GENIE MEETING
For those of you who missed out on the GENIE meeting: It is possible to arrange your own group visit by contacting the organisers on tel 0116 252 3319. For further details, check out the website: www.le.ac.uk/genetics/genie
UNSOLICITED MAILINGS
Some WI Treasurers may have received an unsolicited mailshot letter, personally addressed to them, from a company called D H Business Support. Please be assured that your contact details have NOT been garnered from the MCS. Rather, this company has picked the details up from the Charities Commission listings where (if your WI has hitherto been registered individually as a Charity) your contact details may be available. Of course, you may also ignore the letter if you’ve had one, since it is just a mailshot looking for new business, unless you wish to contact them to request that they take you off their mailing list.
KILNER JAR SPARES ARE NOW AVAILABLE
A Surrey company is now providing a spare parts service for old screw-top Kilner preserving jars, via the post or the internet. Owners can now obtain rubber sealing rings and sealing lids and continue to preserve fruit and vegetables in the traditional way using reusable glass containers.
Traditional Kilner jars were made in varoius types between 1919 and the mid 1980s, and were the normal way of preserving fruit and vegetables before home freezing bcame popular.
Obtainable from www.kilnerjarsuk.co.uk or by post from Peter Denyer Services, Dove Cottage, Tumber Street, Headley, Epson KT18 6PF. Tel/fax: 01372 372611.
FAIR TRADE
NFWI have joined forces with Traidcraft to try and persuade the largest tea companies in the UK, including Taylors, to switch to Fairtrade. Look out for post cards that you can send to the tea companies as part of the campaign. Many of us will be pleased to be able to support fairtrade producers and have our free tea.
CHARITY COMMISSION
If your WI has received a letter from the Charity Commission and you are no longer registered, or your income is beneath the accounts submission threshold, please ignore it. We have been informed that it was sent by mistake and the Charity Commission apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Vicky Goodman Treasurer
SCIENCE CLUB
We would like to resurrect the Science Club, and organise outings and meetings for interested members. Contact would be as before via telephone or e-mail. This will be in addition to our normal Science Question Time meetings that will continue to be advertised as usual. If you would like to hear about proposed activities please give your contact details to WI House and say it is for the Science Club.
GIFTS & STATIONERY
I would like to thank everyone who supports our gift sales by requesting a parcel to sell at their institute or event. The small profit we make from all sales is a very important part of the Federation’s income. We try to keep our goods reasonably priced and they are usually less than in the shops. If there is something you would like us to stock please let us know, we are always looking for new ideas. Would you consider having a parcel to sell at your meeting, special event or group meeting. If you have a problem collecting a parcel with enough notice we may be able to arrange delivery to you and occasionally we may even be able to come along to your event and sell for you. Please contact Gail at WI House for more information.
Vicky Goodman
KEEPING BEES
Brooksby Agricultural College offers a twelve week course for those who are interested in bee management.
HANDY HINT
If your copy of Speaking Out is not up to date, you can download the most recent mandates from the NFWI website. Just click on "Speaking Out - Updates" in the Related Sites box on the right-hand side of this page.
HATE GOBBLEDYGOOK, LOVE PLAIN ENGLISH?
We have received a letter from the NHS Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Care Trust asking for volunteers to read their draft leaflets to ensure they are easy to read and make sense. If you are interested in joining a panel to do this please get in touch with
Jo Lilley, Engagement and Involvement Officer, tel 0116 295 7626 for an application form or write to her at FREEPOST RRHS_EUHR_LCZA, NHS Leicestershire and Rutland, Lakeside House, 4 Smith Way, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SS.
'REAL HELP NOW FOR WOMEN' Guide
With the onset of the international financial crisis and the global recession HM Government has produced a booklet specifically aimed at offering women help and support to get them through the economic downturn.
This booklet explains what help is available now and where to find it on a range of issues from managing family finances and finding good quality childcare to coping with problems at home. If you wish to view the guide it is downloadable from www.realhelpnow.gov.uk
NEW MEMBERS
Does your WI have a lot of relatively new members? Would you be interested in holding a new members evening/afternoon to learn more about the WI? Contact WI House and they will help facilitate it.
SPECIAL DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
The orange/gold ticket booking form sent out in monthly mailings doesn’t currently include a column specifically for special dietary requirements. However, it is being modified and will include such a column very shortly. So, when you are booking tickets for an event which includes food, please make sure that any member with special dietary requirements, e.g. vegetarian, is clearly indicated on the ticket booking form. It is also a good idea for Secretaries to remind members about this when reading out notices at monthly meetings.
This is especially important for all Home Economics events, but may be relevant to other committee events where, say, a lunch is provided.
Thank you for your co-operation
Sue Lobb
Home Economics Committee
GIFT VOUCHERS
Looking for a raffle prize or a gift? Have you thought of buying a Federation voucher? These can be purchased from WI House. Costing £5, they can be redeemed for items from our gifts and stationery range, or can be used towards ticket purchases for Federation events or classes.
WOMEN'S AID OUTREACH
Maureen Anderson, of the Domestic Violence Department at County Hall, is willing to give talks about different sorts of domestic violence. Training is also available (1-day, free at the moment). To contact Maureen for more information, check out page 3 of February County News.
