FRINTON ON SEA WI COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT 2020 – 2021
Our committee this year now consists of 7 members and it is with great sadness that I must report that our President, Caroline Blackler sadly passed away in March 2021. She will always be remembered by members of our WI. In the interim, Alison Blake has kindly taken over as our Acting President and this has been very much appreciated by the committee.
With effect from 1 April 2021, I confirm that we now have 34 members, 6 of which are brand new members to our WI. A warm welcome to all our new members!
In 2020/21, our programme was disrupted by the Coronavirus Pandemic and our WI meetings were not allowed to be held in the McGrigor Hall from March 2020. Our last Annual Meeting in September 2020 was held virtually via email.
We were finally able to meet in person in July 2020 for our annual Beach Party on the Greensward. We had lots of fun, but no games on this occasion! It was a time when we had to follow strict social distancing rules but it was lovely to see each other and have a chat again.
Then, like so many other WI’s we had to turn to Zoom for our meetings. Our very first Zoom Meeting was in December 2020 when we held our Christmas Party evening. This was a nice opportunity to catch up with everyone. Christmas stories read out by both Caroline and Mary. Together, we all sang the ‘WI 12 days of Christmas’, enjoyed a drink, nibbles and even a mince pie!
For the New Year in January 2021, we welcomed Ian Dowson from St. Helena Hospice who explained the exceptional work by this organisation.
In February 2021, Maddy Deason gave a talk about Assistance Dog Training and how these dogs can transform lives for the better and can even detect the coronavirus infection in people.
In March 2021, we had a talk by Miranda Rayner from the RNLI about the importance of the work they do on our coast. Also, to mark International Women’s Day, we played a game of ‘Guess Who’ and our members presented short biographies of some amazing women to guess on the evening.
In April 2021, we welcomed Lucille Cowell to talk about homoeopathy and all the benefits it could provide.
In May 2021, Gary Egerton, a retired Police Officer gave us an interesting and entertaining talk on VIP Protection and shared some delightful stories of his time protecting members of the Royal Household and the former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
In June 2021, Helen Stubbs a former Fingerprint Expert for Humberside Police gave us as fascinating talk on how fingerprints were identified in the past and how technology has now taken over in this vital work. We had a fun fingerprint painting competition which Helen judged on the evening and the winner was Sheila Andrews for a fabulous painting of a peacock.
July 2021, saw us holding our Beach Party meeting on the Greensward with members bringing their chairs and a picnic. It was great fun playing “Boules” and “Mölkky.”
We do not have a meeting in August as the “Frinton Summer Theatre” occupies our Hall for the summer season.
16.09.21 Annual Meeting for Frinton-on-Sea WI
Jan started an excellent community initiative this year for our WI by organising and collecting female hygiene products for the Foodbank in Walton-on-the Naze. These much-needed products have been kindly donated by our members. This is a commendable project by our WI to help local women who are in need on our doorstep.
Viv also helped in a brilliant community initiative this year. Viv established a weekly Cake Rota from March to August for our members to kindly donate cakes for the volunteers at the Vaccination Clinic at the Columbine Centre or Clacton Hospital. The volunteers were very thankful to all our members who baked the most delicious homemade cakes and savouries each week for them to enjoy!
Viv has also organised our regular ‘WI Litter Pick’s’ this year on Frinton Beach and this has been great for members of our WI to get together as a team and take part in a useful project to help in our local community. Mary applied for a ‘Litter Pick Pack’ from the East of England Co Op. We now have 4 extra litter pickers, hoops for rubbish sacks and disposable gloves for members to use each time.
Mary organised a walk from Frinton Greensward along the seafront to the café in Holland-on-Sea on 29 April 2021 for ACWW Day. Fourteen members took part on this lovely walk and we raised a grand total of £23.22 for the ACWW. By way of being a WI Member, we are also automatic members of ACWW who help rural women around the world.
Kathy Oldhamstead has kindly restarted our extremely popular “Ladies that Lunch Group” and also the “Ladies that Dine Group.” Lunch venues so far this year have included Stanleys and the Frinton Golf Club. There was also an evening meal arranged in August at The Ship in Kirby le Soken.
The WI Autumn Fayre due to take place in November 2020 had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus restrictions in place at the time.
We have had a Weeding and Watering rota during the summer of 2020 and 2021 for the tubs and flowerbeds outside the McGrigor Hall and this has been very well supported by our members.
