Findon Village WI
All the latest...
2026
April
Who knew AGMs could be interesting and also fun!
It's not surprising that our wonderful Sara was voted in unanimously as our President for another year.
Thanks to our advisor, Chris Hodges, for overseeing procedings.
From left to right:
Chris Hodges (West Sussex Advisor)
Paddy Winter (Treasurer)
Sara Clarke (President)
Sharon Blacker (Secretary)
We were also very happy to add two new members to our committee: Gerri and Kat. Welcome to you both.
March
We all enjoyed Alison Brown's talk on flowers, and our opportunity to make corsages from dried flowers and foliage from her cutting garden
The Spring Fair
We we were delighted with our profit of £135
February
Cloaks, lanterns, celebrity hosts, treachery and death...
All the ingredients for a great birthday party!
Well done Sara and Nikky xxx
January
Didn't We Do Well...
Our ever popular auction raised a whopping £250 for our chosen charities:
Turning Tides - offering accommodation and housing, Community Hubs and Outreach
RISE - offering Refuge, Information, Support and Education
Thanks to everyone who brought items in and to Sassy for again being our fantastic auctioneer.
2025
December
Manners Please Dearest
with David Allen
We were delighted, at our meeting this month, to have enrolled in an exclusive London finishing school in the mid 19th century to polish up our manners and knowledge of Victorian etiquette.
With the aid of a chair; a teacup, saucer and spoon; a book and a fan we gained an insight into the tips and tricks of Victorian society which would enable us to flourish as eligible young ladies.
It was a great night - some of us clearly have more to learn than others! David was, however, extremely patient with even the most wayward of his charges.
Click on a picture to view it, or visit our gallery page.
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Worthing Journal
December 2025 Edition
What lovely recognition of this fabulous annual effort. Every year we have more and more to be proud of.
Our Izzy Doll Tree
generated a lot of interest at this Year's Christmas Tree Festival, and visitors obviously approved, as by the end of the festival all the lovely little characters had found new homes.
Well done Crafty Ladies and other contributors.
You are stars.
November
Foliage, Fizz and Fun
Our wreath-making evening was brilliantly organised by Nikky, and we all came away with wreaths which will wonderfully enhance our Christmas decor.
Thanks Nikky.
See the Gallery for more photos
Findon Village WI does it again!
Thanks to the ladies in general and Crafty Ladies in particular.
The angels, stars wreaths and trees are a Festive Delight
Oh, What a Night!
Erin's training making Findon a safer place to live
Hi Gill,
Was over in Findon earlier and just wanted to congratulate you and your fellow poppy makers on the fantastic display – it all looked beautiful and peaceful in the sun today and what a fitting tribute.
Best wishes,
Fiona
Fiona MacLeod
Clerk to Findon Parish Council
What very well deserved recognition and praise.
Echoed by us all.
October
Guess what...
We're 50 again!
Sara receiving our (second) birthday certificate from Erica at the WSFWI Annual Meeting.
Mary How 1941-1987
Mary was born in Victoria, Australia, and emigrated as a young woman to the UK, where she met and married Raymond How. Mary and Raymond had two children, Jeremy and Victoria, and lived in West Chiltington in West Sussex, where they had many friends.
Mary was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 1984 and despite a brave battle against the disease she died in 1987, at the early age of 46.
Raymond How described Mary as a “super person, who was so brave in adversity, who gave so much love, warmth and happiness to so many, wherever she set foot and to whomever she befriended.” He said that people from all walks of life were captivated by her Aussie charm.
Mary’s son, Jeremy, explains that “on the night my mother died her GP and my father founded The Mary How Trust, an organisation they hoped would allow the early detection of malignant and other diseases”.
Early detection could have saved Mary’s life. We’re passionate about screening as many people as possible and catching illness at the most treatable stages.
September
This
Year's
Sheep
Fair
Our stall looked wonderful, and we took over £480.
Thanks to you all for your fantastic contributions.
