Wickhambrook Womens Institute
Ladies, now is the time to join your local W.I.
We have 41 very friendly members and our new programme runs from January to December and has something for all. Please do feel free to come along to any of our meetings, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm and have a free taster of what we get up to. You can come twice as a visitor before deciding to join us. Hope to see you soon.
Latest Wickhambrook W.I. Events…
Wickhambrook Womens Institute
Wickhambrook W.I. was started in December 1926 and moved into its own hall in 1929. It is one of the few W.I.’s in the country that owns its hall. There are three hall Trustees
Mrs Joyce Draycott
Mrs Thelma Farrow
Mrs Deirdre Smith
Officers
The three main officers, i.e. President, Secretary and Treasurer serve for a maximum of 3 years.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are payable to the Treasurer each January and are fixed by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
Activities
There is a Walking Club which meets every week and a monthly Reading Club. A Sewing Group meets weekly from March to November and makes items for the Christmas Fair.
Magazine
There is also an excellent W.I. magazine, “W.I. Life”, a W.I. diary and calendar which can be ordered in Autumn.
Courses
Being a member of the W.I. means access to courses run by Denman College near Oxford, several of our members having taken advantage of these.
Newspaper
A W.I. newspaper is published each month. This contains news and events organised by Suffolk West Federation which has its office at 19 Whiting Street, Bury St Edmunds.
Latest Wickhambrook W.I. news …
Build a Gingerbread House
With Christmas just around the corner what could be more appropriate than a demonstration on how to build a Gingerbread House? Andrea began with the templates needed to put together a house and a bowl of royal icing which she had prepared beforehand…
Helen’s Herbaceous Garden with Helen Hilliard
What was billed as a talk on Gardens in fact turned into a really interesting display of flower arranging! Helen had brought lots of plants and flowers from her garden to demonstrate how to make stunning but simple displays which anyone could achieve…
Wickhambrook W.I. Hall Open Day
As one of the few Women’s Institutes to have their own hall, we decided to hold an open day on Saturday 2nd October between 11.00am and 3.00pm for all the other organisations who use the Hall for various activities..
Artistry in Cocoa
With a title including references to chocolate it was not surprising to see a large turnout of members for this month’s meeting! Cheryl began by telling us about how Artistry in Cocoa came into being…
Wickhambrook Women’s Institute
Finally! After what seems like a lifetime Wickhambrook WI were able to hold a meeting in the WI Hall last Tuesday. It was officially our AGM which should have been held in May but as one member said it felt more like a reunion…
W.I. AGM
After two successful tea parties – held outdoors and socially distanced – we now feel ready to start holding meetings for all our members. On Tuesday 10th August 2021 we will be holding our AGM, postponed from May…
View our photo gallery …
Newsletter
Read our latest Newsletter here
New Members are VERY WELCOME
Meetings vary but are usually held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm.
Committee meetings are on the first Tuesday and are held in committee members’ homes or in the hall.
The Committee, which is elected each November, is responsible for arranging meetings, outings and social events which are planned to be as varied and enjoyable as possible.
President Dorothy Anderson
01440 820376
Secretary Gillian Cooper
01440 820052
Booking Officer Jackie Fieldsend
01440 820108
For keys please call
01440 820108 or 01440 820376
One meeting a year is run by members.
Notices advertising speakers, etc. are displayed at various points in the village and on the hall noticeboard.
Our W.I. Hall
The hall is let out regularly and this provides some of the income for its upkeep. Current charges are £7/hour which includes kitchen facilities.
FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL HIRING THE HALL
Please note that there is no longer any coin meter for electricity – all usage of electricity is now included in hall rental charges.
In the winter months, before you leave the hall would you please.
Turn water off.
Turn stopcock off in cupboard to left of the back door.
Open all taps to drain water away.
Flush the toilet.
If there are any breakages or damage during your period of hire please report this to our Booking Manager, Jackie Fieldsend.
All tea towels and tablecloths will be washed by caretaker, please leave in a prominent position for her to find.
Please do not remove these after use as often they are not returned at a later date.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued support of the Hall.
W.I. Committee
W.I. Hall, Cemetery Road, Wickhambrook CB8 8XR
W.I. Hall, Cemetery Road, Wickhambrook CB8 8XR
A Short History of Wickhambrook W.I.
The information about our W.I. has been sourced from the wisdom, memories and guidance of the members who have lived through almost the whole life of the Institute since its formation in 1926.
Wickhambrook W.I. has thrived from that day to this, providing a forum for women to meet, talk, create, argue, support and educate while enjoying themselves. Women from all walks of life contribute to the community spirit and can have a real influence on the policies of local and national governments but most of all we enjoy helping our village community and have each others friendship throughout a varied and busy year.
The changing face of the Women’s Institute nationally has been mirrored by our own Institute.
Originally meetings were held in the afternoons when less women went out to work, now it is rare to find a member who does not do or has not done a job at some point in their life giving us a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into when necessary. Although things have changed in many ways the fundamental reason for the Institutes existence still remains that of support, friendship, education and information for all women.
The fun we have had along the way is evident in the Scrapbooks lovingly put together each year. In the past years the highlight was always the meeting held at “The Manor” the home of President Lady Briggs, who held this position for 21 years in all, quite some achievement. We still have Summer Garden Evenings there from time to time at the kind invitation of Mrs Gill Hanbury, her daughter and W.I. member of equally long standing.
Nowadays we have many excellent evenings but Carnival Day has to be the busiest when everyone helps serve teas, the profits from which enables us to maintain the W.I. Hall for the use of all village folk and beyond. We are one of the few Institutes with their own premises and a piece of the past that we want to keep so it’s worth the effort.
Another delight for members at meetings are the talks, demonstrations or visits included in last year as programme, you are never 100% sure how the evening is going to work out, we have had lots of surprises along the way from slightly tipsy speakers, absent ingredients for recipes, messy but challenging tries at different skills from hand bell ringing to line dancing. We are definitely not all Jam and Jerusalem at Wickhambrook although these to have their places at the W.I. too.
Why not come along and join us and help make the next chapter in Wickhambrook W.I.’s history with us, you’ll be made very welcome.
W.I. Website
More information can be found out about the W.I. by visiting the Womens Institute website.
