery and he has even helped save the life of a critically ill baby elephant at the Elephant orphanage in Nairobi. Hippos, crocodiles and flamingos also featured in his endlessly entertaining dash through his life as a vet!
Dave also gets involved with a very wide range of other animal related activities such as export and import of animals, the Big Cat Diaries for the BBC, Charity Guide dogs and the international rescue dogs based in Knutsford, to name but a few. Dave ended his entertaining hour by showing us a range of weird pieces of equipment used for various vet ‘jobs’ e.g. castration, dehorning, and many others.
Amanda gave a vote of thanks to Dave for his memorable and fascinating talk and we all gave him a huge round of applause.
3. Notices at 9.50pm:-
All members were invited to share an evening for new members at the Old Dancer on Monday 11th April at 7.30pm. Members interested were asked to register.
- The tea ladies for the evening were thanked for their delicious cakes.
- The prize for the best New Baby card went to Susie Withington and she received a posy of spring flowers.
- The first 10th Anniversary bursary went to Gail Hodgett who will probably be doing an art course or vegetarian cookery. She was absolutely delighted
- The raffle prizes were a pot of spring bulbs, a jar with biscuits, a tray and a box of chocolates.
4. Next Meeting:
The meeting ended at 10 pm.
Monday 22nd February 2016
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7. 30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with Safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out. Wendy asked members to tell her if they did not want their photo to go on the Fulshaw WI Facebook page. - Notices:
- Maximum membership numbers: Wendy explained that the committee had recommended that 100 (+ 1 or 2) should be the maximum number that the school room can safely and comfortably accommodate for meetings. A Q & A session took place. She asked the members for a show of hands for their support of this proposal and the voting was in favour of the proposal.
- Visitors were welcomed: - Marilyn Roseman (President of Didsbury WI), Pam Clements, Karen Margetson, Jill Ollerenshaw, Gillie Hanna
- New members for the 2016 year were also welcomed warmly:- Fiona Breed, Benita Kassas, Jane Holland, Myra Ball, Cheryl Solomou and Lydie Donald.
- Wendy advertised the play ‘Tommy Boy’ at the Wilmslow Green room (March 12-19th), but members should book themselves.
- NFWI Clean for the Queen Street tidying was promoted. Members were asked if interested in helping with litter picking locally, to contact Amanda to put them in touch with the Wilmslow Clean Team. They work in two hour shifts (10-12noon and 2-4 pm). Volunteers will be given Hi Viz jackets for safety.
- The Cheshire Show on 21st and 22nd June: Exhibition and refreshment stewards are needed and anyone interested should give their names to Wendy by e-mail.
- ‘New Baby Cards’: NECG are running a competition for these cards and members were asked to bring their artistic creations to the March meeting to select our entry.
- Collections of knitted chicks (for Francis Children’s Hospice), knitted breasts (for a South African charity) and bras (Against Breast Cancer) were made during the evening.
- Wendy asked for more entries for the first Fulshaw WI bursary for our 10th Anniversary year. Renewing members can apply for £150 to attend an educational course during 2106 (e.g. Art, craft, literature etc.). They need to give course details, say why they want to do it and be prepared to give feedback to a WI meeting afterward. The winner will be drawn out of a hat at the March meeting.
- Meeting: - Wendy welcomed Dee Waugh (Sweet Temptation) as the cookery demonstrator for this evening’s cake decoration event. Dee provided us with 2 cup cakes each, icing in icing bags, coloured sugar (bright red, green, yellow, blue and red) and various pre-prepared items so that we could construct and decorate two high heeled shoes each to take home. Dee expertly and clearly showed us all how to make these fancy ‘Jimmy Choo’ shoes! We then set about it ourselves and mostly with great success producing a legion of ‘cake shoes’. Everyone had fun and it was a very sociable evening. Dee was warmly thanked by Amanda and we all gave her a big round of applause.