In November 2020, Our President, Caroline Blackler laid a Frinton on Sea WI Wreath at the Memorial Hall for Remembrance Sunday.
We gave a donation to “Frinton in Bloom” which goes towards flowers and baskets for the town to help attract visitors for the summer season.
The FEWI County Annual Meeting was on Zoom this year on Friday, 25 June 2021. Some members attended this meeting and there was an inspirational talk by Danny Crates a former Paralympic Gold Medallist and a talk by Nick Newland to explain the work done by ACWW.
Our fantastic newsletters have been produced for members by Jean Mockford for our meetings which have been both informative and uplifting for members.
Linda Bateson headed the Programme Committee with the help of both Alison Blake and Anne Beckton. The speakers have been brilliant with varied topics each month. The Programme team should be congratulated on their excellent work in booking Zoom Speakers.
16.09.21 Annual Meeting for Frinton-on-Sea WI
Lorraine is our Welfare Officer and keeps in touch with members not able to attend meetings. Lorraine is also our ‘meet and greet’ representative for our WI and her friendly nature makes new members feel very welcome to our WI.
Jan has published various articles about our WI in the Frinton & Walton Gazette and Essex WI Magazine. Jan has also notified Look Magazine to list our meetings in their local publication and has also posted to the Frinton Chat Facebook page.
Linda kindly writes and delivers birthday cards to all our members throughout the year.
Jean retired from the role of Secretary on 30 April 2021 and she should be congratulated and thanked for her 6 years of first-class service and dedication to our WI which is truly appreciated both by the committee and members. Mary has taken over the role of Secretary from 1 May 2021.
This is the WI’s 106th year, it is the largest and most influential women’s organisation in the UK. We hope that you will continue to be a part of it and encourage other women in our community to be as well.
16.09.21 Annual Meeting for Frinton-on-Sea WI
(M Forth•F•Md S8cUon A RK¢ios and Paymts 1•JO 1.11ffj Fund Rk s¢ I41.1) 179Z7 17 l14 1.44&17 F4# Totsi R•¢•tyts 1&74 16 .12 Icl to he•lh*f trt
Wl nan Charfty numb•rlllw•ghtw• F•deratlo the FTr4ANCIAL STATEIEYr Fortho pttknd 31112r21 Sectlon A RvAiWS a1 PaynY4nts A1 R•c•lpts 6B8.57 831.IX GIftAld 37.gJ 1.149. 510. 103.61 31.th) 31.fy) 35.10 24D 55.18 1.124.fl 1Y.20 Total R•¢•W¢¥ 3251.18 A5 Tola ¢8sh fvnds W fcThMrd frcffl last year l¥wl0)$ICrfaIBI1 A6 Totsl e4•h fund• ¢arrf•d forw•rd althll >••r•nd Icl to advAr>c• ftytP •rJ
T• lh• Tn•tM• of Vll forty )wr eThY•d ..... 58r Under#d 144121 ottP Charth8 Aci 201T (tr 2011 A4*) •wJ thatan oFexarniOfi li 2011 A4" VEery BPOKLE I I @PlÉL£wo£fu De LknE HWLb Woof) Q0r0£Y)
year jed ..... 144(2lofthe ¢h•rth864 2017 (the 2011 k) andthat an epe•y8tynth$n * ' 8MmeThe Wthr88Lkn 145 2011 . fcknthe Ltyj th8 t"rectiwo Livtin t¥th•Ch•ty CommMxThj¥5•l.0ft 145(SMbl dthe2011 r•vwofthe ac¢ounbng rewrds %erA ty the aTrJ a cE¢rn rtheaoUnIs 0r•VA th¢ [¢th. Itakn inrA d8rty rteryts or acwJnty am Bee#Jn9eyKianth from you a• cCm1nganY such m•tts Tho uTrJertknthJ nctF¥ovth al Ihe evwJ•nc• thatM•>A tr• r8tyY•d li an 0•n no OF4nkin 1. me aonatI2 Cat0 b4eth& in any mthil rtsp# the rw¢Therts". . to k•ep acnti re1 in SerJn 130 Chnre8 ALt2011." ha¥• notbaen mrt or 15wn•d: Nam•: Iw122 Addw•ss: 11 WQIZTH MVE HsEoLb P-0? MS OES