Monthly Meetings

We meet, usually at the Village Hall, on the second Thursday evening of the month. We normally have an invited speaker, and the topics for the talks vary widely. The subject may not have been one you would have thought to read up about, but the enthusiasm of the speakers rubs off on the audience who generally end up entertained and informed. Past speakers have talked on and demonstrated, for example, how the knights got dressed in their armour, belly dancing, and the Heart of England Way. Instead of a speaker we will occasionally organise our own entertainment with a short play or a selection of sketches, performed by willing members. Return to top of page

Monthly lunches

About a dozen of us go out for a lunch at a reasonable price in one of the local pubs or restauranys; a chance to chat and catch up, enjoying good food and a drink together. Return to top of page

Fund raising

We nominate a local organisation as a "good cause" each year to give back to our community. This might be the old people's association or the pre-school or the village hall, for example. As well as specific events, such as a fork buffet, jumble sale or coffee morning we also provide cake stalls for other village events like the church fair or cricket club funday. We also take part in the Christmas Shoe Box project to provide gifts for deprived children in the third world. Return to top of page

Participating in the Warwickshire Federation

Members are welcome at regional events such as the intellectually challenging series of "Serious Science" lectures, which have included lectures from locally acknowledged experts on digital TV and fractals. Other memorable events have been a very amusing talk by one of the calendar girls and a practical afternoon on earthquake engineering, organised by the Bristol University Faculty of Engineering. Members receive regular bulletins from the federation about Warwickshire events. Read more about the Warwickshire Federation of WIs Return to top of page

The great outdoors

Interested members and their husbands occasionally organise a walk followed by a pub lunch. We also had an evening gliding in summer 2008 and did a day canoeing in summer 2009.

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Competitions

As well as the traditional WI jam and marmalade making competitions, we also compete for the Pat Plant Trophy in memory of one of our former members. The competition for this varies from year to year and could be a short story or a still-life watercolour or a poem. We also submit an entry on behalf of our WI to group events, from time to time, when the other local WIs get together for an evening.
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Taster days

When funds permit a taster day is sometimes arranged. Recent ones have included the Alexander Technique and Singing for Pleasure.
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More than 40 active members

We are a thriving WI and usually have 25 or 30 members at each meeting. We have members from all walks of life, and from their 40s to their 80s, but all young at heart. We are keen to attract new members and have recently welcomed more younger members.
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Social events and Days Out

Each year a couple of days out to places of interest are organised by the social secretary, for example to the back to backs in Birmingham or to the lavendar fields at Snowshill.
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Friendship

We genuinely enjoy each other's company; even washing up the coffee cuos turns into a time to chat to friends. As neighbours and part of a small community, with the inevitable lack of facilities like transport to hospital or local shops, we try to help each other out when the going gets tough.
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Campaigning

Nationally the WI has a loud voice as there are so many members. Each year resolutions are made to campaign for improvements to peoples lives which could be to do with for example environmental issues, health concerns, children's wellbeing etc. The WI tries to influence government on issues voted for as important to members.

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You

Would you care to join us and take part in as much of this frenetic activity as you would like?
Details of the next meeting are on the village noticeboards a couple of weeks in advance, so come along and meet us.
Alternatively if you prefer, email us with your contact details and we will pass them on to our President, Pam Shaw.

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