- Notices:
- Wendy asked members to volunteer to make cakes for the Wilmslow Wells for Africa Souper day to be held on 12th March at Wilmslow Methodist Church, Wilmslow. Cakes can be delivered to Jennie Palin’s house on the Friday night or directly to the church before 11am on Saturday morning.
- Two tea ladies were required for March – Diane Atkinson and Pat Pinnock volunteered.
- The teas ladies for the evening were thanked for their delicious cakes.
- 10th Anniversary weekend away: Wendy asked if members would sign up and pay a deposit if they were interested in having two nights away (16th-18th Sept) in ‘posh’ youth hostel-style accommodation. The deposit would be £40 and the total would be ~ £80.
- Next Meeting: The next talk will be given by a local vet Dave Walker on Monday 21st March.
- Raffle: this was held at 9.45 pm and offered adult colouring books, teas and tea pot, bouquet of flowers and ‘pulled pork’ gift set.
FULSHAW WI MONTHLY MEETING: Monday 18th January 2016
- Welcome and Safety Notices:
- Notices:
- Wendy welcomed the new members:- Margaret Whitley, Janet Saxton, Wendy Taylor, Helen Whitehead, Morag Briscoe, Diana Beech, Rosemary Reid and Emma Smallwood.
- Visitors were also welcomed: - Fiona Breed, Benita Kassas, Jane Holland, Myra Ball, Cheryl Solomou and Lydie Donald.
- Wendy also welcomed a new 4 week old baby (and his Mum Susie and Grandmother Iris) and Barbara Death and her ‘Hearing dog for the deaf’ puppy. Both were incredibly well behaved for the whole evening!
- Members were reminded to sign up for forthcoming events at the Events Table as usual.
- Members were encouraged to complete their voting slips for the forthcoming resolutions.
- Talk:
Mindfulness teaches us to pay attention to the moment and during the talk Jan asked us to do one minute exercises in switching our minds off and paying attention to breathing. The whole room was silent as we closed our eyes and focused in on the moment (the baby gurgled and the puppy chewed quietly on a bone!). Janet explained how mind and body are linked and the gut has its own neurons and reacts to stress as well as our brain. Stress reduces the immune system functioning in many ways making stressed people much more susceptible to illness. Mindfulness training will improve the ability of people to respond to stress in the future and help us to better control our mental and physical responses to challenging situations.
Jan and her colleague Jo run a variety of courses on Mindfulness and they can be contacted through their website www.mindfuloutlook.co.uk . Jan’s talk was very well received and she was warmly applauded.
- Final Notices:
- The next members meeting will be on Monday 22nd February and it will be a practical session on cupcakes run by Dee Waugh.
- Wendy announced that we are planning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Fulshaw WI in 2016 by having a weekend away in September. Two nights away would cost around £60 and there would be crafts available, walks and a speaker. There is a WI committee working party researching the best venue. A show of hands revealed strong support for such a venture.
- The NECG are trying to assess support from the local WIs for a sports day. A show of hands revealed only limited support for this idea.
- Members were apprised of the activities of the ‘Tea and Tents’ weekend if they wanted to try and enrol.
5) The Raffle:
The raffle was held at 9.50 pm. Raffle prizes: Tom Kerridge cook book, Flower basket, Fruit basket, Wax lyrical set.
The meeting closed at 9.55pm
FULSHAW WI MONTHLY MEETING: 2015 Christmas Party
14th December 2015
1. Welcome:
The Party was held at the URC rooms on Chapel Lane, Wilmslow and the rooms were set up from 6.00 – 7.30 pm and the doors opened to members at 7.30 pm. The members were seated at 10 tables of 8 by 8.00pm. The band Haycorn set up in the main room and the dining tables were in the side room where the meal was served. Wendy welcomed the members and explained the safety notices.
2. Party Hoe Down & Meal:
- Approximately 80 members and band members attended the annual Christmas Party.
- Ladies brought their Secret Santa gift and enjoyed mulled wine on arrival.
