PRESIDENT, Catherine Best, welcomed members and especially Lindsay, who has just moved into Storridge, to the August meeting.

There have been few members who have expressed an interest in meeting to celebrate 100 years of the WI on September 16 and therefore the committee will check the possibility of those members being able to join any planned activities of other local WI groups.

Mary Herbert won the lottery for who’s name will go forward for the Denman Bursary. Josie Lowe who was delegate at the WI Annual Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall, gave members a full account of the day including the attendance at the meeting of HM the Queen and of the other members of the Royal party.

The speaker for the evening was Sheila Tremellen MBE. She runs the Protection of Unwanted Puppies Society (PUPS) and her MBE was invested for her services to animal welfare. In the last 25 years she has rescued 1,256 puppies! The puppies are brought to her by many different people including vets, the Police, other animal rescue organisations, puppy farms and of course by members of the public.

She told members of the times when a litter of puppies are brought into her care when they are less than a week old and each puppy has to be fed every hour throughout both day and night! She has no time to sleep and little time to feed herself. What a relief when they reach seven days and only need feeding every two hours!

Sheila told members of the dreadful state that some puppies are in when she receives them and although she can forgive this if it is caused by ignorance she feels great anger for those who perpetrate wilful neglect and cruelty.

Her aim is of course to place each puppy with a carefully selected owner who will care of them throughout their life. Before the puppy is homed she ensures that they are vaccinated and each one is given a name. Sheila showed just some of the photographs taken of her puppies. If you feel that you could give a loving home to one of Sheila’s puppies, then we would be pleased to pass on her telephone number.

The next meeting will be held on September 10 when our speaker will be Richard Kendrick. He will take members Behind the Scenes with a TV & Film Caterer. The competition is a home-made cupcake so let’s get baking.