We had a wonderful evening of tissue flower making with the multi-talented Andrea Griffiths.
Well done Jane on winning this month's competition with your lovely mini garden.
August
Pimms and a Singalong - all good fun for a Summer's evening.
Blue sky for our games of croquet, and meal at the North Star.
July
We welcomed the return of Sheila Willis, this time to talk about the seaside
and its rich history, characters and many foibles.
June
Nine of our members enjoyed a visit to the home of 'Smock Alley'' wine, where they tasted three delicious varieties. They had the chance to visit the vineyard, and learn about the work involved in creating this excellent English sparkling wine.
Jonathan Cox, our June speaker, gave a fascinating insight into the world of policing based on his personal knowledge.
For more information about Jonathan and his 'Nostril' book series click here.
Jonathan was very impressed with the police memorabilia which was brought to our competition table, so well done, and thanks, to all contributors.
May
A street party theme prevailed at our May meeting, where there was an abundance of Union Jacks, bunting, land army girls and masses of red, white and blue attire, completed by a very tempting array of delicious cakes served on vintage-style tiered plates.
Additionally, we went a little way towards learning to save lives, with a video and discussion related to this year's resolution 'Bystanders can be Lifesavers'. We hope to have future opportunities to demystify the use of the defibrillators around the village and make members more confident in their ability to help in an emergency.
April
Izzy dolls and pompoms, made by our lovely group of crafty ladies, and destined for the Christmas Tree Festival at St John the Baptist Church this December (you can never start too early!)
For the history of Izzy dolls click here
Our Izzy dolls will be distributed after the festival.
A picture that has it all...
A wonderful topper heralding Spring and Easter from Gill and Gay
A defibrillator which reminds us of our 'Bystanders can be Lifesavers' resolution discussion at our next meeting
Skittles
at the
Black Horse
Beautiful bags and boxes made by the Crafty Ladies, led by very talented Andrea.
Our President, Sara, greeted Chris Hodges, our advisor, to our March meeting and AGM. Roundups of the past, very successful, year, were given by Paddy (treasurer) and Sharon (Secretary). Sara was unopposed as President, and will continue in that role. Wendy and Nikky are new committee members, and we are all looking forward to their input.
February
Very well done to all the lovely WI members who cooked, served and generally helped with February's Light Lunch.
For more pictures from Light Lunch and other February events
Our birthday meeting got off to a splendid start with the pop of prosecco corks followed by the presentation of a cheque for £1068 to Mick Dicker from Findon Community Swimming Pool. Mick thanked everyone for this splendid amount which we raised through our fund-raising efforts over the past year. A number of the ladies are looking forward to taking a dip in the refurbished pool once the weather warms up.
We were greatly impressed and entertained by the skill of our speaker for the evening, Margaret Watson, who played a wonderful medley of tunes on her concert harp. Margaret explained the mechanics of the harp, and how she had wanted to play the harp since childhood - much to her parents' dismay. Margaret's programme started with 'Jerusalem', and concluded with 'Happy Birthday' - perfect!
January
Our year got off to a fantastic start with our fun auction. Sara made a great auctioneer (complete with that hat!) and we raised £179.50, taking our total raised for Findon Community Swimming Pool to over £1000!
Well done, ladies!
2024
December
We had a great Christmas meeting with wine, a festive quiz and song.
The hall looked wonderfully decorated, and we were all so proud of what we have achieved this year.
Thanks to Sara for leading us to new heights.
Nikky
led a fantastic evening of festive wreath-making, complemented by a glass of fizz, stollen and mince pies.
Nikky provided a fantastic assortment of foliage and adornments for our wreaths, and the ladies were justifiably proud of their excellent results.
Thanks so much, Nikky.
The village hall decked with stars. Congratulations to Andrea who co-ordinated and led the Christmas theme this year, and to all the ladies who contributed their star-making efforts.
November
Our November pre-loved clothes sale netted an excellent £245 for Findon Pool
Just look at what can be achieved with poppies made by the community, Crafty Ladies and the astonishing expertise of Gay Hibbs and Gill Gostic.