- The room was beautifully decorated in the main hall with a Christmas theme including our Christmas tree entry from the festival. The side room was also decorated with balloons, plants, chocolates and nibbles. Both committee members and members helped to make this possible.
- The band started the dancing at 8.00pm and the caller got the majority of members up and dancing for a Hoe Down until 8.45pm (3 dances). Spot prizes were handed out.
- The delicious Hot pot supper was prepared and served by an external company served and puddings were prepared and provided by Sweet Temptations.
- Dancing resumed at about 9.30pm although fewer members danced in the second part the floor was still filled with happy Hoe Downers! Only one dance was completed after the meal and the raffle was held at 10.00pm.
- A table quiz was available during the evening which members fought to win tubes of “Smarties”!
3. Raffle & Chairman’s closing remarks at 10.30 pm:
1. The raffles were held and the additional ‘helpers’ prizes of vouchers went to Lydia Potts, Sarah Wells, Dee Waugh and Christine Kennedy.
2. The raffle for the 19 hampers was then held and members were delighted with their prizes.
3. Balloons and plants were won with tickets under the members seats.
4. Wendy thanked everyone for all their hard work in planning a setting up the party which was deemed by all to have been a very successful evening.
5. Wendy also thanked Lorna, Gail and Dee for all their hard work in organising and setting up the Christmas tree for the Church festival which won us third prize. The prize was presented to Wendy by Christine Kennedy (on behalf of the churches). The festival had raised £804 for the mother and baby unit at Styal prison.
6. Everyone left with a gift and happy smiles.
4. Next meeting:
AGM AND MONTHLY MEETING 16th November 2015
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Safety notices were given and members were welcomed to the AGM by the president.
Notices:
Wendy welcomed Helen from ‘Incredible Edible’ who told the members that they has won a gold medal from Britain in Bloom and that the centenary WI/Incredible Edible garden on Arlington Way, Wilmslow had also contributed towards the "Community Effort" award. The members warmly applauded the good news!
Wendy explained that during the evening there would be a ‘member’s makers market’ in the adjoining classroom where there were 8 stalls with produce for sale during the meeting.
The biscathon biscuits would be tasted and best biscuits chosen after the AGM business.
Margaret Whitley and Beryl Lister from Over Alderley and Birtles WI were present during the meeting as Tellers for the vote for president.
Members wanting to come to the Christmas party should register with Jenny as we need to know numbers for catering purposes. Cost is £5 and tickets were on sale.
Meeting and AGM:
The annual report was presented by the secretary Pauline Handley. This was proposed by the President and adopted by a show of hands.
The annual financial report was presented by the treasurer Jennie Palin. Jennie reported that an average of 60+ % of members attended each meeting over the year and the balance at the end of the financial year is £6,431.32. We subsidise many of the educational events held by Fulshaw. We make a profit on the monthly raffles which adds to the balance. Because of this healthy balance we are able to offer a free AGM meeting and a free meeting in January if members pay their annual subscription in or by January. As we are a charity ourselves we cannot give directly to charity but we support charity indirectly in practical ways e.g. bras for an African charity, Morsbags for food friend etc. Jennie thanked Jane Rawlings and Helen Hopkins for their help with the finances and on the door and the events table. We are also currently applying to be a member of the charity commission as we have a balance of over £5,000. The report was proposed by Jennie and seconded by Jean Hill.
Wendy Morris gave the president’s address and she outlined why she joined Fulshaw WI and how much the social side of the WI meant to her personally. Wendy said that she was proud of the very active membership and committee who had all contributed to a very successful, and very busy centenary year. Wendy introduced each member of the committee who were all standing again for election for 2016. Each committee member made a statement on how long they had been a member and how long they had been on the committee and explained their role on the committee.
Introduction of Committee Nominees for 2016:-
Rosemary Bradley: organizes and runs the refreshments for the meetings and plans the Rota.
Lorna Davey: responsible for new members and visitor hospitality, flowers for the raffle and running the AGM competitions.