How you can STOP unwanted telephone sales calls
The telephone Preference Service (TPS) helps you to make sure your telephone number is no longer available to organisations who may telephone you with offers and information you do not wish to receive. There are 3 ways to register:
via the TPS website: www.tpsonline.org.uk
by phone: 0800 398893
or by post: The Telephone Preference Service, DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SS
SHOP ON-LINE AND RAISE FUNDS FOR DENMAN COLLEGE
Denman College is pleased to announce the launch of www.buy.at/denmancollege. This website lists a huge variety of high street and web based stores that offer commission on your purchases, which comes out of the retailers profit margins eg John Lewis, M&S, Amazon and Next, to name but a few. Each purchase you make through this site will generate a donation to the College development fund.
LOOKING FOR A HOME FOR UNWANTED FURNITURE?
A number of funiture Re-use projects in Leicestershire will collect a wide range of household items, electrical applicances and second-hand furniture to sell to people on low incomes. They also offer opportunities to volunteers to help improve their skills and employment prospects. For more details contact any of the following:
SOFA (Loughborough) 01509 262557
Work Link (Hinckley) 01455 636506.
REACT (Coalville) 01530 510515
Melton & District 01664 410380
Baby Gear (Leicester) 0116 251 8756
VENUE SURVEY
Some time ago, you will have received a green questionnaire asking for detailed information about your meeting venue, or any other suitable halls in your area. Sincere thanks to all those WIs who have already returned this information, but we still need lots more. If you haven’t yet completed the form, may we ask ever so nicely that you do so and then send it off to WI House.
The reason for this survey is to have a record at WI House of venues throughout the county, to ensure that the Committees are able to organise events across as wide an area as possible.
All Committees will find this record very useful, but it is of particular importance to Home Economics Committee to have up-to-date and accurate information about the kitchen facilities.
Many thanks for your help.
Sue Lobb
HE Team
p.s. if you have mislaid your green form, then a quick call to Liz will put matters right. Alternatively, you can click on “Venue Survey” in the right-hand Downloads box on this page – and print off one for yourself (white paper will do if you don’t have green, by the way).
CALLING ALL WIs !
A plea! Please send a large enough envelope when you request tickets. We have great difficulty stuffing large orders for tickets into small envelopes - the long "foolscap" size envelopes are ideal.
Many thanks
Liz Faver
Federation Secretary
ACWW - PENNIES FOR FRIENDSHIP
Remember - when you are sending your cheque off to WI House with your Pennies for Friendship contribution, you should make the cheque out to "ACWW (PfF)" and NOT to LRFWI.
MONTHLY REPORT FORMS
Please do remember to complete and send in your yellow Monthly Report Forms. They are scrutinised and used by the Federation, particularly for speaker reports, so try to put something more than simply "Excellent" or "Very good" under comments: very often, where a WI has booked someone other than from the Year Book, these forms are a source of new speakers who may be invited to take part in a Speakers' Panel Audition Evening.
HANDY HINT FROM MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
When you look at old records, it is very obvious how important it is to include names of the people involved. When you write your committee minutes and records of meetings, use both christian AND surnames for the benefit of future readers.
TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT...
The committees organising events advertise them well in advance. Some events are very popular and to be sure of securing a place, please apply for tickets as soon as you get the flyer - DON'T wait for the closing date! You can add to your ticket order on the monthly booking form after your initial application has been sent off, and remember that you only need to include an SAE for return of tickets with the FIRST application for any one event - the office staff will ensure that they collate all requests for that event into the right envelope!
COUNTRY MARKETS TIMETABLE
Birstall - 2nd Wednesday (see also note below)
Blaby & District - Friday (not January) (see also note below)
Glenfield - Friday (not January)
Hinckley - Friday (not January)
Mkt Harborough - Tuesdays
Melton Mowbray - Tuesday (not January)
Oakham - Friday (not January)
Syston - Friday (not January)
Also at the following Farmers' Markets:
Hinckley - 3rd Thursday
Lutterworth - 2nd Saturday
Loughborough - 2nd Wednesday
Melton Mowbray - 1st, 3rd & 5th Fridays
Birstall Market has not been held in the village for some time but they can be found at the Loughborough Farmers' Market. This is held on the second Wednesday of each month from 9am to 2pm.
This is a friendly, lively Market and as well as the Country Market goods, cakes and preserves and plants, there are stalls selling fruit and vegetables, eggs and organic meats.
Why not combine your visit with a walk in the park and maybe call in at the Charnwood Museum. Parking and cafes nearby.
Blaby & District Country Market is continuing to hold regular markets each Friday 10-11.15am in the Blaby Social Centre. They have a very good selection of fresh vegetables, which is very popular with customers as well as usual produce and craft. Since April, they have been part of the local Farmers' Market which is also held at the Social Centre.
If you would like to find out more about Country Markets, then click on the link on the right-hand side of this page to visit their website.
CALLING ALL PROGRAMME SECRETARIES!
Monica Winfield, of Radio Leicester fame, would love to come to your WI to talk about the history behind and the running of the LOROS Lottery. She can tailor the length of the talk to suit your requirements, and is also willing to take on last-minute bookings (subject to being available, of course) - perfect for when your speaker cancels at short notice! Monica is waiting to hear from you, so give her a call at the LOROS Lottery office on 0116 231 8430. She's only there at certain times, but you can always leave a message and she will get back to you asap.
Leicestershire Villages.com
Leicestershirevillages.com is an excellent, free to use, local website facility which allows you to log on and use to advertise your local events. Click on the link on the right-hand side, and visit the site to find out more!
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