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FUNTINGTON AND WEST STOKE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE
meets at 7pm on the third Wednesday of each month
in the Funtington and District Village Hall, West Ashling.
Activities include art, craft, music, reading and walking groups as well as outings.
Visitors are most welcome.
For more information please contact Shirley Rogerson
Funtington and West Stoke Womens Institute 90th Birthday
23rd March 1920 – 23rd March 2010
At 90 years old we are one of the oldest W.I.’s in England. The first meeting was held in the Old Chapel, on the Funtington straight, when 70 members joined.
Fund raising for their own hall began immediately and this was built in 1923 at a cost of £900 on land given by the first president, Mrs Padwick, who lived at the Red House. Years of equipping, extending and maintaining the hall ended in 1964 when unaffordable repairs and a mini earthquake rendered it unsafe. With local and government grants it was restored and put in the care of the parish, but the first 40 years of providing such an important village facility by the Women’s Institute should be recognised.
The needs of the late 20’s and early 30’s were such that they provided food for school dinners, ran baby welfare classes, sent parcels to unemployed miners’ families, and later during the war to service men. They issued ration books, billeted evacuees, set up a canning factory, collected National Savings and made clothes for Barnados children evacuated to Adsdean, the home of Lord Louis Mounbatten.
Music, drama, art, craft, produce and literary groups existed just as today. The foundations were solid and we continue to build on them.
We salute those early members and welcome the future ones and trust that, along with the many activities, they will enjoy the support, care and friendship to be found at Funtington and West Stoke Women’s Institute.
Happy Birthday.
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