Pauline Handley (elected secretary): records the minutes for the committee meetings and the monthly member meetings.
Gail Hodgett: helps with refreshments, setting out and putting away and stands in with all other positions when required.
Helen Hopkins: (an original member from 2006): talks, programme planner and helps the treasurer on the reception desk.
Jennie Palin (elected treasurer): keeps a very detailed record of all the WI finances, reports to committee, and this year designed and planned our Fulshaw centenary garden. Mans the reception desk.
Sheila Parker: set up and runs the Fulshaw WI website. Joint NECG rep. Also was the 2015 Speakers Secretary.
Jane Rawlings: mans the events desk and plans and leads the walks and cycle rides and many other events. Assistant treasurer.
Amanda Stevens: Vice-president. Mans the events booking table. Joint NECG rep.
Dee Waugh: Puts on the reception drinks and runs the raffle and buys the prizes. Catering for in house events.
Adoption of Committee for 2016: All committee members were standing again and were re-elected by a show of hands as no-one else was standing for the committee.
Nomination for president 2016: Wendy said she was willing to stand for re-election for 2016 and put herself up for election by ballot. Every member was asked to write down the name of the committee member that they wanted as president on a blank piece of paper. The two tellers from Over Alderley and Birtles WI collected the voting slips and counted the results. Wendy Morris was overwhelmingly re-elected as none of the other committee members named wanted to stand as president.
Biscathon: there were 28 entries and the winners were: - Sweet biscuits - Dot Bracegirdle and runner up Jess Davidson. Savoury biscuits – Jane Whittle and runner up Alison Boddington.
The Raffle: i) Trifle bowl (glass) ii) lantern iii) cake tins stack iv) Flowers plus four other prizes donated by the stall holders from the Makers Market.
The meeting closed at 9.50pm
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Monday 19th October 2015
Welcome and Safety Notices:
Doors opened at 7.30pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and committee members. Welcome drinks were served. Members could book future events. Meeting opened at 8pm with safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out.
Notices:
Wendy advised members that the Fulshaw website and Facebook pages are kept updated with forthcoming events as well as write ups and photos of events that have taken place and she invited members to visit both regularly.
As a result of the Morsbag workshop held earlier this month, 100 Morsbags have now been received, some of which have already been distributed.
A recipe book swop took place.
Events:
Wendy informed us that this year, the Christmas party will take place on Monday 14th December. Entrance will be £5 (members only) and will include a pie and pea supper plus dessert. A ceilidh will also be held.
She told us that there have been several successful events held this month. She added that the Book Club will take place on Thursday 22nd Nov and that the last walk this year is planned for Tuesday 27th Nov.
Spare places are still available for the Afternoon tea at the Clink and also for the Ten pin bowling event.
A biscathon will be held during the AGM, entries required, and members were also invited, by prior arrangement, to bring their homemade goods to sell on a stall.
It has been confirmed that Fulshaw will support the Wilmslow Christmas Tree Festival this year and the chosen carol is In the Bleak Mid Winter. Members were invited to make suitable silver, white or blue decorations in keeping with this theme. Thanks to Lorna who had made examples of decorations and biscuits to show us.
Meeting:
Dave Mooney, Chef Patron/Director of the New Moon Company gave us a colourful and entertaining talk about his career in catering during which he has worked with Raymond Blanc and Marco Pierre White. His love of food began when he was sent to live in rural France to learn to speak French and he saw how important food and the use of the best ingredients was to the French.
He came back to England to take his exams and then returned to France for 2 years where he had 3 jobs, working in a restaurant, in a market and in a market garden.Throughout this time, lunch was always the highlight of the day and it could last up to 1.5 hours and would always include wine. Next, he returned to England and began working at Le Manoir aux Quats’ Saisons under Raymond Blanc who he described as a very talented and fantastic man. He told us about the service periods in the kitchen which were silent affairs but then afterwards fights and arguments would break out between the chefs, some even resulting in broken limbs! Then Marco Pierre White appeared………...a 6’ 4’’ tall chef who never washed, lived on cigarettes and coffee, threw pans and knives around the kitchen at people, but who Dave said was sublimely talented. We were told he has mellowed somewhat recently, since he became a dad!
