Lynn Bowman organised our Christmas get together this year. 

Jenny Burroughes who is going to be our president next year talked about her special memories of Christmas.

Barbara Dixon recalled how she and her husband Reg had spent Christmas during their years living in Australia and Joan Smith showed us a lovely ring that brought back memories of people close to her.

Nicola de Lucis made us laugh with a story of how a little bit of magic made her son believe in Santa Claus even when he thought he didn’t!

Veronica Malkowski made two beautiful Christmas cakes that were raffled and won by Vivienne Brown and Jenny Burroughes. The money from the raffle will go towards a Summer Outing for Children of the Bellamy Road Estate.

Thanks, Lynn doing a great job we had such a fun evening

We had a wonderful time at the Fashion show at the Masonic Hall. About 150 people attended the event to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research and BEAT (supporting those affected by eating disorders)

Liz Benson chaired the November meeting and arranged a speaker from the Royal British Legion.

Grant and Jean Cullen were our guests for the evening and Grant gave us a most interesting presentation on the origins of The Royal British Legion and what they are doing to help and support veterans today. Grant was able to bank £120-59 in total from our club donation and members gifts in the collection boxes. It was very apt as our 100th anniversary is upon that we raised over £100. For the Royal British Legion.

To continue with our 100 for 100 celebration of 100 years since the foundation of Inner Wheel, we have donated 100 spring bulbs to Portland College . A group of us gathered on a drizzly day and managed to dodge the raindrops for long enough to do the presentation. The Convention Committee have produced branded clothing for this year’s convention and Yvonne’s scarf arrived just in time promote this event too.

It was a pleasure to meet staff and students from the Horticulture Department who accepted the bulbs and promised to plant them carefully and let us know when the flowers pop their heads up in the spring.

And we popped into the new coffee shop before we left and enjoyed some delicious coffee and cakes.

We jigged and do-si-doed our way around the The Turner Hall in Mansfield Woodhouse and made over a thousand pounds for Charity. Dain Pinder organised the event and it was decided that the funds be divided between the chosen charity of Margaret Ceney this year’s president and Kathy Winson last year’s president.

Dain with the Ceilidh band and Caller.

President Margaret Ceney and her husband Frank enjoying the music.

Laura Buck brought all the family and the young ones really enjoyed joining in.

Henry Thomas and Dave Brown did a great job of manning the bar.

Dain with her family in the kitchen James, her sister Sally and her daughter Sally served the supper.

The lovely seasonal table decorations were made by Dain’s daughter, Sally and were offered for sale at the end of the evening

And of course no Inner Wheel Event would be complete without the RAFFLE.

New members and ‘Old,’ families and friends, Inner Wheel members from other clubs, District Officers -thanks to all who supported this fundraiser organised by Dain. I’m sure she has a long list of those who helped and supported her. You may not be mentioned here, but you know who you are – thank you for making it such fun evening.

Dain presents a cheque for £500 to the representative of NIDAS which is the charity which President Margaret Ceney has chosen to support.

Immediate Past President Kathy Winson accepts a cheque for £500 on behalf of Pancreatic Cancer which was her nominated charity last year

I hope you all have your tickets for our exciting pre- Christmas event. A little bird told me that Yvonne has volunteered to model. It’s going to be a great get together.

Elaine Campin chaired our October meeting. As our area representative on the District International Committee, it was Elaine who organised the evening inviting the speaker and Lynda Wallace the District International Chairman as our guests.

Marion Tasker gave us a lovely presentation showing what happened to all those items that we prepare on our Working Day. Baby Bundles, Joy Bags and Toy Bags. It was great to hear her first hand account of the people she met whilst accompanying the convoy and to see photos of the delighted recipients.

Elaine also had the pleasurable duty of inducting our new member, Claire Parsons. Claire knows us quite well as her mum Veronica has been a very active member for years. After accepting her membership badge and telling us a little about herself, she was promptly put to work selling tickets!!

In January 2024 we will celebrate 100 years since the foundation of the first Inner Wheel Club in GB&I. As part of the celebrations The Inner Wheel Club of Mansfield are going to do lots of activities incorporating ‘100 for 100’

Keeping Fit – at our recent Summer Lunch members began the challenge of 100 skips for 100 days.

Some years ago Inner Wheel International introduced the project of baby bundles joy bags toy bags and roy bags. These bags are filled with “Goodies” for mums, children and dads when a new baby is born and a baby bundle is presented in order to encourage the mum to attend antenatal classes and get the baby immunised. At Mansfield Inner Wheel we work with the National Police Aid Charity which takes our goods to wherever needed in these times of war and natural disasters. We know our items will be safely delivered and enjoyed by many destitute families.

Yvonne Neville had a busy time chairing our September meeting. First of all she was delighted to induct Marie Hollingworth as a new member of Inner Wheel and then Mary Hind, this year’s District Chairperson was introduced to the Club.

Marie has become a familiar face at meetings in the last few months and we’re all very pleased with her decision to join as a full member.

DC Mary told us about herself and life before Inner Wheel and also her hopes for the continuing future of Inner Wheel as an organisation relevant in the 21st Century.

This year Sue Stoakes opened her garden to help us to raise Club funds for our chosen charities. It was a gorgeous venue to enjoy a delicious lunch and catch up with friends.

Rosemary and David Wilson put together lots of lawn games and competitions that were a great success thanks to the beautiful weather. Lorna had a go at ‘Splatting the Rat’ and we even had a visitor all the way from Skaskatchewan in Canada – Barbara Dixon’s cousin -to join in the fun.

In January 2024 we will celebrate 100 years since the foundation of the first Inner Wheel Club in GB and I. As part of the celebrations we are asked as a club to do ‘100 for 100’, Dain has many ideas!
At our recent Summer Lunch, which was a great success, 10 members attempted to complete 10 skips each amidst much laughter making our first ‘100.’

And here’s our lovely Madam President Margaret working quietly in the background. We all wish her a happy year filled with friendship and fun.