April 2026

A Message from Kate

Last month’s meeting sounds like it was a fascinating insight into the work of a Crime Scene Investigator-it was a talk I was disappointed to have to miss.

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Moira Hewitt last week. Moira had been a member of our WI for a very long time and regularly attended all meetings, as well as being a talented member of the craft group, until her illness meant she could no longer attend. Many of you will also remember her as Dr. Carmody, one of the GPs from the Heaton Moor Medical Centre. It was in that role that I first met her when my newly born daughter was one of her first patients. She was a caring, kind and thorough GP and it was very sad when her first illness meant she had to take early retirement-a great loss to the NHS. She was extremely proud of her children John and Katie and they were a very close knit family. We have sent Tony, John and Katie a condolences card on behalf of the WI and will keep you posted as soon as we hear any news about her funeral.

I would like to congratulate Sally Stelfox on being the final annual competition winner which means she keeps the clock for the foreseeable future. 

On a more mundane matter we have just started the new rota for the next twelve months, so there are still lots of opportunities for you to put your name against one of the duties. It would be wonderful to see a full page.

April’s meeting is Michelle Higginbotham talking about WW2 Women of the SOE, which should be a very interesting meeting as we hear about these brave women. I look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes

Kate

Birthday Greetings

Many happy returns to members celebrating their birthdays in April

Lynda G., Barbara D., Linda McD., Helen 

IMPORTANT NOTICE-Register and Evacuation Procedure-It is important that you sign in BEFORE finding a seat at the beginning of the meeting. This is for your safety as, if we have missed adding you to the register and we have to evacuate the building, we will not have an accurate record of who is in attendance. This also applies if you arrive late or leave the meeting early. Please let Linda McD. know (or Sally in Linda’s absence). Our evacuation meeting point is on the field opposite the car park entrance.

Monthly Meeting

Thursday, 16th March

7.30pm

Speaker-Michele Higginbottom ‘Women’s Special Operation Executive in WW2’.

Rota Volunteers- Door-Marie   Cake-Pat F.   Raffle-Emma, Annette   Meet & Greet-Krys, Margaret L.

We would be grateful if those of you on meeting duties please arrive by 7.15pm. If you are unable to attend the meeting please contact Linda McD. so that she can send out an email to fill the slot. Thank you.

March Meeting Report-Attendance: Members-42  Visitors-3   Income: Visitors-£10  Raffle-£215 (for our charity) Cakes-£10

Raffle

May Meeting-Resolutions, IT support and choice of charity

Reminder-The bar at the Sports Club is card only. Please note that tap water is freely available from the bar.

Heatons WI News.

Renewal Forms-All forms have been collected/delivered. Please complete and make payment as soon as possible if you have not already done so.

Bursaries- It’s bursary time! What have you always wanted to learn – a new craft, a new skill or to widen your knowledge? Now’s your chance. Four bursaries of £75 each will be made available for members of the Heatons WI to attend educational events or courses. A draw will be held at the May monthly meeting.

The conditions of the bursaries are as follows

1.  Applicants must have been a member of the Heatons WI for twelve months.

2. All receipts for the event or course must be submitted to the Treasurer before the money can be reimbursed.    This can include travel expenses or materials up to a total value of £75.

3. If any expenses exceed the value of the award, they must be paid for by the recipient.

4. The Bursary cannot be shared.

5. The Bursary will be valid for one year after it has been awarded.

6. Members receiving a Bursary in 2025 will not be eligible for this allocation.

7. Members will be asked to give feedback to the WI after they have attended their event/course.

If you would like to enter the draw there will be a signup sheet at this month’s meeting. Alternative contact Sally at sallystelfox@hotmail.com

Charity Nominations-It is time to choose a charity to support from May 2026 to March 2027. The criteria are as follows:

It must be a registered charity.

It must benefit women and girls, but may also include all.

It cannot be for animals.

Preferably a local charity.

Nominations should be sent to Linda by the end of April with a brief outline of what the charity does. These will be presented at the May meeting by the nominator. They will be asked to be the representative of our WI with the charity and liaise with the fund raising group for the duration of the year.

Cheshire Federation Quiz-Good luck to our quiz team in the quiz heat which takes place on Thursday, 16th April.

Toppers-As part of our 18th birthday celebrations we are hoping to dress the post boxes around the Heatons, showcasing what we do. If you would like to be involved please get in touch with Sally or Linda.

Quiz Group-Would anybody like to set up a Heatons WI quiz group? There are quizzes around the Heatons, for example at Rocksalt each Tuesday evening, and we wondered if members would be interested. Please contact Angela B if you are interested.