Pond Green has become an amazing tribute to all our soldiers, both living and fallen
October
A fun evening was had at our latest skittling evening at the Black Horse.
Congratulations to Sue, who was a very worthy winner.
September
Committee members attended the West Sussex Federation Annual Meeting, which was held at the Capital Theatre in Horsham. Sara was presented with certificates celebrating our 50th 'birthday' by Georgina, Duchess of Norfolk who spoke on her work with the NSPCC.
As well as hearing of latest developments within the Federation the audience heard from Libby Drew from The Knepp Wildland Foundation and 'Diddy' David Hamilton - DJ and ex Radio 1 presenter.
Rob Goldsmith is one of the few people to have visited and filmed the wreck of the Titanic in a competition he won run by the History Channel in 2005.
His talk to us was full of interest, humour and a sense of awe. However, the danger of the dive was highlighted by the later implosion of the American dive vessel 'Titan' in June 2023 resulting in the deaths of all five men on board.
Click here to visit Rob's fascinating website.
September
With the Sheep Fair behind us, those clever Crafty Ladies have turned their thoughts to the future and are planning November's poppy display on Pond Green.
They certainly appreciated the additional space their new venue of Nepcote Hall gave them.
September is all about the Sheep Fair!
(and didn't we do well...)
This month our speaker was Carrie Cort from Sussex Green Living
Carrie's talk sparked a lively debate on the '3Rs':
Reduce, reuse, recycle
to which we can now add a further two:
Repair and renature.
We are very well served for opportunities to improve our footprint on the planet in the Sussex area, and Carrie shared a variety of ways in which we can simply and easily make a difference.
To find out more about this award winning charity visit their website here.
August
Crafty Ladies are on the Move!
Owing to the popularity of this excellent sub-group we have decided to give Monica a break from hosting, and move to the Village Hall. The cost of £2.50 per person will be well worth it, as we can spread our wings and create even more beautiful items.
This month our speaker was the lovely Ellie Beadell from our local hospice, St Barnabas. She spoke of the recent merger with Martlets Hospice, Brighton, as well as the challenges of roof repairs and staffing which has resulted in only eight of the 24 beds available being open. Their Hospice at Home programme has been very successful, however, providing a 24 hour service for those with an end of life diagnosis.
Our competition was won with Spike Milligan's famous last words: 'I told you I was ill.'
July
Gary Baines from Friends of Shoreham Fort was our speaker this month.
His presentation was on the past, present and future of the fort, and was excellent: a great mix of personal stories and details of the fort's construction.
Thanks, Gary
June
Is there anything our brilliant Crafty Ladies can't tackle? These tricky ears have turned out beautifully, and will be available for sale at the Sheep Fair on September 14th.
What a great event: fabulous fashion choices coupled with a truly delicious afternoon tea.
Huge thanks to all helpers, (and especially Sara whose house has been looking like a clothing warehouse) and to the splendid ladies whose donations led to our fantastic total of more than £500 raised for our community swimming pool.
Weary Walkers hugely enjoyed their latest visit: Knepp Castle, led by Sharon. No storks were visible, but that didn't spoil a great afternoon
Our first fund raiser for Findon Village Pool was a greatly enjoyed coffee morning and plant sale. Thanks to Monica for hosting in her lovely garden, and for all those who provided cakes and plants. £115 will be added to our total, and will help get the pool up and running for everyone to enjoy this Summer.
Our next fundraiser is the afternoon tea and pre-loved fashion sale (donations) on 21st of this month.
May
Congratulations to Pam, whose wonderful posy (nearest to camera) won our flower competition. As Pam was the overall winner of the competitions last year the rest of us will have to up our game to stand a chance!
As Findon Pool is the beneficiary of our fundraising this year, it would be lovely to see an excellent turnout for this event.
Friday, 17th May
6.30pm
Nepcote Hall, Findon Village Hall.
It promises to be a very informative meeting, and there are bound to be areas where ladies of the WI will feel able to help.