Dave’s current role as Chef Patron/Director of the New Moon Company began in 2011 when they bought the Lord Binning pub in Kelsall, then the Hanging Gate, followed by the Old Sessions House in Knutsford which all involved massive refurbishments, change of image and clientele. The Company now own 8 premises, employ almost 280 staff and aim to open another 4 establishments within the next year.
Interspersed with all this, he gave us a practical demonstration of how to prepare Vimmy Duck, one of the dishes featured on his restaurant menu and which has Vimto cordial as one of its ingredients. Despite struggling with a fused oven, he managed to produce and serve the dish, whilst giving us lots of culinary tips and ideas such as using British rapeseed oil instead of olive oil, to always invest in good quality knives and pans and to use duck fat to make wonderful roast potatoes. He also demonstrated some fantastic knife skills.
Wendy thanked Dave for his hugely entertaining talk.
Final Notices:
Wendy reminded everyone about the AGM next month. She told the meeting that the 3 people holding the 3 key roles on the Committee, ie. Wendy as President, Pauline as Secretary and Jennie as Treasurer were happy to continue, however if anyone is interested in standing for one of these roles, they should contact Wendy.
The current committee members have also all indicated that they would like to continue to serve on the committee and again Wendy stated that anyone who wished to consider standing for the committee should contact her. She added that there is currently no consideration being given to increase the size of the committee although members are welcome to help out with duties where possible.
It was noted that over 100 sanitary products were collected at the last meeting and Wendy took the items to Coffee4Craig who will distribute them to their Street Kitchens. They were overwhelmed by the generosity and Wendy thanked the ladies that had donated.
The raffle was drawn. There were five prizes, a teatowel and Wilmslow High School Cookery calendar, a Mary Berry Cookery book, Jams and Chutney in a hamper, a planter filled with flowers and a £30 voucher for the Old Sessions House donated by Dave Mooney.
The meeting closed at 9.55pm
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Monday 21st September 2015
Welcome and Safety Notices
Doors opened at 7. 30 pm and everyone was welcomed by Wendy and the committee members. Welcome drinks and nibbles were served. Members could book future events at the events table before the meeting started. The meeting opened at 8.00 pm with safety notices. Fire exits were pointed out.
Notices:
Wendy asked if members on Facebook would consider ticking the ‘like’ button when they read our Facebook entry.
Liz Moss and Jean Hill had brought lots of books to the meeting for members to borrow and return after reading.
The sanitary products collected this evening are going to ‘Coffee for Craig’, a Manchester charity for the homeless.
Wendy thanked Dee very warmly for making our celebration cake for the centenary of the WI. It was on display to be cut later for members to take home. It was admired by all!
Wendy welcomed the visitors for the evening: - Emma Smallwood, Bridget Reynolds, Karen Horrocks, Helen Whitehead, Morag Briscoe, Diana Beech, Rosemary Reid, Alison Annal and Sylvia Thompson (Whitefriars WI – Chester).
Jerusalem: Wendy announced that because we were celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the WI, we would be singing Jerusalem for this meeting only. Members sang with great energy and feeling and we made a good sound and fair ‘lifted the roof off!’
Events: Wendy told the meeting very briefly about a series of very successful recent events that members had attended:
Harrogate Centenary Festival
Alderley Edge show
Mottram show
Fulshaw WI book club.
The opening of the Fulshaw WI centenary garden
Ski diving!
There were more events coming up to sign up for e.g. theatre visits, walking and cycling.
Wendy requested members to nominate people for community awards. Feedback names to Wendy.
Donna will be organising a walk for Children in Need on October the 10th or 11th (to be decided).
