78 members and 6 guests listened to Gwen Edwards give a brief history of the St John Ambulance, and then demonstrate the process of resuscitation, and the placing of a patient into the recovery position. I hope we all feel a little more confident, should we be faced with an emergency. She gave a telephone number if any member wanted to take a First Aid Course. 020 7324 4005.
Thanks to your generosity we were able to give a cheque for £347.50 to Jenny Cairns for our charity, Faith in Action.
All paid up members should now have a membership booklet and a programme. Please note that the programme contains an incorrect date. The November meeting is Monday 19th and not the 12th as stated.
Sally has had some response for the Carer’s Club, but as this was one of the original requests from members, she wonders if there are still women who would like to contact her.
The committee has applied for a stall at the Wimbledon Village Fair, which is on 23rd June.
In the past 3 years this has been a major fund raising event, and so should we be successful in our application we will need lots of help on the day and cakes, biscuits, jam, marmalade and chutney, so start saving your jam jars!!
We are still waiting to hear if we have tickets for the AGM at the Albert Hall.
Gift Aid
A majority of you indicated that you were happy to sign up for Gift Aid. Below is a reminder of what was said at the meeting:
The committee has been considering whether to get our WI registered for gift aid with the Revenue. If we do this, members who are eligible can, if they wish, make a gift aid declaration in respect of their annual subscription, and we can then claim back 25%, so increasing the value to our WI of the subscription monies.
You can make a gift aid declaration if your income or capital gains tax liability in the tax year exceeds the total amount of gift aid donations you have made. Also higher rate tax payers can claim a deduction for a proportion of the donation they have made.
We would like to find out whether there are sufficient number of members who would be interested or prepared to make a gift aid declaration to make it worth doing the process of application and ongoing compliance with regulations being somewhat hard work.
All declarations are sent to the Revenue though as anyone eligible will already be on the radar for tax purposes I am not sure that should be a problem. As with anything else, the Revenue can enquire into the WI’s records or the individual taxpayer’s records if they have reason to believe there have been errors/misstatements.
Anyone who has received a benefit from the WI may not be able to make a gift aid declaration. This would include those who had the Denman bursary and if any rate paid to Denman for a course was lower for them than a non WI attendee.
Social Events
Visit to Highgrove on Tuesday 10th April. We are opening our visit to Highgrove out to friends and family. Please let Annette know if you would like places. Payment needs to be made at the March WI meeting. The price is £40 which includes the coach.
Bletchley Park visit on Tuesday 24th July. There are 2 places left for the visit to Bletchley Park. This is open to friends and family so let Annette know if you would like this place.
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker 14th March
There is a spare ticket available to see Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker at Wimbledon Theatre on Wednesday 14th March 7.30, price £28. Please email Agnes if you would like this.
Denman visit 3 April
For those who have booked for the Denman visit on 3rd April, Val will contact you regarding the pick-up point.
Notices
Wall Hanging.
Surrey Federation will be celebrating its 95th year in 2013 and has invited all WIs formed since 1993 to record their name and a glimpse of their environment in a small piece of embroidery which will be mounted and framed as a wall hanging at their HQ. The Calico pieces to work on will be handed out at the March meeting and completed pieces have to be back either before, or at the June meeting.
As only one piece is required, members will vote for winning entry and others will be made into our own wall hanging or tablecloth. If you need any other information please contact Dulcie or Eileen.
Cranleigh Show Sunday 5th August
The theme for the WI marquee will be “The Best of British” and will include competitions for craft and floral displays. For further information contact Surrey Federation HQ and the schedule will be on the notice board.
Card Making Day Saturday 17th March 10am – 3pm,
Come all day or pop in, Coffee & Cake provided. Venue is St Lawrence Church Centre, St Lawrence Church, London Road, Morden. Situated between South Thames College Merton site, and the George Tavern. There is free parking in the church lay-by or in college car park. There is no cost for this event. If you haven’t signed up for this event but would like to come please contact Julia Whiting.
Big Walk/Little Splash
Further information will be given at the March meeting.
March for Mothers
Sponsored walk on 17th March in Greenwich Park. March for Mothers is a sponsored walk taking place on 17th March 2012 at Greenwich Park. We hope to raise awareness of the 340,000 women who die each year in pregnancy and childbirth whilst raising funds to help save the lives of mums and babies in some of the world’s poorest countries. There is just a month to go until the event, so if you would like to come along, please sign up here www.marchformothers.com. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Women of the World Festival 6-11 March – South Bank Centre
Women of the World Festival is a joyous celebration of the formidable strength and inventiveness of women. This annual festival presents, celebrates and recognises women from all walks of life, acting as a conversation space for issues of all kinds. WOW includes three days of talks, debates, markets, workshops, mentoring, WOW Bites as well as a series of evening events. Last year WOW had a huge variety of stall holders from hairdressers and manicurists to female plumbers and DIY experts, from charities to designer makers.