Food Hygiene Certificate-We are looking for volunteers to complete a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate. There are free courses available on line so you would be able to complete it in the comfort of your own home. Please speak with a member of the committee for further details.

Raffle Prizes-We are always in need of prizes for our monthly raffle. If you have any new and unused items to donate please see Perveen. Please note that if you bring an item to the monthly meeting it will not go into that evening’s raffle. Perveen will hold it over until another meeting.

Heatons WI Events

Saturday, 27th June-Trip to Harrogate. ‘Harrogate is a charming spa town perfect for relaxing, featuring the historic Turkish Baths, relaxing walks in the Valley Gardens, and afternoon tea at the famous Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms. Visitors can also explore the Royal Pump Room Museum to learn about the town’s spa history, browse boutiques in the Montpellier Quarter, and visit the nearby RHS Garden Harlow Carr.’ Members of the RHS can take another adult into the gardens on their membership. If you would like to visit Harlow Carr, but are not a member, we could buddy you up with somebody who is. The cost of the trip is £12, subsidised by our funds, which includes a tip for the driver. A £5 non-refundable deposit is needed by the April meeting with the balance to be paid by the May meeting. Please put monies into an envelope with your name, amount and “Harrogate Trip”. We will be leaving at 9.30am with the coach leaving Harrogate at 4.30pm. This trip is for members only. At the moment we do not have enough members to fill the coach and may have to consider cancelling the trip. There will be a signup sheet at this month’s meeting. Final details nearer the date. Please see Perveen.

 North East Cheshire Group News

If anybody is interested in any NEC Group activities please contact Angela S.

Cheshire Federation News

If anybody is interested in any Cheshire Federation activities please contact Angela.

CFWI Virtual WI-If anyone is interested in joining, as a dual member, or has a friend who would be interested in finding out more, please contact Angela.

Wednesday, 29th April-“Active Ageing in Body and Mind”. This will be a fun, inspiring day of interactive workshops being held at WI House, White Friars, Chester. The cost is £15 and the closing date is 15th April.

Thursday, 14th May-“What the Edwardians did for us”. Talks and activities about the influential period 1901-1910. Frodsham Community Centre, WA67QN, 10.00am-4.00pm. Tickets are £10. Closing date 1st May.

Thursday, 4th June-Annual Meeting via Zoom. Observer tickets are available, on a donation basis, costing £5 for individuals and £20 for larger groups. Closing date for registration is 19th May.

Wednesday, 8th July-Literary Lunch. Jane Costello, a Sunday Times bestselling author of 16 novels. Hartford Golf Club, 12 noon to 3.30pm. Tickets are £34. Closing date 22nd May.

Member’s Notice Board

If you have a notice you would like to be included in the Members’ Notice Board section of the newsletter, or know of any local events other members may be interested in please send details to Linda McD. 

St Martin’s Foodbank-1st Wednesday of the month. Please drop off at Kate J’s house. There will be a box for donations on the drive if the weather is dry or in the porch if wet, from 10am until the evening. URGENTLY NEEDED ITEMS: Long life fruit juice, long life milk, tinned rice pudding, tinned tomatoes, toothpaste (for adults and children), toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, cat and dog food, carrier bags. Other requested items-snacks such as individually packed chocolate bars, cereal bars, breadsticks and crisps, sanitary towels,  tinned fruit, baked beans, tinned rice pudding, tinned vegetables (sweetcorn, peas, carrots),  rice, tinned soup, dried pulses (lentils, chickpeas), pasta sauce, sugar, toilet rolls, soap (bars), cat food.  They do not currently need nappies.

A Message from Jane-I was an inpatient recently at Stepping Hill hospital. During my stay a trolley visited the wards with books and magazines and the volunteer explained they were always short of magazines. I'm thinking I could collect magazines at our monthly meeting and drop them off at the volunteer desk. If anyone would be willing to help with the drop off that would be appreciated. Myself and Kate Johnson have already delivered some, which were well received. Hoping you can help.

The Children’s Society-The shop at Moor Top is in need of books, jigsaws, DVDs and CDs. If you are having a clear out please could you take them to the shop where they will be gratefully received.

Recycling 

RNIB Stamp Collection-Shirley Shaw is collecting used postage stamps for the RNIB. She will bring boxes to WI meetings for members to put their used postage stamps in. You will need to separate UK mainland from the rest of the world, including Isle of Man, Jersey etc. Shirley will collect and send them to the RNIB, who get £20 per kilo.

B&Q is recycling plastic plant pots, small electrical items, batteries, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes

John Lewis is recycling duvets and pillows.

Superdrug Pharmacy at the top of Merseyway Shopping precinct is collecting empty medicine blister packs.