Amanda explained about the Morsbags making day on Saturday 3rd October from 10.00 - 2.00pm. Members can drop in any time, please bring a sewing machine and /or an ironing board if easy to do so. Bring lunch but coffee will be provided. If members cannot attend Jennie will demonstrate to members how to make them. Please contact Jennie. Amanda had brought along lots of ‘cut out sets’ for members to take home and make up.
Meeting:
John and Sandra Horsman brought along a number of Marionettes to show members and John gave a talk on the history of marionettes followed by the story their ‘Life with Marionettes’. He showed a series of pictures of the sets he had made and of the many puppets used in plays they performed. We had to handle the marionettes ourselves if we wanted to see them after the talk. They were clearly still passionate about their lifetime hobby. Tea and cakes were served at 9.15pm.
Final Notices:
We will be collecting items for the Christmas hampers at the October meeting.
David Mooney, a well-known professional chef, will be giving us a demonstration at the October meeting. This will probably be very popular and it is unlikely that we will be able to have visitors.
Please bring along unwanted Cookery Books for a ‘swap’ at the October meeting.
There will be a Macmillan coffee morning and tea this coming Friday (25th September) at 76 Patch Lane, Bramhall, SK7 1HR, near Syddal Crescent from 10.00 – 12.00pm and 2 - 4pm organised by members.
Raffle: the raffle was held at 9.50 pm
Raffle prizes: 3 pretty empty gift boxes, bag + bottle of Cava, set of various coffees and cut flowers.
The meeting closed at 9.55 pm
Monday 20th July 2015
1. Welcome and Safety Notices
Wendy welcomed the visitors and two new members – Iris Jay and Susie Withington. Also, Janice Sim was given a card as this would be her final meeting before leaving for Devon. We wished her all the best.
2. Notices
- Brief report from the WI camping weekend 17-19th July "Tea and Tents". Six Fulshaw members attended.
Wendy also thanked Hilly for organising canoeing this month and also thanked all who have organised events and supported them – great turnout for many varied activities.
Thank you for the clothes donation for Styal Prison last month – members were very generous.
Nearly £800 was made at the Alderley Fete for Francis House Children’s Hospice with the generous contributions of cakes made by Fulshaw WI members, thank you.
A WI centenary/Incredible Edible garden bed has been created on the corner of Arlington Way and Moor Lane. Official opening planned for 16th September, the hundreth anniversary date of the starting of the WI.
Elaine Ockleton is promoting the Alderley Village Show 22/08/15. Speak to her for further details regarding flower/fruit and Veg/craft competitions. Details on the Alderley Edge Village Show website.
Pam Townley from Row of Trees WI came to report on her attendance of the WI AGM at the Royal Albert Hall. Pam would have voted on behalf of Fulshaw WI and Row of Trees WI in relation to the resolution but was unable to do so because the resolution was deferred. Pam reported that she really enjoyed the whole experience. Wendy thanked Pam.
Lucy Worsley documentary Cake Bakers and Trouble Makers will be shown on BBC 2 tonight at 9pm.
Grace Brearley is making a limited edition of poppies for sale to raise money for the British Legion in Wilmslow. Please see Grace for more information.
3/10/15, 10-4pm has been set aside as a Morsbag-making day. Please put this date in your diary. - 3. Meeting
- Sarah Pendle ([email protected]) presented a very entertaining and informative presentation about herbs and spices that can be used in cookery. Sarah distributed samples of 10 spices to all members of the audience to see if they could identify what they were and whether they tasted sweet, sour, salty, bitter or umami.
- She followed this with 5 spice blends that the audience had to try and identify.
- Amanda thanked Sarah
- 4. Final Notices
- The summer book swap basket was full. If you brought a book for the swap then please remember to take one home.
Don’t forget the family walk and other activities during the summer break
Further details about the coach to Harrogate on the 4th September for the WI Show will be emailed to all members
Wendy wished everyone a happy summer break
The raffle was drawn. There were four prizes, a potted plant, a summer hamper, a large candle in a vase and a plant in a glass terrarium.