News

Read the National WI’s Campaigns and News

Sheep, runners and storms

The Wickers (WI Knitters and Crocheters) produced a fantastic mobile for the North-East Cheshire WI meeting craft competition. The theme was Sheep and Wool, our entry was a mobile featuring woolly sheep which a child would count to go to sleep. The mobile was commended with Third Prize – well done Wickers!

On the more outdoorsy side of things, twenty volunteers turned out in typhoon conditions to organise a drinks station at the Greater Manchester Marathon on 29 April. Even by Manchester standards it was an icy storm to wether, either for those brave souls running or for us, standing out in the rain offering drinks to the athletes.  Four hundred pounds was raised by their hard efforts so thanks to all who braved the weather that day.

The weekend of 19/20 May sees a Wild Walk on Saturday and a trip to Gorton Monastery on Sunday – the start of a busy summer season.

Steph Roper WI Life cover star

Our very own Steph Roper the wardrobe angel appears on the cover of February’s WI Life magazine. All WI members nationally receive this magazine in the post and we are proud and pleased for Steph to be representing our Institute and showing the modern face of the WI.

Christie Friends presented with a cheque at the October Meeting

On October 4th Sue Royle of the Christie Friends charity came to talk to us about their work, and showed us a short film about the new Treatment Centre at the Christie. After this we presented her with a cheque for £2000 which we raised over the last year. Some of our fundraising highlights were the cake and knitting sale at the Didsbury Festival,  our Charity Cookery Book (we still have some copies so stock up for Christmas!) and a dinner at the Third Eye. We’d like to thank all our members for their contributions, good effort!

Didsbury Village WI is in the Manchester Evening News

Our President Sue was interviewed in an article about urban WIs, which came out on Monday, October 3rd. Read the article here.

Didsbury Festival 2010 – We win Best Stall award!

Retro kitsch bunting, cakes, jams and big black campaign T-shirts to show our more serious side!  All your hard work paid off as we raised load of money for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital charity and won the Didsbury Festival Best Stall Award. Jane, who organises the event says we looked wonderful in the procession and really raised awareness we were in the village. The stall sold out early with queues 3 or 4 deep for the cakes, crafts and jams.  Zoe’s Iced Tea was a hit on a hot day too.  Well done everyone.  See the pictures in the Gallery page.

Activity sub-groups Spring into Action

Spring 2010 seeing a new depth to DVWI as a flurry of new activity groups start.  For more information see the Activity page.

Sponsored WI Slim – Spring 2010

Some of our ladies are on a sponsored slim. Would you like to join them or sponsor one, or more, of the ladies who do wish to take part in aid of The Manchester New Children’s Hospital Appeal?

Details of joining the Sponsored Slim:

• We will be starting February but you can join at any time. We meet at the WI meeting where we will have the (very discreet) initial weigh-in, which will then be repeated at each month’s break time (that will keep us away from the hard-to-resist cakes).
• This will happen every month until the final weigh-in at the May meeting. If you miss a meeting, no need to worry, just keep on track and the next month will reflect that.
• The weigh-ins will be strictly confidential (only you and the lady in charge of the scales will know).
• The only weight to be announced monthly would be the combined total weight lost by us all
• You can do it any way you wish – there are plenty of diets out there to suit everyone.
• You only have to commit to loose whatever amount of weight you decide. (For example, I am going to pledge to loose 1 stone, which is a realistic goal for me in the 12 weeks – any more will be a bonus!)
• Liz will be sending a weekly ‘inspirational’ email to anyone who wants it, but we can all share comments, recipes, tips and ideas, I’m sure we’ll have plenty to discuss between ourselves – dieting is always easier with a friend.

So, if you want to join in shaping up for spring, or just want more info before deciding …..  Look for Liz (e.and.p.thornhill@googlemail.com) at the meetings. She’ll be waiting at the back of the hall, at the break, with a clipboard and the Sponsor forms ready to take your name.

Didsbury’s Darkest Deeds Tour raised £300 for Machester Children’s hospital – 29th Oct 09

The halloween ‘historical’ tour of Didsbury went very well and was sold out.  There were lots of ladies jumping out of bushes and lurking in dark corners.  It was all very well received. The £10 ticket included the tour and a supper.

Read more about it here.

John Leech MP offers his Honey Bee support – 7th July 09

Read his letter here

After the success of the Didsbury Festival, we caught the awareness John Leech MP.  Here’s the letter I received this morning. I will respond thanking him greatly on our behalf.

BBC Manchester tour – Sunday 5th July

See the BBC Tour in pictures

Judy came up trumps again with the BBC Manchester Tour.  For £5 the troop of ladies who went very much enjoyed all sorts behind the scenes of the BBC on Oxford Rd, with even a chance for our Di to become a weather girl (or it that person?!)

Didsbury Festival – Saturday 6th June, Didsbury Park

See the Didsbury Festival 2009 in pictures

Thank you for helping & visiting our first Didsbury Village WI stall. This year the national WI is concentrating it’s resolutions on supporting the Bee and pressing the Government to fund research into the area of Bee heath as well as the pollinators (butterflies and beetles) that they have recently targeted. Watch the video – A World Without Jam. Our stall will push this message with Bee friendly plants for sale; children flower potting activities; crafts; local produce; bee-themed cakes; books; and general information on the WI and Bees.