Womens Institute
Meeting Reports 2023
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January

 

Elaine Barker, President, welcomed everyone to the first meeting of 2023, including our speaker, Tom Way.

 

The Christmas meeting and meal on 8 December at The Plough was much enjoyed by members and was pronounced to be a great success, as was the Christmas Carol Quiz which Elaine Barker produced. Thanks were given to Margaret Ritter for the organisation.

 

The Beechwood Group Spring Meeting will be in Wendover on 25 April when Sarah Slater from Hampton Court will give a talk on “Sex, Secrets Scandal and Salacious Gossip in the Royal Court”. Rude but amusing apparently!

 

Members should read the Resolutions which are printed in the November/December edition of the WI Life magazine as they will be required to vote on them at the February meeting.

 

Volunteers were requested for a team to compete in the Jigsaw Challenge, which is on 28 February at Stocklake, Aylesbury. Also, a team is needed for the County Quiz being held on 23 March at Prestwood.

The annual Investigation & Discovery Day will be at Holy Trinity Church, Aylesbury on 14 March 10am–4pm and anyone interested in attending should sign the board at the next meeting. The cost is £20 per member. This is always a fascinating and informative day.

 

We had Tom Way give us a talk and slide show a few years ago and he did not disappoint this time either. His grandparents used to live in Brays Lane and many members could remember them, particularly his grandfather who was Carter Aerials.

 

Tom has been photographing wildlife for ten years or more, ever since he took time out to travel after university and became fascinated with taking pictures of all the exotic animals he came across. As a professional photographer he now exhibits and sells his pictures around the world. He had been in South Africa since last August and in the two weeks at home over Christmas he was able to visit us to give a beautiful slide show and explain how and where he had taken each one, whether it was an elephant or a puffin!

Afterwards, members took advantage of buying cards and pictures.

 

 

The next meeting will be on 9 February at 8pm when Mike Grundy will talk about “The Dramatic Art of the London Underground”.

 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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February

President, Elaine welcomed all members, including one guest, Pauline, to the February meeting.

 

She then introduced our speaker, Mike Grundy, who gave his initial talk and slide show on “The Dramatic Art of the London Underground ten years ago, but still many people did not notice the beautiful and fascinating artwork on the walls of the various stations.

 

He took us on a trip on the underground showing pictures from well-known Hitchcock films, Renaissance art near the National Gallery, silhouettes of Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street and Eduardo Prolozzi mosaics at Tottenham Court Road. We concluded that when we next travel in London, we will keep our eyes open!

 

Margaret Dunn told us that the village fete would be on 13 May and, as she would be away on holiday, would appreciate some volunteers to help co-ordinate the teas and cakes we served in the Cricket Pavilion.

 

The Beechwood Group Spring meeting will be at St Anne’s church hall at 7 for 7.30pm on 25 April. Sarah Slater will speak about “The Royal Court 1660-1830 – Scandal and Gossip”.

 

Elaine summarised the four Resolutions proposed then members voted on each one. The results will go forward to the BFWI.

 

Next January 2024 our Institute will be 60 years old. Elaine outlined some ideas the Committee had about the Diamond Anniversary celebrations and asked members for their ideas.

 

The team of Mary Collins, Pam Ruff and Anne Underwood were given good wishes for the BFWI Jigsaw being held on 28 February.

The Annual WI Subscriptions will be due on 1 April. This year the NFWI has set the amount at £46 which is divided between NFWI, BFWI and our own Institute.

 

The Committee proposes to reduce the subscription payable to Hyde Heath Evening WI Institute by £8 to £38 for the year. After discussions, this was agreed.

 

Elaine explained that the Independent Financial Examination Advisors stipulated that sufficient funds should be available to cover 12 months’ expenses, or a minimum of 6 months, for hall hire, speaker expenses etc so in the current climate the Committee felt we should opt out of raising funds for a specific charity this year but support our own Institute.

After discussions, members agreed to this suggestion.

 

A team of three volunteers were asked for to take part in the Inter-County Quiz being held on 23 March.

