Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2023.

Here is a round-up of our forthcoming activities for January (and beyond!)

Monthly Meeting

Our monthly meeting on Monday 9th January should be very interesting.  Bob Sinfield is talking about The Gag Trade. 

We will be having a raffle, so don’t forget to bring you money

The competition of the month will be to provide a cracker joke. It can be written or typed. Just place in on the table as usual and vote by placing silver coins against your favourite jokes (but you can’t vote for your own!).  The silver collection is donated to ACWW (find out about it here.). So don’t forget to bring your silver coins.  

At the meeting we will be voting by show of hands for the coming years Resolutions. Do have a read of them here (and also on your “MyWI” page).

Evelyn and Carol are keen to encourage members to enter the Group Craft Show.  Please see Evelyn at the meeting if you are interested – the craft group are very knowledgeable and will give guidance if you have a query re your entry.  So give it a go – only £1.00 entry fee (please give it to Evelyn). You can read about the categories for the Group Show here.

Zena is trying to sort out a coach for the Weald and Downland Trip on March 27th.  Please can you check your name on the sign-up board and delete if you cannot make this date.  We will be asking for a deposit once the coach has been confirmed.  Brockenhurst WI will subsidise the trip so it will be for members only.  More details to follow but if you could be kind enough to look at the board it would be helpful.

Lunch Club

Christine K has organised a lunch at The Forest Park Hotel on 16 January – any queries please see her at the meeting.

Walk

Julie has arranged a walk on Monday 23rd January at 10.00 am from Beechern Woods car park off the Rhinefield Road in Brockenhurst. We will walk for one to two mile miles and will walk at gentle pace to suit all. The paths can be wet or muddy, so please wear appropriate footwear for all eventualities. Please sign up at Monday’s meeting or contact us with any questions or if you sign up but then can’t make it on the day. Thank you

Craft Group

The craft group have meetings the following meeting planned:

Friday 6th January 2023 2pm Beginners and Intermediate Quilting Session at Kim’s. Please contact us for more information and for the location.

Friday 13th January 2023 2pm Craft Group Session at Carole’s house. All welcome. Please contact us for more information and for the location. Ideas for our Group Show entry.

Friday 20th January 2023 2pm Beginners and Intermediate Quilting Session at Kim’s. Please contact us for more information and for the location.

Friday 27th January 2023 2pm Craft Group Session at Carole’s house. All welcome. Please contact us for more information and for the location. Working on our Group Show entry.

Contact us for more information and for the locations.

Darts

Our Darts team practice most Thursday mornings at 11am, you can find a number of our ladies taking over the dart board in The Forester’s Arms.

A chance to try something new and fun in a social space, our darts sessions are also an opportunity to make friends, have a drink and enjoy a laugh. New members welcome! Contact us for more details.

Ukraine

New Forest for Ukraine are stopping making trauma packs due to the sheer amount of work involved. Avery thanks us for all the triangular bandages that we have made to support the trauma pack making.

However, rolled bandage are still being accepted.

Julie is stepping down from co-ordinating and hosting bandage making sessions, but we are hoping that sessions for making rolled bandages will continue. To do this, we require polycotton or cotton sheets, so if you have any, please bring them to the meeting or contact us.

Details of future bandage making sessions will follow. Please check the diary dates page.

We will continue to support Ukraine in other ways. Janice is continuing with her “Hats off for Ukraine” campaign , so please bring any warm socks, hats, gloves and scarfs to our meetings.

You can donate other items. Because of the lack of power in Ukraine, torches are especially needed. A list can be found at https://www.newforestforukraine.co.uk/requireddonations

Or you can read about the generator appeal to buy and send generators to Ukraine. Read about this here and donate at here.

Other News and Future Activities

Issy has arranged a Bird watching session at Testwood Lakes on January 27th at 10.30am – please see Izzy with any questions.   

It will soon pancake time again! The Brockenhurst annual Pancake Race will take place on Tuesday 21st February in the afternoon in the Brookley Road.  This is a fun social event with many ages taking part and we need a team to take part.  If anyone is interested in taking part please sign on the board at Monday’s meeting.
 
The New Forest Show in July – there is a meeting in Bramshaw on 1st March at 10am  – if anyone wishes to go please let Evelyn know at the meeting on Monday – there is a charge of £4.00 per person to attend the meeting.

Issy has also arranged a Walking Tour of Hythe on March 6th 2pm – please see Izzy with any questions. 

Next month Brockenhurst WI will be 105! At our meeting, we will be having a craft and social evening with demonstrations which may give you ideas for the Group Show or indeed The New Forest Show.  There will also be a celebratory drink and cake too.

Subs for 2023-24

This year’s membership subscription fee will be £46 – a £2 increase on last year. You can read about how much money Brockenhurst WI receives from this here. This amount doesn’t cover the cost of hall hire and speakers and hence why we need to do fundraising activities such as the refreshments at the Needlework Fiesta and World Textile Day.

The subs will be collected at the AGM in May. A reminder and details will be given nearer the time.

Thank you