The New Wave Weekend at Denman College – Fri 25th to Sun 27th May 2012
Basically is a special weekend get away with the girls. It’s called the ‘New Wave Weekend’ and takes place from Friday 25th finishing after lunch on Sunday 27th May.
There’s loads to do, including opportunities to try a selection of latest trend workshops; from Jewellery making, Zumba, to Learning to sew and Cushion-making; plus a food demonstration (discover the secrets to Petit-Fours), and a chance to taste and learn about some fantastic wines. Included in the weekend are 2 nights overnight accommodation at stunning Denman College, welcome drinks, breakfast, lunch and 3 course dinners, plus some really fabulous evening entertainment laid on for the girls!
We think that it’s a great opportunity for a weekend away, where you can also meet like-minded women from across the UK and hear what other ‘young’ WIs are up to.
Prices are £235 for members and £272 for non-members, that includes the course and all the tuition, accommodation at Denman College for 2 nights, welcome drinks, breakfast, lunch and 3 course dinners, so fantastic value when you break it down. There’s also 10% discount for those sharing a room, and free transportation from Didcot Parkway and Oxford train stations if travelling by train.
There’s further information online at www.denmancollege.org.uk. To book the number to call is 01865 391991, a £50 deposit is required to confirm a reservation. Spaces are allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Lobby for libraries on 13th March
The NFWI is working as part of the Speak up for libraries coalition to give members the chance to lobby their MPs about libraries at an event in Westminster. The day will be a chance to meet other WI members and campaigners, visit a pop-up library and join a rally with speakers and music. Members will then meet their MP to explain why libraries are important to them and their communities. You can arrive any time after 11.30, with the rally and pop up library at Central Hall Westminster, Storeys Gate, SW1H 9NH. You can then go over to Parliament to meet your MP any time from 2.30 onwards. You need to contact your MP to arrange this.
NFWI staff will be on hand all day, and full briefings will be provided. Please do contact me if you would like more information, or are interested in getting involved. Emma Lindsay, Research and Campaigns Officer, National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), 104 New Kings Road, London SW6 4LY
T: 020 7371 9300 (ex 213) E: e.lindsay@nfwi.org.uk www.theWI.org.uk
International Women’s Day
WINDOW2050 are hosting an Evening Drinks Reception, Speakers and Networking Event at The Royal Society of Arts in London on International Women’s Day, Thursday 8th March from 6.00pm to 9.00pm.
Come to hear six amazing women thought leaders share their intergenerational perspectives on our six themes, including consumption & Sustainable Lifestyles; Gender Equality, Employment & Entrepreneurship and Household; Family & Healthcare, Finance; Pensions & Investing Responsibly; Leisure, Volunteering & Giving and Education and Psychology & Coaching for Change.
If you are interested in attending this event, tickets cost £29 and can be purchased online at http://window2050marchevent.eventbrite.co.uk/.
And finally a letter from Camila Batmanghelidjh:
16 February 2012
Dear Ms Beale, and all at Wimbledon Women’s Institute,
I just wanted to write and thank you for your extraordinary generosity in firstly donating £100 to us way back in May 2011, and subsequently replacing the first cheque when it went amiss.
It is very difficult to communicate what an enormous and significant difference donations like yours make to the lives of London’s most vulnerable and impoverished children and young people.
The value of donations like yours is two-fold: the money itself can obviously be transformative, helping to buy anything from bedding and winter coats to school-books, or supporting our Colour A Child’s Life project and turning a child’s squalid, filthy bedroom into a cosy safe haven. The second, equally important function of generous donations like yours is that they generate the belief that there are people in the world – often complete strangers – who care enough for these kids to contribute to their well-being. I cannot emphasize enough what an important difference this makes to the self-esteem of children who have grown up with nothing.
I also wanted to thank you for welcoming me so delightfully when I came to visit you in May. I remember that wonderful day very fondly, and hope to see you all again soon.
It is my privilege to be able to communicate your kindness to our children. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your contribution towards their happiness.
With love, gratitude and much respect,
Camila Batmanghelidjh , Chief Executive Kids Company
Val
27 Feb 2012
Members emails and phone numbers are not published on the website but will be in your hot topics email, please contact me if you need me to send it again