 

Elaine has organised a guided walk/outing around Jordans on 3 May starting at 1pm at the Green. The cost will be £5 to include refreshments plus £1 towards our funds.

 

The Beechwood Autumn meeting will be on 18 October in Cholesbury.

 

The next meeting will be at 8pm on 9 March when Jo Laurie will talk about “Charing Cross to China”.

 
 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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March
 

President, Elaine, welcomed everyone to the March meeting, including the speaker, Jo Laurie, accompanied by her husband, Graham, who acted as her technical assistant for the evening!

 

Congratulations were given to the Jigsaw Challenge team of Pam Ruff, Anne Underwood and Mary Collins, who came 2nd out of about twelve teams and just 3 mins behind the winners! The jigsaw is available for members to borrow.

 

The WI Bulb Scheme brochures were available to take home.

 

The team of Avril, Christine and Anne Underwood are awaiting confirmation of a place in the BFWI Inter-County Quiz to be held on 23 March.

 

The Beechwood Group Spring meeting will be at Wendover at 7 for 7.30pm on 25 April at St Anne’s Hall, Wendover, cost £5. A board was circulated for those wishing to attend to sign.

 

A Guided Walk/Outing has been arranged by Elaine for 3 May 1 – 4pm meeting at Jordans Village & Visitor Centre. The cost is £5 plus £1 to our funds.

 

Volunteers were asked for to help with the teas and provision of cakes in the Cricket Pavilion at the Hyde Heath Fete on 13 May. A £3 refund will be available to cake makers.

 

The Hyde Heath Evening WI will be celebrating their 60th Diamond Anniversary in January 2024 and members were asked to give any ideas they may have for a suitable celebration to a member of the Committee.

 

It has been suggested that we bring forward the start time of the meetings by half an hour to 7.30pm to enable all members to join in the social and refreshment part of the meetings as the present finish time was felt to be rather late, particularly on dark evenings. This will be discussed and voted on by members in due course.

 

“Clean Rivers for People & Wildlife” is the Resolution which has been selected for the NFWI Annual Meeting in Cardiff on 25 May.

 

The subsidised Annual Subscription of £38 was agreed by members at the February meeting and will be due by the end of March.

 

Elaine then introduced Jo Laurie, who described the life of her Mother, an amazing woman who trained at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge to become a State Registered Nurse. After working at Charing Cross Hospital for a while, she travelled by sea to China to work in Shanghai.

As a young woman she travelled and worked in the Far East and Africa keeping diaries and photos of her experiences which Jo used to create her talk .

 

Next month’s meeting will be at 8pm on 13 April when Kate Lillie will give a talk on “Medic to Medic”.

 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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April
 

Elaine, President, welcomed all members and our speaker, Kate Lillie with her husband Richard, to the April meeting. Unfortunately, both Mary Rose, Secretary, and Avril, Treasurer, were absent due to ill health. Mary Collins stood in for Avril.

 

A form was available for members to sign if they approved of the start time of the monthly meetings being moved from 8 to 7.30pm.

 

She had received a message from Estelle Johns, who asked Elaine to let all members know that she and her husband, Tony, will be downsizing and moving to the West Country very soon. She had been unable to attend meetings for some time, but she was very grateful for all the friendship of everyone at the WI over many years. A good wishes card will be sent to them.

 

Volunteers to help with the Fete teas were again requested as there were a lot of gaps in the rota to be filled. Confirmation is awaited from Gary Beynon whether the St Andrew’s Flower Festival will be held on the day of the Fete and if it is, Sylvia Childs has kindly volunteered to do the arrangement.

 

Christine gave a very amusing report about the County Quiz at which she, Anne Underwood and Avril attended as our team. A delegate is required for the BFWI Annual meeting in Aylesbury on 4 May. Ann Jones, NFWI Chair, will be in attendance.

 

The Jordans Village Guided Walk will be from 1-4pm on 3rd May with refreshments. It was suggested as there were 20 people going, transport should be shared.

