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8 April 2026: WI Meeting

 

This month, we welcomed our speaker Ben Broadhead, who talked to us about his career in fitness. He explained that it is never too late to feel the benefits of increased exercise for balance and mobility.  Our members joined in with a range of exercises demonstrated by Ben. It really was a very enjoyable and informative evening. 

 

Looking forward to the month ahead, we shall be visiting the gardens at Lower Bowden Manor and also attending the Berkshire Federation W.I. Conference at The Abbey School. Purley will be well represented with entries in county competitions and a good few members attending. Our Pang Valley event later in the month will see a number of very local W.I.’s come together for an evening at The Barn.  In addition, we have our regular member clubs, including the book club, Scrabble club, and craft club, and lunch club. 

 

We are always delighted to welcome guests/potential new members. Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 13th  May at 7:30 pm in the Memorial Hall. For further information, details of events, and much more, please see our programme. 

Jacquie Powell

Secretary.jacquie@purleyonthameswi.org.uk

 

11 March 2026: WI Annual General Meeting

 

We were pleased to welcome a very good number of members and guests to our Annual General Meeting on 11th March.  The meeting began with our usual singing of ‘Jerusalem’.  Although synonymous with the Women’s Institute, it is optional and not all groups still begin by singing Jerusalem.  This rousing start to our monthly meetings links us to our national organisation and also to all the good works of the women who came before us.  
 
Our President, Marilyn; Secretary, Alison; and Treasurer, Pat presented the annual reports to the members, and it was good to hear summaries of a very successful year.  In line with procedure, the current committee then resigned, and the ballot papers for the election of the new committee were presented.  

 

Sadly, Marilyn and Alison had both taken the decision to resign from the Committee this year after graciously giving so much time to our group. The members presented flowers, and Marilyn and Alison were thanked so much for their invaluable contributions to the group.  They may think they will have more time, but we know where they live!

 

Over a very tasty interval of cheese and wine, members took part in a secret ballot to decide upon the new president, and Debra Jennings was duly elected.  Debra made a short speech, thanking Marilyn and the members.  Pat Roper, who has performed a tremendous job as treasurer, agreed to continue in this role, and the members were extremely pleased and grateful for this.  Finally, the committee has appointed Jacquie Powell as secretary for this coming year.   Very grateful thanks to Rita, our Teller, and to the members for a very successful and enjoyable meeting. 

 

Looking forward, we have a trip to Lower Bowden Manor next month and a shared Pang Valley W.I. event coming up, as well as our Berkshire A.G.M. at The Abbey School.  

 

Our speaker next month is on the subject of fitness, and we shall be welcoming Ben to guide us.  This will be on Wednesday, 8th April, at the Memorial Hall and potential members are very welcome to come along.  We hope to see you there!

Jacquie Powell

Secretary.jacquie@purleyonthameswi.org.uk

 

11 February 2026: WI Meeting

 

Our February meeting commenced with our president, Marilyn, welcoming members and a few guests. We then settled in to listen to
our speakers, historians Karen and Bret Wiles, deliver their talk entitled ‘The Women’s Institute in WW2: Not just Jam and Jerusalem’. The talk was an enthralling exploration of the history of the W.I. It referenced significant campaigns, such as Women on Juries (1921), and highlighted the remarkable scope and amount of work volunteered during wartime.

 

We were astounded by the sheer volume of knitted garments and meat pies produced, as well as the significant impact the W.I. had on the wartime evacuation effort. Our speakers truly brought the talk to life through data, slides, and audio clips.

Looking forward, we will be hosting a coffee morning at the Memorial Hall on Wednesday, 25th February, from 11 am to 1 pm. This event will feature a ‘Bring and Buy’ table and is open to everyone. Come along and enjoy a cuppa...I hear there will be delicious cake!

 

In addition to our regular member clubs, including the book club, Scrabble club, and craft club, our members have a few lovely
upcoming events. We’re always delighted to welcome guests/potential new members.

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11th March, at 7:30 pm, and it will be our annual meeting. For further information, see our details of events.

Jacquie Powell

 

14 January 2026: WI Meeting 

 

 

Our first meeting of 2026 was a lovely mixture of fun and laughter and a more thought-provoking conversation.

We started by discussing the five proposed resolutions for this year's National WI campaign. Following an open and lively discussion, members voted on the resolution they wanted put forward at the national level, and we await the result of the nationwide vote, demonstrating the WI's strong democratic tradition.

 

The rest of the meeting was less formal, with a few games, including a True or False quiz and a Beetle Drive. Members enjoyed tea and coffee whilst catching up on each other's news. 

 

We were pleased to welcome a few new members, who are always very welcome. 

 

Purley on Thames WI is proud to be part of the National WI and to help shape future plans going forward.

 

Next meeting is February 11th in Purley Memorial Hall 7.30pm.

 

Debra