Long Eaton WI (LEWI) Annual Meeting
Tuesday 1 May 2018
May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton
LONG EATON WI COMMITTEE’S REPORT 2018
Since our last Annual Meeting in May 2018 we have seen the membership increase to 75 Full Members and 15 Dual Members and 5 years since its inception, the LEWI is now full and we hold a waiting list. Including May 2017, we have had 745 ladies attend 11 meetings plus an open meeting. We average 52 members at each meeting and 9 visitors.
During our meetings we have been educated and inspired by various speakers; we have learnt all about beekeeping, how working dogs are trained, the history of our knickers and how to care for ourselves using aromatherapy. We’ve learnt how to do the Downward Dog in Yoga and how to shimmy in Salsa. We’ve joined in the singing with many of our members who are also members of the Rockabillies Choir (which they joined after a previous meeting) and tested our general knowledge with a quiz whilst sampling and judging cakes washed down with prosecco. And one of our ladies, Sandra Abbey, gave us a unique insight into the world of midwifery. Embracing the WI’s Resolution of Alleviating Loneliness, we invited Age UK to talk to us about their work and how acts of kindness can make all the difference. This theme followed into us voting for this year’s resolution ‘Mental Health Matters’ and it was a meeting that re-affirmed for many that the WI really is Inspiring Women.
As a group we really do embrace various calls for help and donations for local charities; Ann Stannard kindly collects food and sundries, quarterly, for the local Food Bank. We have also knitted premature baby hats for Derby Hospital, collected toiletries for women who find themselves homeless, donated material to use for sanitary wear in 3rd world countries, donated and bought scarves for the Saving Denman Appeal, held a raffle to support the Grenfell Tower fire appeal, donated baked beans for St John’s Church and cooked the Christmas Meal for the Canaan Trust. This year we are also looking at ways in which we can support the local branch of the Leonard Cheshire Trust through the Trustees Challenge.
Our members also continue to organise and run a number of different activities for the rest of us. Pat Skelson organises a monthly coffee morning and Stephanie Burton organises the monthly evening meal to various local restaurants. Both of which are well attended and open to all of us. We currently have 2 evening book clubs and another is about to start. And a Knit and Knatter group. We have also enjoyed various trips to the theatre thanks to Naomi Platkiw. And several creative events. If any member has an idea of anything they wish to run or organise, please have a chat with the President or Secretary.
LEWI continues to integrate with our local community. With very little notice, we ran a very successful cake stall at the 2017 Long Eaton Carnival. Something we aim to replicate this year. We have also displayed our Christmas Tree, complete with decorations, at the Christmas Tree Festival in St Laurence’s Church and made Birds of Peace with Erewash Museum. And for the first time, we were extremely proud that the President laid a wreath on our behalf at Long Eaton’s Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
Our members have supported two Trent Vale meetings where we have enjoyed meeting those in other WI’s. We have also provided representation at both the NFWI and DWFI meetings. And Denise Evans did herself and us proud by winning 1st place at the County Show for her beautiful book folding. And we are also very proud that Julie Morley created a masterpiece Centenary brick for the new DFWI wall-hanging.
The end of last year’s Annual Meeting saw us say thank you and goodbye to our 2nd President, Fay Rumley, and welcome our third, Jo Bartram. With her heading up LEWI’s committee, we have evolved and now have 3 Secretaries and all committee members have a role (although we all help each other when needed). I thank all those who have served on the committee this year for their tireless dedication to the LEWI. We enjoy the ‘job’ and would welcome any members who wish to join us. And of course, we could not do it without all of the members; those who are on LEWI ladies and those that organise or assist the various groups, trips, events and charitable collections. We really are a group of Inspiring Women.
Cindy
Cindy Clark
Secretary
Tuesday 1 May 2018
May Hall, Trent College, Long Eaton
LONG EATON WI COMMITTEE’S REPORT 2018
Since our last Annual Meeting in May 2018 we have seen the membership increase to 75 Full Members and 15 Dual Members and 5 years since its inception, the LEWI is now full and we hold a waiting list. Including May 2017, we have had 745 ladies attend 11 meetings plus an open meeting. We average 52 members at each meeting and 9 visitors.
During our meetings we have been educated and inspired by various speakers; we have learnt all about beekeeping, how working dogs are trained, the history of our knickers and how to care for ourselves using aromatherapy. We’ve learnt how to do the Downward Dog in Yoga and how to shimmy in Salsa. We’ve joined in the singing with many of our members who are also members of the Rockabillies Choir (which they joined after a previous meeting) and tested our general knowledge with a quiz whilst sampling and judging cakes washed down with prosecco. And one of our ladies, Sandra Abbey, gave us a unique insight into the world of midwifery. Embracing the WI’s Resolution of Alleviating Loneliness, we invited Age UK to talk to us about their work and how acts of kindness can make all the difference. This theme followed into us voting for this year’s resolution ‘Mental Health Matters’ and it was a meeting that re-affirmed for many that the WI really is Inspiring Women.
As a group we really do embrace various calls for help and donations for local charities; Ann Stannard kindly collects food and sundries, quarterly, for the local Food Bank. We have also knitted premature baby hats for Derby Hospital, collected toiletries for women who find themselves homeless, donated material to use for sanitary wear in 3rd world countries, donated and bought scarves for the Saving Denman Appeal, held a raffle to support the Grenfell Tower fire appeal, donated baked beans for St John’s Church and cooked the Christmas Meal for the Canaan Trust. This year we are also looking at ways in which we can support the local branch of the Leonard Cheshire Trust through the Trustees Challenge.
Our members also continue to organise and run a number of different activities for the rest of us. Pat Skelson organises a monthly coffee morning and Stephanie Burton organises the monthly evening meal to various local restaurants. Both of which are well attended and open to all of us. We currently have 2 evening book clubs and another is about to start. And a Knit and Knatter group. We have also enjoyed various trips to the theatre thanks to Naomi Platkiw. And several creative events. If any member has an idea of anything they wish to run or organise, please have a chat with the President or Secretary.
LEWI continues to integrate with our local community. With very little notice, we ran a very successful cake stall at the 2017 Long Eaton Carnival. Something we aim to replicate this year. We have also displayed our Christmas Tree, complete with decorations, at the Christmas Tree Festival in St Laurence’s Church and made Birds of Peace with Erewash Museum. And for the first time, we were extremely proud that the President laid a wreath on our behalf at Long Eaton’s Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
Our members have supported two Trent Vale meetings where we have enjoyed meeting those in other WI’s. We have also provided representation at both the NFWI and DWFI meetings. And Denise Evans did herself and us proud by winning 1st place at the County Show for her beautiful book folding. And we are also very proud that Julie Morley created a masterpiece Centenary brick for the new DFWI wall-hanging.
The end of last year’s Annual Meeting saw us say thank you and goodbye to our 2nd President, Fay Rumley, and welcome our third, Jo Bartram. With her heading up LEWI’s committee, we have evolved and now have 3 Secretaries and all committee members have a role (although we all help each other when needed). I thank all those who have served on the committee this year for their tireless dedication to the LEWI. We enjoy the ‘job’ and would welcome any members who wish to join us. And of course, we could not do it without all of the members; those who are on LEWI ladies and those that organise or assist the various groups, trips, events and charitable collections. We really are a group of Inspiring Women.
Cindy
Cindy Clark
Secretary