 

Kate Lillie, ably assisted by her husband Richard on the projector, gave us a detailed insight into the charity founded in 2012, Medic to Medic, which their daughter, Dr Tamsin Lillie, is CEO and Trustee, she is based in New Zealand but works in Malawi. It is an organisation which supports trainee health workers from poor backgrounds to complete their medical studies and enable them to go on to give aid to their own people as there is a huge shortage of health workers. A few also go to other countries.

 

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, albeit one of the greenest in terms of greenhouse gases, which in February was devastated by Cyclone Freddy.

 

This was the longest lasting (34 days) and most powerful Cyclone on record. At least 1,200 people lost their lives, including one of Tamsin’s staff and her daughter. Homes were destroyed and villages buried under mountains of mud and rocks, yet very few media reports had been broadcast about the destruction.

 

Tamsin’s parents, Kate and Richard are doing an incredible job locally of collecting items to be recycled to raise funds for the charity. They have support/funding from the Council and various shops and organisations plus the general public in the locality, but it is a huge task.

 

Next Month’s Resolution meeting will be at 8pm on 11 May.    All the information is in the April issue of WI Life magazine.

 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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May
 

President, Elaine, welcomed everyone to the meeting. Thanks were given to Lydia for the intriguing LEGO flower arrangements, beautifully constructed by her granddaughter.

 

Elaine thanked everyone for their support in providing cakes and helping at the Hyde Heath Village Fete teas. She thanked Sylvia and Lyndsay for offering to do a flower arrangement, but there was not a Flower Festival at St Andrew’s this year. 

 

Christine reported on the Beechwood Group Spring Meeting held at Wendover on 25 April which was much enjoyed by the 5 members who attended. It was a lovely atmosphere with excellent entertainment and refreshments.

 

The majority of members who signed a board agreed to the change in the start time of the meetings from 8pm to 7.30pm, which will start on 13 July.

 

Kate Lillie, the speaker last month from Medic to Medic Charity sent her thanks to everyone for their donations, which to date have raised £50 from the books/CD’s and DVD’s with another £200 for the jewellery, with more sales to come. Current information on the charity and recyclable items accepted was displayed on the Information Table.

 

The outing/walk around Jordans Village on 3 May was much enjoyed by 17 people in perfect weather, led by Nigel who told us about the history of the area. At the Meeting House, Nina gave more information and a video about the history and life of the Quakers, including the Penn family, which was followed by questions and refreshments. Elaine thanked Lyndsay for suggesting this very successful outing.

 

The NFWI Resolution for the Annual Meeting in Cardiff on 25 May “Clean Rivers for People & Wildlife” was discussed. No-one disagreed with its purpose, but there was some feeling that the focus was rather narrow and that a wider focus to improve river water quality could be more beneficial to the campaign. 16 Members voted in favour of the Resolution and gave our Link Delegate from Whelpley Hill WI discretion on voting after hearing the speakers.

 

The BWI has apologised for any inconvenience caused to members who had experienced difficulty downloading/printing the May Newsletter and hoped this would be resolved before the June issue.

 

A few subscriptions were still outstanding, and Members were reminded that the WI Annual fees for 2023/24 were due from 1 April at a reduced rate of £38.

 

The monthly board games group continues to meet but there were no walks planned at present.

 

Elaine then introduced our “WI Baby Picture” game and invited members to look at the photographs and guess who they were, which was followed by refreshments.

 

The next meeting will be at 8pm on 8 June when speaker, Beth Sawyers will talk about Carers Bucks.

 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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June
 

Elaine, President, welcomed everyone to the meeting including Beth Sawyers, our speaker for the evening. She conveyed Di Coombes best wishes to everyone and hoped to return as soon as possible after her second cataract operation next week.

 

Elaine thanked everyone for the many ways they had helped with the teas at the Fete, which, after expenses had been deducted, raised £506.60. Cash refunds were available at the meeting, or they would go into the Institutes funds.

 

As there were no objections to a change in the time of the monthly meetings, from July the start time would be 7.30pm. Irene will inform the speakers.

 

Up to date details and photographs for the work of “Medic to Medic” were available to peruse on the Information Table, along with a list of items which could be donated and the address to deliver them to.