April
Crafty Ladies spent a happy afternoon at Monica's creating unique and lovely gift tags and decorated jars for sweets or tea lights. These will be sold at the Sheep Fair on 14th September. That's a date for your diaries!
Skittles
at the Black Horse
Congratulations to Katharine who was our latest winner of this very popular event.
Weary Walkers...
...experienced the many delights of Southwater Country Park, and even managed to avoid the rain and hail (mostly). This first walk of the year saw Maggie with the Golden Compass, which has now passed to Sharon. We hope to see the storks fly at Knepp before too long. More pics in the Gallery.
Casualties Union
Norleen and Helen provided a fascinating insight into this amazing charity at our meeting this month. Helen's makeup skills on her knee and shins showing bruising, shrapnel wounds and burns were astonishingly realistic.
March
Crafty Ladies had a great time at their March meeting, customising pens and pencils into all manner of creatures for the sheep fair, and stringing bag charms/keyrings also to go on sale at the sheep fair in September. See more pics here.
We all know Rita from her fantastic work over the past eight years as a committee member. She has taken on an array of tasks including booking speakers, organising raffle prizes, and sourcing the prosecco! What a star she has been. Thank you from us all Rita.
Our AGM saw some changes to the committee. We said goodbye to Rita (left) and Jan, our events secretary: thank you, Jan for all your hard work. We welcomed Jean and Phil to our merry band.
From left to right:
Jean Burden
Maggie Milward
Monica Easterbrook
Sharon Blacker
Sara Clarke
Paddy Winter
Sue Stone
Phil Clark
We were so happy to welcome Cheryl Kidd, treasurer of Findon Swimming Pool Committee, to our AGM. Cheryl spoke to the ladies about the restoration of the swimming pool, which is a community asset and which now requires a ground source heat pump in order to reopen. As a WI we agreed that the pool will be the worthy recipient of our fundraising this year.
Following his rescue from the pool, I hope this little chap paid his £2!
February
Very well deserved recognition of Gay and Gill's superb 50th birthday topper in this week's Worthing Herald.
Following the wonderful South Today video, the amazingly talented pair are becoming quite famous. What a boost for our very lucky and appreciative WI.
Oh, What a Night!!!
The glitter ball was spinning, the fizz flowed and 'Mamma Mud' and Leila Tasher led the fun and games at our 50th birthday party.
For those of you interested in attending the 'NOT the WSFWI Annual Meeting' here is a link to the eventbrite site where you can purchase tickets.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/not-the-wsfwi-annual-meeting-tickets-
NOT the Annual Meeting
Join us for a one-of-a-kind event at the Worthing Pavilion Atrium, located at Marine Parade in Worthing. This in-person gathering promises to be a day filled with fun, music and WI friends, with guests: Ruth Rogers, Puppeteer extraordinaire, telling us the inside story of Warhorse; Richard Worsley of the RNLI telling us some stories of saving lives at sea from 200 years of RNLI history; and Margaret Watson, Harpist.
Bring your own lunch to eat in the venue or on the Prom, or explore the many local cafes just a short stroll away. Tea and coffee will be available at the venue, alongside a raffle and RNLI sales.
The venue is fully wheelchair accessible. Parking restrictions are in place around the venue itself, but there is an access bay drop-off point on Marine Parade near to the venue and several parking options within easy walking distance, plus good access by public transport - see information on the Worthing Theatres website for details: https://wtm.uk/visit/pavilion/
Please note that there will be no admission for ticket holders prior to 10.30am to allow Event organisers to set up.
Ruth Rogers and Warhorse
FVWI is 50 years old this month
January
Our fun auction this month raised £185 for the Orpheus Centre - the charity which visited us in October last year and whose mission is 'To inspire and empower young disabled students to live fulfilling, independent lives'. What a deserving cause.
18 ladies enjoyed our first outing of the year - the Theatre Royal.
What a great show!
