Ashbocking, Swilland and Women’s Institute

Committee’s Activity Report for 2019

Well, it’s been another impressive W.I. year with a selection of activities to please all. There have also been opportunities to take part in the wide-ranging East W.I. Centennial celebrations.

We held our annual pre-Christmas workshop at the village hall with options for creating a seasonal table arrangement in the morning and a Christmas wreath made from material strips at the afternoon session.

Last December we met up for afternoon Christmas tea and shopping at Corn Craft in Monks Eleigh.

Walks in the beautiful and varied Suffolk countryside have continued with a café theme as always. A circular walk from Witnesham via Newton Hall coffee shop started off the year, and then we had to fit in a stroll through Tuddenham to pay a final visit to The Old Stores cafe before it closed for good. We enjoyed the services of a guide on a tour at , and closer to home walking around Coddenham and Hemingstone.

The monthly evenings at craft group are always a sociable time swapping ideas and trying out new skills. Members knitted trauma and bereavement teddies for the Red Cross and Hospital as well as an abundance of hats given to the Seafarers’ Mission. Those skilled with sewing stitched heart shaped cushion covers and bags which were given to Ipswich Hospital for breast cancer patients. Recently, seasonal decorations have been our theme with the village hall Christmas fair in mind.

Members have been well entertained at the monthly meetings with an amazing selection of speakers willing to share their experiences. We were fascinated with the history and engineering of the Woodbridge Tide Mill, life as a newspaper photographer in the Falklands and a career making hats. There was a lesson in beekeeping and the story of a busy schedule as Mayor of Ipswich and wonderful presentations about travelling on a container ship and volunteering with a therapeutic riding group for all ages.

Celebrating our 71st birthday was certainly an evening to remember with a superb buffet provided by members, and Lynne Mortimer made us laugh with her amusing look at everyday life.

We have 37 members with an average of 25 attending monthly meetings. 3 new members were welcomed to our institute this year.

As always, our ladies have represented us at the Federation Council Meeting, met with fellow group members at Henley and Crowfield also the team did a grand job at the Federation Quiz. The Centennial Fair proved a great day out thanks to the hard working team at Orford Street.

The highlight of the summer was our famous windmill located in full view of passersby at the Witnesham Recreation Ground. We have a WI husband to thank for the windmill created to exact scale and painted by a team of willing members. Several of us also took on the challenge of spotting the varied windmills located throughout Suffolk.

Now we look forward to 2020 and new year of WI meetings, talks, activities and Suffolk East events.

Ashbocking, Swilland and Witnesham Women’s Institute

Committee’s Activity Report for 2020

This has been a WI year like no other we have experienced. The COVID 19 virus which has affected the whole world has prevented us from participating in most of our WI meetings, craft evenings, walks, fundraising and events from March onwards.

The 2019 pre-Christmas workshops at the village hall were fully booked. We must thank Pat and Paula for organising the two sessions and those members who provided glass containers and plants for terrariums and those who made up the kits to create a beaded star. Of course there were seasonal treats on offer during the workshops giving a taste of Christmas approaching.

We were treated to a wonderful December evening at Otley Hall which was decked out in Christmas splendour. Following a guided tour all over the house we settled in the family sitting room in front of the fire for a delicious buffet with a glass of mulled wine.

WI ladies were delighted to take up the invitation to provide tea and cake at the Christmas Fair in the village hall on 23 November making a profit £122. We also had a table selling items created at the craft evening get togethers with even more profit for our funds. We were able to gather for craft meetings in January and February before the coronavirus lockdown came into force.

The £200 bursary was awarded to a lucky member who will have the opportunity to take up a local educational or craft related course.

Four ladies from our Institute joined hundreds of others for the SEFWI Council Meeting at Trinity Park which had fortunately been arranged for early March, before large gatherings were banned.

Plans were well ahead for a litter pick followed by soup lunch along with a nearly new clothes sale to raise funds for St Elizabeth Hospice. This was postponed. Celebrating our 72nd birthday in April didn’t happen either.

Although there were few meetings we have enjoyed several interesting talks. Mike Wabe who gave lots of information on Christmas myths, Tim Holder about the Suffolk Community Foundation, Janet Humphreys on her work with the Ipswich prostitute murders and Helen Reeve, a farmer passionate about her herd of cows.

Several members and friends responded to the appeal from St Elizabeth’s Hospice asking for working scrubs also laundry bags for NHS staff to store their duty clothes for washing. Special thanks to Pat Roots for coordinating the sewing team.

We were given a window of opportunity for an outdoor meeting on a very hot September afternoon. Those who were comfortable with getting together, met in Hall Lane where social distancing rules were followed and we were able to enjoy each other’s company and take part in a quiz.

On 20 September Chrissie and John Lightfoot opened their Woodland in Witnesham asking for donations towards the Ipswich Hospital Blossom Appeal. Although refreshments were not allowed due to Covid rules, WI ladies were pleased to help, greeting visitors at the gate. A splendid sum of £488.80 was raised.

Currently there are 34 members with one joining this year and an average of 22 attending the monthly meetings.

Let’s look ahead and trust that 2021 will allow life to return to normal and we will be able to restore WI business as usual. Well not quit yet, as like many other organisations, we have switched to Zoom. In February we were given an illustrated talk about the history of the Suffolk Fire Brigade and in March Paula Baker from Suffolk Hedgehog Rescue told us about the importance of hedgerows to the natural world. Of course not all members are able to participate, but we hope to stay in touch. £10 gift vouchers were given at Christmas and little bags of surprises delivered recently.