Our AGM

We're 15! Our birthday AGM

With the garden at St Margaret's House looking lush for our AGM, we gathered for our official meeting of the year – and for celebration.

Our President Heather's review reminded us how even in challenging times, our members were carrying on quietly with a wide range of voluntary work and as a group, we were supporting local speakers, organisations and for our coffee mornings, cafés. When we couldn't meet in person, we supported our members with high quality Zoom events and coffee mornings. We kept our community garden growing. And even when we couldn't use our meeting and storage facilities actively, we continued to pay for them so that they'd be there for us.

Although our fundraising was restricted, we helped at the St George's Day tea dance and our Treasurer Celya reported that we'd emerged in good financial shape.

The cheery Liz Morrell and Fiona Doyle from Middlesex Federation came along to lead the business of the AGM. All of our committee were happy to stand again, Heater will be our President for one more year and there were unanimous votes for all.

There were candles – in numerical formation! There was champagne! There were delicious savouries by Natasha and cakes by Heather, who is also our queen of Victoria sponge! There was a pink quiz by Sally, following on from her excellent talk last Autumn on breast awareness. And there was a toast to our first President Niki Stevens.

It was lovely to hear everyone's stories about how they first met East End WI and the first meetings they'd come to – a joyous catalogue of friendship, fascination and fun.

Thanks to everyone who came along, thank you to Liz and Fiona for not just turning up but making a cracking quiz team as well and here's to another year of a WI we've all come to value all the more during the pandemic.

Finally, an enormous round of applause to everyone whose knowledge, skill, talent, energy, kindness and good humour have kept everything going and particularly to our President Heather, who has done a grand job with wit and wisdom.

Coming up

Our next coffee morning will be on Friday 27 May, 10.30 at Root25, next to Bow Church DLR. 

At our June meeting, we'll be meeting some police dogs and marking the Jubilee. 

And we're gearing up to help at the Canal Festival on 16 and 17 July.

Look out for more news in our Coming up in June blogpost.