May 2025

A Message from Kate

It was great to see so many of our members enjoying the armchair yoga at last month’s meeting. Lisa was very enthusiastic about the benefits of this sort of exercise to everybody, so later in the newsletter you will find the link she gave us for instructions on YouTube if you want to carry on exercising.

May’s meeting is when we vote on whether or not to support this year’s resolution. It is the first one that we, as a group, have selected in the earlier round. At last we are on the same wavelength as other WIs!  Sally Stelfox is representing us at the June Annual meeting which is on zoom and will be voting on our behalf. 

We will also be joined by Fiona from the local food bank, which we support, choosing our charity for next year and drawing out the names of the next four lucky bursary winners. I look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes 

Kate

Birthday Greetings

Many happy returns to members celebrating their birthdays in May

Sue J., Shirley S., Jane, Norma, Victoria, Emma

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, 15th May

7.30pm

Speaker-Fiona Blackwell “The Foodbank”. There will be a collection of sanitary products and alcohol free roll on deodorants only please...

Resolutions.

Competition-“Hello Spring”-a small ribbon tied posy from foraged or own garden flowers.

Rota Volunteers-Door-Margaret L.  Raffle-Sarah, Liz R.  Refreshment-Pat McG.   Meet & Greet-Ann L., Trish

Raffle

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.

April Meeting Report-Attendance: Members-37   Visitors-2   Income: Visitors: £10   Raffle: £41   Refreshments-£8

June Meeting-Speaker, Steven P. Taylor-Performance Poet

June Competition-Poem or message for a greetings card-up to four lines 

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

Heatons WI News

Rota-The new rota for the next WI year is now available. Please could all members, where possible, take up a duty?

Treasurer Role-We are still looking for a new treasurer for November.  It is imperative we have a treasurer as if we do not have one our WI will not be able to carry on. So if there is anybody who would be interested in taking over please speak to either Deborah or anyone on the committee. This could be a job share with two members taking on the role. Deborah is happy to train somebody so that they would be in place for November and would support them in the months after. The WI do organise training for treasurers so you would not be on your own.

WI Outing-There are still 4 places for our trip on 21st June to Skipton and Boundary Mill. The cost will be £12 for the coach (this is being subsidised from funds). This will need to be paid in full in cash at this month’s meeting. Please place money in an envelope with the amount, your name and the trip. The trip is now being opened up to female friends and family at a cost of £17. If you are unable to attend the meeting please contact Perveen or Sue W.  

Charity Update-Thank you for all your support for our chosen charity this year. We have raised £941.24 plus the collection of kitchen utensils. A cheque for the money raised at the last coffee morning will be presented at the June meeting.

Yoga Link-Yoga with Adriene on YouTube or at yogawithadriene.com.

Raffle Prizes-We are in need of prizes for our monthly raffle. If you have any new and unused items to donate please see Perveen. Please note, 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

Sunday, 15th June-We are holding a fundraiser for our WI to coincide with the Heatons Open Gardens. We will be holding an event in the garden at St. Paul’s Church, Heaton Moor selling cakes, plants and a small amount of crafts. We will need volunteers to set up, help on the stalls and clear away between 11.00am and 3.00pm. We are also asking if you will bake cakes and if you have cuttings, seeds or spare plants you are happy to donate. There will be sign-up sheets at the meeting this month. This will be a great opportunity to showcase our WI and recruit some new members. An email with more details for dropping off cakes etc. will be sent out early in June.

The organisers of the Open Gardens have asked if we would make some post box toppers to coincide with the event. As time is short we thought we could just make simple flowers to attach to the existing bases.  Can you help to knit or crochet a few flowers by the beginning of June? Please bring any you may have along to this month’s meeting. Also "Izzy" dolls, simple knitted dolls, are very popular at the moment and we thought they would sell well.  Again, if you could help by knitting or crocheting some dolls, that would be great.  There are plenty of ideas and patterns on the internet (Pinterest or Google "Izzy dolls") but contact Sally if you need any help. There is plenty of wool in the WI stash if you need any.

North East Cheshire Group News

If anybody is interested in any NEC Group activities please contact Karen at karencatchpole@hotmail.com

Wednesday, 18th June-Trip to Bradford. Karen will have tickets at this month’s meeting and are £14.50. The coach will be leaving Hazel Grove Park and Ride at 9.15am for those attending.

Cheshire Federation News

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

Details and signup sheets for all these events will be available at this month’s meeting.

7th-15th June-Great Big Green Week (GBGW). For the past few years we have participated in the GBGW by undertaking a wide range of activities in order to reduce our collective WI carbon footprint, and in so doing, earned a green dot on Cheshire Federation's green map.  If feasible, the Federation encourage us to participate in our green activities for the whole of the month of June. 

This year, we thought we would try something slightly different and concentrate on a small number of related issues - these being the food we eat and what we buy.  So come along and join us, and consider doing one or all of the following:

• Meal plan before you go out shopping - this helps to reduce food waste 

• Eat a plant based meal for one, if not two meals per week.  See web link:  https://www.thevegspace.co.uk/

• Read labels, and if an item has been shipped from abroad, consider buying the item sourced locally

Wednesday, 23rd July-Be a Lifesaver: A Learning Event. At WI House, Chester from 1.30pm-4.00pm. An event to learn lifesaving skills 

• How to use a defibrillator

• How to perform simple CPR

• First Aid Basics 

£10 per person. Closing date 12th June.

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.

NFWI News

Learning Hub-Here is a link to the WI Learning Hub where you can access a variety of courses for free.

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: Tinned meat e.g. ham, corned beef, tinned fruit, baked beans, tinned rice pudding, tinned vegetables (sweetcorn, peas, carrots), tinned tomatoes, dried pulses (lentils, chickpeas), pasta sauce, sugar, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet rolls, soap (bars). They currently do not need cereal or pasta.

St. Paul’s Church Community Café-The church is open every Wednesday morning from 11.00am-1.00pm serving hot soup and a warm space. There is no charge but donations are welcome. If you know of anybody who would benefit from this service please let them know-all are welcome.

The Children’s Society-The shop at Moor Top is in need of books, jigsaws, 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.