A hint of the fantastic fare detailed in the wonderful community recipe book for sale in aid of St John the Baptist church.
Findon Village WI produced the section on 'Afternoon Tea'.
2023
December
Thanks to all who donated personal care items to the Trussell Trust this month. Richard and Wendy M write:
We just wanted to pass on a big THANK YOU to everyone at Findon WI who gave toiletries to Worthing Foodbank - Body Basics.
It makes such a difference to be able to offer these basic items to people who come into the Foodbank. They are so appreciated.
Also grateful thanks to those of you who donated coats to Wrap Up Worthing. Andrew Lawrence from Brighton Rotary writes:
...we finally ended the campaign yesterday two weeks late with 1,557 coats! This is nearly 3 times the quantity from last year, and in the words of our charity collector, a coat mountain! We carried on because people just kept giving!
This is such an important project, all along the South Coast, as there are so many people in need at the moment, and your assistance has helped us deliver a fantastic number of coats, and make a real difference to these people's lives.
We hope to continue to support these initiatives, and in January our auction will raise money for the Orpheus Centre.
This month's meeting was a splendidly glittering occasion, definitely fitting for the beautifully decorated village hall. The prosecco went down a treat, the quiz was great fun and the singing was... a bit up and down!!!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and see you in the New Year.
The Village Hall decorating team, and Gill and Gay's Tree Festival topper making Findon Festive
November
Delighted to be published on page 29 of WI Life.
That was such a fun day...
This month's greatly enjoyed 'Crafts for Christmas' meeting
(Click a photo to view it)
The post box and Pond Green again resplendent with poppies. With grateful thanks to Gay and Gill and all who contributed their time and effort to creating this fabulous display
October
Gay and Gill's wonderful Halloween masterpiece gracing the village post box.
See more of their fantastic toppers here
104th West Sussex Federation Annual Meeting
Paddy, Sue and Maggie headed to the Capital Theatre in Horsham for this excellent insight into the wider WI, led by Federation Chair Erica Brichta. Erica introduced us to federation staff and trustees, and gifts were given to those leaving their posts. Our adventure up the River Rother was acknowledged, and Erica said that she could see it becoming an annual event (!) Progress on the move to the new HQ in Horsham was explained, and Yvonne Bee gave a rundown of West Sussex finances. The morning was completed with a very entertaining talk from Sussex author Elly Griffiths, who was also available for book signings in the foyer.
In the afternoon Ann Jones, National Federation Chair, spoke about her long WI connection, her love for the organisation and her hopes for its future. An excellent day was concluded with entertainment from Leila Tasha (who visited us in July this year) who had the crowd on their feet.
Rita's wonderful basket, complete with WI bear, was sold to one very lucky recipient who will be buffed and moisturised to the max!
Congratulations to Hilary Ward, winner of our skittles evening and the only player to achieve a strike!
The evening, which was held at The Black Horse, was very well attended and everyone had a really good time.
We hope this will become an annual event.
Our mission
Inspiring & empowering young disabled students to live fulfilling, independent lives.
In the mid-1990s, musician and song-writer Sir Richard Stilgoe and neurologist Dr Michael Swallow started piloting music weeks for disabled people. These were so effective that Sir Richard decided to start a place where disabled people and students could work together for longer than a week – to change their own and other people’s lives by creating new music and performing in public. The Orpheus Centre opened in 1997 at Sir Richard's former family home in Godstone, Surrey.
The college has gone from strength to strength and it was fascinating to hear how from the original five students there are now 22 live-in students, and over 40 day students. The stories of what they have achieved made for an inspiring monthly meeting.
September
What a wonderful morning we spent in the company of Eddie, our fantastic guide, at this remarkable Grade 1* historic pilgrim inn, c1450, in the village of Bramber.
We all found the treasures within quite breathtaking - from an exquisite beaded purse collection, displayed dolls, portable printing press, cartoons and doors from one of the ships of the Armada to stunning painted walls and secret entrances. St Mary's House really is a treasure, and we count ourselves very lucky to have had a chance to see it as a lived-in home.
