Blundeston and Flixton W.I. was founded in 1922 and our members have taken part in many community projects in recent years. We have cleared the Village pond; spring cleaned the Village Hall; made a set of tapestry kneelers for the church; presented to the Village a sign depicting David Copperfield; planted trees around the Village and on the Millennium Green, and organised tea parties and lunches for the local Sunshine Club and Village children. Members have also written, arranged and taken part in Village Pantomimes. We usually exhibit at the Suffolk Show each year, and in the year 2000 completed and won first prize in a Millennium Challenge to record for posterity an area of our local environment, as part of a Countywide endeavour. This has been followed up later with an update.
Locally we offer our members various educational activities and take a keen interest in public affairs and environmental issues.
Members are encouraged to take up opportunities offered at Local, County and National level of learning new skills or expanding an existing craft or hobby. Our Institute offers a bursary to help cover Members expenses for such courses. One of our members went on a Sugar Craft course run by the W.I. - subsequently became a tutor on the subject and then qualified as a National Sugar Craft Judge! Another member qualified as a National Craft Judge and several members are cookery judges.
We have a craft class every week in Lound Village Hall, we also have a Luncheon club, a Book club, a Drama and Music group, a Scrabble group, two successful Darts teams in the Suffolk East W.I. league, a Theatre and Cinema club and a Rambling group.
Blundeston Village Hall was originally built for a
nd run by the W.I. And was later handed over to the Parish Council who now run the Hall with a management committee.
W.I. membership fees for 2012 are £31.50 which includes a monthly magazine, Blundeston and Flixton members also receive a free Suffolk East monthly magazine.
Visitors are welcome to attend any meeting - the cost per visitor is £3.00.
Visitors are welcome to attend any meeting and we charge a fee of £2.50
We currently have a membership of 47.
We are a member of the Suffolk East Federation of Womens Institutes and belong to Group 19 of the Federation. Other Institutes in Group 19 are Gullivers Girls, The Dales, Kessingland, Mutford and Rushmere, Lowestoft Evening, Oulton Meadow and Lowestoft Afternoon.
The W.I. has its HQ in London with a professional Staff looking after our interests.
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There is a residential W.I. Adult Educational College in Oxfordshire. Denman College is wholeheartedly committed to Lifelong Learning.
Email; info@denman.org.uk.
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The W.I. was started in Canada in 1897 by Adelaide Hoodless. She lived in Stoney Creek in Ontario and her fourth child died, from what she believed was her own ignorance of hygiene and childcare. As a result she started classes for local women on domestic science, and from these beginnings the W.I. has evolved.
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The W.I. was started in this country in 1915 to voice womens concerns and is now the largest and most influential voluntary womens organisation in this country. It enables women to turn their interests into achievements and their concerns into campaigns.
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Among the subjects for our monthly meetings in 2012 are – Our January Birthday Party with Corton The Act, The Story of Mars (the Chocolate – not the planet), Making a Lifetime Garden, How to Stay Young and Beautiful (?), Painting on Silk, Desert Island Discs and A Doctor?s Overseas Work. We are organising an event to Celebrate the Queen?s Jubilee in June, and as it is Blundeston and Flixton?s 90th Birthday in 2012 other Celebrations will take place during the year to mark the occasion. So as you can see we are not all
Jam and Jerusalem
If you are interested in coming along contact Barbara Shaw 01502 730885, or any W.I. member for further information.