 

Also on the Table were leaflets for a Charity Walk organised by Beaconsfield WI in the grounds of Hall Barn on 9th July in aid of Rennie Grove Hospice Care and Peace Hospice Care.

 

Members were asked to consider leading a walk for our WI.

 

Mary Rose will be forwarding a letter by email next week to members regarding the Denman Update.

 

Beth Sawyers, who is the only Community Fundraising Manager for Carers Bucks, gave us a very informative and moving account of the supportive work carried out by this Charity. When teachers realised that some pupils presented with problems regarding their ability to concentrate on their education and exam work or did not attend school, it was discovered that they were the main carers for their family. Some are as young as 5 up to 95 years.

 

A local independent Charity was registered in 2004 and is part of National Carers Trust and affiliated with Carers UK, providing advice and emotional support to unpaid adult and young carers plus workshops and training. A video was shown, acted by young and adult carers, depicting the experience that young carers may have. The stresses they suffered were quite shocking and sobering.

 

We were astounded to hear that there are 52,000 unpaid carers in Buckinghamshire, 1,300 of whom are aged between 5 and 16 and 100 aged 5. Numbers are increasing all the time. School hubs supporting young carers are led by a teacher or Ambassador at school, trained by Bucks Carers.

 

Once a month there is a club based mainly in Aylesbury or High Wycombe, which the young carers can attend to relax, enjoy games, cooking and have days out, with transport provided if required. There is a Carers Support Hub at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Beth is one of only thirty staff members in Bucks.

 

The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on 13 July when Jeremy Holmes will speak about “Shackleton’s Antarctica”. Christine will lead the meeting.

Gillian O'Flynn
 
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July
   

Elaine, President, welcomed everyone to the meeting including Beth Sawyers, our speaker for the evening. She conveyed Di Coombes best wishes to everyone and hoped to return as soon as possible after her second cataract operation next week.

 

Elaine thanked everyone for the many ways they had helped with the teas at the Fete, which, after expenses had been deducted, raised £506.60. Cash refunds were available at the meeting, or they would go into the Institutes funds.

 

As there were no objections to a change in the time of the monthly meetings, from July the start time would be 7.30pm. Irene will inform the speakers.

 

Up to date details and photographs for the work of “Medic to Medic” were available to peruse on the Information Table, along with a list of items which could be donated and the address to deliver them to.

 

Also on the Table were leaflets for a Charity Walk organised by Beaconsfield WI in the grounds of Hall Barn on 9th July in aid of Rennie Grove Hospice Care and Peace Hospice Care.

 

Members were asked to consider leading a walk for our WI.

 

Mary Rose will be forwarding a letter by email next week to members regarding the Denman Update.

 

Beth Sawyers, who is the only Community Fundraising Manager for Carers Bucks, gave us a very informative and moving account of the supportive work carried out by this Charity. When teachers realised that some pupils presented with problems regarding their ability to concentrate on their education and exam work or did not attend school, it was discovered that they were the main carers for their family. Some are as young as 5 up to 95 years.

 

A local independent Charity was registered in 2004 and is part of National Carers Trust and affiliated with Carers UK, providing advice and emotional support to unpaid adult and young carers plus workshops and training. A video was shown, acted by young and adult carers, depicting the experience that young carers may have. The stresses they suffered were quite shocking and sobering.

 

We were astounded to hear that there are 52,000 unpaid carers in Buckinghamshire, 1,300 of whom are aged between 5 and 16 and 100 aged 5. Numbers are increasing all the time. School hubs supporting young carers are led by a teacher or Ambassador at school, trained by Bucks Carers.

 

Once a month there is a club based mainly in Aylesbury or High Wycombe, which the young carers can attend to relax, enjoy games, cooking and have days out, with transport provided if required. There is a Carers Support Hub at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Beth is one of only thirty staff members in Bucks.

 

The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on 13 July when Jeremy Holmes will speak about “Shackleton’s Antarctica”. Christine will lead the meeting.

 
Gillian O'Flynn
 
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