For more about the current owners who have undertaken amazing restoration work click here.
This month's meeting with artist Rachel Cowell
Our Clever Crafty Ladies
Have made these beautiful Christmas boxes which are destined for the Christmas Tree Festival on
2nd and 3rd December.
2023 Sheep Fair
The sun shone... the neck coolers sold wonderfully and we took over £300...
What a result!
Thanks and well done to all.
All eyes are now focused on the Sheep Fair.
Home baked items, sweet or savoury, can be delivered to any committee member,
or brought to our set-up and preparation meeting at Monica's on Friday 2pm - 5pm,
and of course we are able to accept items on the day.
Thanks, in anticipation of receiving your delicious goodies.
August
The Big Quick Dip and Picnic...
... certainly achieved its aim of tidying up the River Rother. Sharp eyed litter spotters found so much fast food related debris that our little boat was nearly overwhelmed... and then Katie spotted a bike in the water!!!
Grateful thanks to all who supported this initiative.
See the gallery for more photos.
Extract from a note of thanks from Nick McDonald, Estates Manager at Cowdray Park.
Dear Maggie,
It looks like you had a great time, and that bike looks in great condition – fantastic news that it may get a new lease of life. Thank you for cleaning some litter; it is unfortunately an endless task for our grounds team, but they would never have got those bits.
Thanks again.
Nick
In August 1915, Edith Smith became the first British woman to be appointed a police officer with full powers of arrest. Her duties were to deal with cases where women were involved.
Thanks to Sheila Willis for a most entertaining talk on 'Handbags to Handcuffs: the journey of women in the British police force'.
Sara's fantastically bejewelled winning handbag.
July
Weary Walkers avoided the rain and enjoyed an invigorating walk through Arundel, the Castle Park and the edge of Swanbourne Lake before returning to Mill Road car park. The company was just fab!
Next month's walk will combine with the Big Quick Dip and Picnic, and September's/October's walk will be arranged to coincide with the grape harvest at Nyetimber. After that the mud may well get the better of us.
The Hiorne Tower
Lavender Wands
Look what those dexterous Crafty Ladies have been making now... Monica's house smelled absolutely wonderful, and I am sure Monica will have an extra peaceful night's sleep as a result!
A real treat was in store for us all with Leila Tasha getting us out of our seats and rocking with her songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. From Elvis to Abba, Leila kept us movin' and groovin', and as for Sara's 70s gear - only a picture can do it justice!
Oh, what a night
Late December back in sixty three
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night…
Gill's competition-winning boots
Recipes for the WI 'Afternoon Tea' section of the cookery book to be sold in aid of St. John's Church have all now been received, and they look delicious! Details of when they will need to be ready for photographing will be emailed by Sara. Thanks to Gay for all her efforts and ideas, and to Richard Bell for offering to take the pics.
June
Weary Walkers
enjoyed a lovely afternoon stroll at Lord's Piece near Fittleworth. This beautiful heathland is part of the Barlavington Estate and offers wonderful views of the South Downs as well as the chance to see a fantastic range of trees, butterflies and birds. If you listen carefully you might even hear the chirping of the field crickets.
Now that the drop down screen has been fitted in the village hall, we are very fortunate to have access to a BenQ projector (kindly donated by Roger Stone). A second projector is also available in case of a problem! I am sure this equipment will come in very useful at our meetings.
OK, it's a bit early, but the Crafty Ladies are thinking about Christmas. This afternoon was spent felting trees for this year's Christmas Tree Festival. Thanks to Monica for hosting this very sticky situation.
Clive Leach and his beautiful goldendoodle Miss May joined us to tell the story which led them to their work with Pets As Therapy. Clive's passion for helping people find the best versions of themselves in a variety of environments (not always with the help of Miss May) was clear in the enthusiasm he showed for both his dogs (he has kept Finn, one of Miss May's two puppies) and his work.
Pam's fab 'cauli-poo' was a very worthy winner of our competition.
