No, you are not too young! No longer dominated by Jam and Jerusalem, the Women’s Institute is an organisation with a voice. It is a place to make new friends and to learn new skills.

Few people realise that the WI is a campaigning organisation and recent campaigns have involved the fight against violence towards women and raising awareness of ovarian cancer. Last year, our national campaign was to encourage a different approach to Autistic Women and Girls, a sector of the community which is often undiagnosed and overlooked. This year, the proposed resolution is very topical, demanding clean rivers for people and wildlife.

Your nearest WI is the Stanton branch, which meets at 7.30 pm on the second Wednesday of every month in Stanton Village Hall. We have had a range of speakers, from the SARS team (Suffolk Ambulance Rescue Service) to a fascinatingly gruesome forensic scientist. We are committed fund raisers, giving donations to many local charities. You are welcome to join us as a visitor before committing yourself to becoming a member. If you get in touch first, we can make sure someone will greet you.

We are very friendly and try to provide activities to suit members from a range of ages and inclinations. As well as the evening meetings, there are morning visits to local cafes for cake and chat. We realise that members who are working cannot join us, which excludes some younger women, so a new group will be meeting for an occasional meal out and we have formed our own Quiz team, now looking for quizzes!

If you are interested, please give us a try or contact me for more information. Jane Duffield ejduffield@gmail.com 01359250347