About

Welcome to Old Buckenham WI Website

We meet on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Apart from business matters, we enjoy a wide range of speakers, have a break for refreshments and socialising, a raffle, competitions and a food swap table. Membership qualifies you to receive a copy of WI Life sent direct to members by post. Currently we are able to provide a free copy of the Norfolk WI News. Contact Betty Stacey - Secretary for further details on 01953 454790

COMMITTEE

This is composed of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and up to six members with the facility to co-opt up to three extra members. The committee is elected at the annual meeting in February after nominations are received at the January meeting. The President is elected by all members at the January Meeting. Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer are elected by the Committee. Help from non-committee members is always welcome.

REFRESHMENTS

Each month we need two volunteers to make tea and coffee for the members. Volunteers are asked to provide cakes or biscuits for the evening, to make drinks and wash up afterwards. They need to arrive early to set up. Tea, coffee, milk, sugar and tea towels are all provided. The Committee's catering lady will be on hand to help.

SAVINGS SCHEME

We encourage you to join our Savings Scheme to help pay for your yearly subscription to the WI. If you pay a small amount each month it eases the full payment in April. See our Assistant Treasurer for details.

GIFT AID

We are able to reclaim tax on membership fees. If you are a tax payer and fill in a declaration for us, we can currently reclaim 25p in the pound on the part of the fee we retain. Forms and further details are available from our Treasurer at meetings.

COMPETITION

Each month we run a competition usually related in some way to the speaker's subject, and judged by the speaker. A point is given for each entry and further points are awarded to the first three places. At the end of the year a small gift is awarded to the person with the most points gained through the year.

FLOWER OF THE MONTH

Each month you can bring a flower from your garden, displayed in a small vase. A pot is placed by each entry and it is suggested that members entering put a silver coin in their own pot and other members can put one silver coin (any value) in a pot to denote their favourite. Points are awarded to each entrant and to the first three places judged on the number of coins. At the end of the year a gift is awarded to the member with most points gained throughout the year. The money is donated to ACWW*.

LOVE FOOD HATE WASTE

In an attempt to minimise food and other wastage, a table at our meeting is available for donations of unwanted food items (in date). Members can then select any item of use to them for a small donation which goes to ACWW*.

BETWEEN MEETING ACTIVITIES

Scrabble

A fun evening of Scrabble happens once a month. We meet in a member's house and play three games. No expertise is needed, we are happy for anyone who would like to play to come along.

Gardening Club

We are in the process of setting up a Gardening Club for interested members.

Walks

Once a month from September to May we organise a walk of about 5 miles within a reasonable distance of home. These walks are usually on the Friday following the monthly meeting. Husbands and friends are welcome. We usually end the walk at a nearby pub. You could come and join us for lunch even if you don't want to walk. We also try to organise a Blue Badge Walk in Norwich in June.

Outings

Occasional outings are arranged, depending on demand. A visit to the Theatre Royal for the Norfolk & Norwich Amateur Operatic Society's Production in January is usually popular. Other outings are sometimes planned.

GUILT CROSS GROUP

We belong to this Group which includes Bunwell and Carlton Rode, East Harling, Garboldisham, Tibenham and Attleborough. Meetings are held twice a year in April and September, and give us the opportunity to hear a more expensive speaker than most WIs can normally afford. It is also a chance to socialise with friends from other WIs in the Group. Each WI takes turns to host or steward the meeting. Meetings are usually held in Old Buckenham Village Hall.

SOCIAL EVENTS/FUNDRAISING

With ever increasing costs we need to fundraise each year but like to find enjoyable ways of doing this. Any ideas would be welcome.

VILLAGE ACTIVITIES

We take part in quizzes and other activities organised by the village whenever possible. (We sometimes provide refreshments for village events.)

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Over the years we have provided the village with:-

The Village Sign
A Millennium Wall Hanging
A Seat on the Green
Tables at the Windmill
Story Sacks for the Primary School
A Community Chest for use by the Primary School
A Clock for the main Village Hall
Books for Chapel Green School
A Hornbeam Tree on the Green

*ACWW

Associated Country Women of the World is an organisation of which WI is a member. The aim is to raise the standard of living for rural women, particularly in poorer countries. We send a donation every year which includes money raised from the Flower of the Month and the Love Food Hate Waste Table.

FEDERATION EVENTS

There are plenty of opportunities to participate in various activities through the Norfolk Federation. Sports, crafts, penning for pleasure, lunches and technology are some of the things on offer. Look for details in the Norfolk WI News.

RESOLUTIONS

Each year Resolutions are put forward for consideration by the national membership of the WI. These are generated by members and focus on issues that are deemed important enough to campaign on. Following publication in November's WI Life Magazine we are asked to vote in January for the ones we want to go forward for shortlisting. In May we discuss those selected and our vote is taken to the Annual Meeting in June.

FEDERATION MEETINGS

The Norfolk Federation Annual Meeting is held in May when we are represented by a delegate and can apply for visitors' tickets. The Delegate reports back to us at our next meeting. Informal Autumn Federation Meetings are held in various venues around the county. These meetings include a variety of interesting speakers. We take turns with a small number of local WIs to send a delegate to the National Annual Meeting each year who then reports back to the linked WIs. These meetings are held in various locations around the country.