Chance to chat for WI

THORPE Acre Church Hall was pleasantly full with Thorpe Acre WI ladies for their May meeting.

President Val Greenhill welcomed everyone including a former member who had rejoined. May is a popular month for birthdays and seven ladies received cards.

Lunch at The Windmill had been enjoyed and the landlord and his wife were wished a happy retirement. There will be coffee mornings for the coming three months.

This is the centenary of Leicestershire and Rutland Federation of W.I. and souvenir slate coasters, with the County Badge, are on sale. On the front page of the County News magazine for May there is a good photo of Sue Young who received the trophy for the best Programme layout in the county.

Sue always produces a colourful and informative programme and this was a back to back success as her design won the previous competition to celebrate the county’s 90th anniversary. Thorpe Acre’s Darts Team were runners-up in the county competition and their photo was also in the County News. Well done all!

The 2018 Darts competition has started and our team narrowly lost their first round match against Thringstone W.I. They will play Ashby Castle after two byes which should leave enough time for practice.

Names were taken for the county Skittles Competition team which will start later in the year. The small but very enthusiastic group of crocheters continue to meet and produce some lovely pieces of work. Soon there is to be workshop to recycle milk bottle tops into fabric covered Christmas trees.

Traditionally the May WI meeting considers and votes on the resolution/s which will be brought to the annual general meeting, which this year is being held in Cardiff.

This year’s resolution is concerned with mental health and more adequate provisions for diagnosis and referral to help for sufferers.

Also we are encouraged, as an organisation, to talk more openly about mental health and mental illness, perhaps taking the opportunity, available locally, to attend a First Aid training day to recognise and support mental health problems.

Sue Wainwright had attended the briefing meeting and was able to share a little more insight into the topic. After some interesting discussion a vote was taken and our delegate, from Quorn WI, will be asked to vote in favour of the resolution on our behalf. We look forward to her report of the day in Cardiff at the June meeting.

For a change, after the business, the ladies were able to chat and socialise while enjoying refreshments served by Irene Kerfoot and Janice Twist.

The raffle was won by Jane Dewsbury and the competition for an animal made from a vegetable was won by Sue Young, with Sue Wainwright 2nd and Jill Prichard 3rd.

Everyone congratulated Jane Gee on raising nearly £600 at her annual Cake Break day in aid of M.S. Another member, Barbara Adcock is hoping to enter the ‘Race for Life’, in aid of Breast Cancer, next month.

All ladies will be given a warm welcome at our June meeting to be held at Thorpe Acre Church Hall on Tuesday, June 12, at 7.30 pm when our speaker will be Sue Drage who will be encouraging ‘ Recycling with a Difference’. We understand she will be showing haw to make useful items from ‘rubbish’. Do come and learn more.