Craft Club Creations

There were no injuries, not even so much as a papercut, when the Craft Group made Exploding Daisies this week.  We made several lovely Halloween cards, and a nice selection of birthday and Christmas ones.

Interesting information from the NFWI Mental Health Action Pack:

Did you know....?

According to a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK experiencing a range of mental health problems, 38% said they had experienced stigma.

Of those:

   55%

stopped socialising or going out

 54%

lost contact with

a loved one

      19%

lost their job

Looking after your mental health

Top Tip 10:
Care for others.
Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together

All of these Top Tips have come from the Mental Health Foundation. Wise words to keep in mind, and good actions to adopt whenever we can.

Wet and dreary afternoon = another successful grouting session!

Five of us spent a very busy afternoon grouting our mosaic pieces - it was somewhat noisier than the original workshop! I guesss we didn’t need to concentrate quite so hard! 

Record of a fantastic September Institute meeting

We had lots of lovely new faces, and a good crowd filling the room to hear Alison Haslam,  a London blue badge guide tell us her tales behind the statues! It was an excellent afternoon, begun in some style by Val who lead us in some exercises to music - fun, with the feel good factor!

Here is the record of the meeting:

MemberMeeting – Brixham WI         Date – 16 November 2017

1. Apologies.  Mavis

2. Val lead a sit-down exercise class which was much enjoyed. 

3. Speaker - Alison Haslam gave an interesting and interactive talk on being a Blue Badge Guide in London with Tales Behind the Statues. Many members mentioned just how interesting this had been.

4. President’s Report / Matters Arising from last meeting
Mary welcomed everyone back after summer breakand said she was pleased to see so many faces including some new ones.
Cream tea at Paignton Club great success, lovely afternoon.
Uffculme visit was also a great success and a fun evening. Barbara gave a report.
Potting. Been really difficult to find a date convenient for all with holidays etc. Kate, Shirley and Jane are going along on Tuesday and would welcome those who have yet to paint to join them. Mary will leave the paperwork at China Blue.
Mosaics.     Had another successful workshop this week. Sparks gave a report.
Glass Fusion. Mary reported progress on Glass Fusion workshop on 8th Nov. The price will be £12 per person, which is excellent value and we would like to pay £28 from funds towards travelling and tuition for this class.  The members agreed to this.
OCTOBER GROUP MEETING.  10th October.  Mary reminded everyone of our October Group Meeting on Wednesday 10th October. The speaker is Pamela Vass who will talk about suffragettes. It will be a lunch of baked potatoes with tuna mayonnaise, Coronation chicken and cheese fillings with an accompanying salad and a choice of gateaux for dessert, plus coffee and tea of course. The competition will be a recipe for a Suffragette Cocktail, feel free to bring real thing!    It will be 12.00 for 12.30 pm. Cost £5.
Mary read email update from Val Bugden-Cawsey. Tina reported that the money raised at the Galmpton Cream Tea morning was £1265.

Ipplepen soup and Sweet will be on 10th November.  We will have a board for next meeting.

Tina told the meeting that the PATH blanket was being completed by Sandy, and Beryl has heard from Sandy that it is nearly done.

Sparks gave a report on her day at YES @The Edge and that there was a walking game where you could gain points going round places in Torbay, walking cycling and running. She got a lot of possible interest for future members.
Craft for Tues 25th. Barbara demonstrated the Exploding Daisy. Bring scissors for card, coloured pencils or felt-tips.

5. Sparks told the meeting that next year’s subs will be £42, and explained our savings club for members who wish to take that opportunity.

6. Correspondence
Tina reported that amongst the new things on the board are a Steel band taster day, our Christmas lunch details, and a panto in Birmingham.   Other correspondence – information about ACWW (Association of Country Women of the World) and a thank you for our coins for friendship, the DFWI 2018-19 budget, Plastic soup update, and Celebrating 100 years of women’s resolutions. There is also information about the Devon Federation Denman Break in early May with 6 different courses to choose from and free coach travel.
Tina spoke about November 13th being World Kindness Day, and National Federation has suggested something for us to do to celebrate this in-line with our WI aim to alleviate loneliness.  It involves making a posy with a WI tag to leave for someone to pick up.   We had spoken about this at committee and decided that their idea of leaving them on a bench or around town would not work in Brixham, as the posy would be taken as a tribute for the person commemorated on the bench. Then we thought that there is possibly that you might know someone who would appreciate a posy like this. We thought that it would be a good idea if we could make posies together and Sparks has volunteered space in her house that morning. Tina asked the members if they agreed, we could buy £20 of flowers to use, as November is not really very flowery in the gardens.   Members agreed to this.  Next month we will take a note of the numbers of those that want to do this.

She also mentioned that she was trying to track down a WI lady in another club who collected used bras and sent them to a charity.  This charity refurbished them and gave them to destitute African women.  The wearing of underwear helped these women as they were less likely to be raped or beaten as they looked more affluent or from a better family if they wore underwear.  The info for this is on the way and I will advise members.  In the meantime if members want to save old bras they need to be clean, but lost wires or broken hooks can be fixed. 

7. AOB - Kate advised the next Drama Club meeting was on Monday 24th at her house. 
No-one had Thought of the Month so Barbara led a small session of ’What your mother used to say’ 

8. Flower competition 1. Marilyn, 2. Kate 3. Ellie

9. Next Meeting 18 Oct

Advice from a Welsh Suffragette society to young ladies

Although, unfortunately, it may be too late for some of us.....

Looking after your mental health - top tips

number 9:-
Accept who you are. We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self- esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.