Womens Institute

Welcome to Woodcote WI

Please come along and join us at 2.30pm on the third Wednesday in every month in the Village Hall (except August).

We are an extremely friendly WI of 44 members. Visitors and new members are always welcome. Come and meet new friends and enjoy a delicious afternoon tea.

We have a variety of speakers.
Enjoy outings to nearby places of interest.
Join our lunch club which visits different venues once a month.
How about a game of table tennis? This group plays once a week in the winter months.
For the more serious minded we have a discussion group who meet regularly to put the world to rights.
Are you a Scrabble player? Perhaps you would like to resurrect our Scrabble group.

We are part of the Oxford Federation of Women's Institutes who arrange events such as talks, day schools, outings and holidays that individual WI's cannot arrange due to insufficient numbers. It gives members a chance to meet and enjoy the company of fellow WI members which is part and parcel of belonging to such a national organization as the Women's Institute.

There are many learning opportunities within the WI and we are lucky to have Denman College (WI's own residential college) in Oxfordshire. The range of courses is varied to appeal to as wide a cross section as possible.

History

Woodcote WI was formed on January 19th 1944 and the first meeting was held in “The Old Schoolroom” on February 16th when there were 36 members present. The annual membership fee was 2⁄6d. Mrs Lait was elected as the first President.

An unsuccessful application was made to the Food Office for a permit to buy tea so each member was asked to bring “a little tea for the communal pot” and cakes were bought from the Co-operative Store in Reading and sold to members at the meetings for 1½ each.

The meetings were held on a regular monthly basis in the Old Schoolroom until September 1950 since when they have always been held in the Village Hall.

Initially we were part of the Goring Gap Group along with Checkendon, Goring, Ipsden, Mapledurham and South Stoke. We have since been regrouped and are now part of the Thames Valley Group consisting of Aston Tirrold & Upthorpe, Goring, South Stoke and South & North Moreton. Group Meetings are held twice a year.

Membership

At present our membership stands at 44.

Subscription for the year 2010 is £29.50.

Our annual meeting is in March.

Contacts

Mrs Patricia Solomons (President) 01491 680746

Mrs Judith Williams (Secretary) 0118 958 6642

Oxford Federation - 01869 331081

Email - ofwi@btconnect.com

Website - www.oxfordshirefwi.freeuk.com

National Federation of Women's Institutes - 0207 371 9300

Website - www.womens-institute.org.uk

Programme 2010/11

May 19th	Resolutions Meeting & The Way we were
June 16th	My Life in Agriculture
July 21st	The Klondike
August 18th	Garden Party
September 15th	The Story of the British Legion
October 20th	Harvest Lunch
October 28th	Group Meeting - Woodcote
November 17th	Travels with Auntie - My Life at the BBC World Service
December 15th	Christmas Party
January 19th	The Mystery of Agatha Christie
February 16th	A History of Magic
March 16th	Annual Meeting - Beetle Drive
April 20th	Jubilee Sailing Trust

This website is funded by Woodcote Parish Council. If you would like to contribute or update any part of the site please contact the webmaster - web@woodcote-online.co.uk.