NWR NEWS
One of the happier spin-offs from the pandemic, NWR’s new online groups have a full and varied programme waiting to welcome you. The afternoon and evening online groups restarted in January for their second term, having got to know each other and beginning to gel as viable groups. They grew out of the open meetings held on Zoom earlier in the pandemic, with the aim of being as much like a local group as possible. Those who attend are a mix of independent members and group members who may or may not also be attending their local group. A highlight for the evening group last term was feeling a little smug after succeeding in the Telephone Treasure Trail, even though we were a very select gathering that evening. Alyson, who joined NWR during the pandemic, leads the afternoon group. Wendy, on the other hand, joined NWR almost 40 years ago, and now leads the evening group. Both have spaces for new members, who could be occasional as well as regular.
(pictured below left) with Singing for Health and Wellbeing practitioner Mary Denn1. We were led through gentle and relaxing body awareness in preparation for using the voice for the songs for which she had previously provided the words. The programme is mapped out for the rest of this term with input from all the members, and includes marking the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, the “other” Welsh poet W H Davies, space travel, worldwide foods, and a discussion about recognizing and finding ways to aid equality and diversity issues.
Evening group
The evening group’s first meeting of 2022 looked back at what we learned through Covid and looked forward to what we hoped for in the new year. Afternoon group Rather predictably we said that we became very much aware that “no man Having is an island” and that we missed the completed 10 interaction with friends and family that sessions of we had perhaps taken for granted. We the afternoon learned to appreciate nature by walking group in more in our local areas. We learned the autumn, that Zoom and WhatsApp groups were where topics ranged from musical invaluable for staying connected with experiences, the American Civil War, an original play on the theme of love, famous people. We learned to get along without hairdressers and without buying new sisters, charities helping improve living clothes. We learned that the whole conditions, and Christmas customs, we world is vulnerable and we learned to be are now enjoying our Spring sessions. cautious about infecting other people. These started with a singing session
Find out more If you are interested in knowing more about the online groups, please contact: Afternoon group alysonelliman@aol.com Evening group wendy.pearson@no3.clara.net A shockwave ran through the group when one member divulged that she had lost her husband to Covid early on in the pandemic. It made our little problems pale into insignificance, and brought us up short. We avoided the word resolution but talked about challenges, and some of us were very organised and determined! Among the things people were hoping to do were singing at the Albert Hall, youth hostelling, entertaining, swimming in the sea, sorting out the garden/shed, creative writing, and revisiting a holiday home from the past. Some thought it was too early to make plans. We challenged ourselves to contact friends more often, to be more punctual, to drink less wine and more water—that one definitely wasn’t me! We were in agreement that we have learned to appreciate small pleasures like tea in the garden with friends, and maybe, like Snoopy the dog, we have realised that perhaps the little things are actually the big things. We look forward to discussing our favourite authors, when we were young and now, learning about Chinese New Year and reading our choice of book from the Big Read over the next few weeks. Alyson Elliman and Wendy Pearson NWR Online Groups 1. https://tuneinwithmary.wixsite.com/ home
Enter our fun competition and help to spread the word about NWR We have a challenge for our members… You’ll have noticed the back page of this issue looks different. It’s our new NWR flier, for you to cut out and put on noticeboards and in shop windows, telling women everywhere about NWR. Post your flier in your local area and send us a photo of it for a chance to win one of a choice of £15 vouchers. Email your photo to me, Cath, at cath.heslop@ nwr.org.uk by 30 April and you’ll be 6
NWR Magazine Spring 2022
entered into the draw, and two lucky members will be selected at random.
Where will you put yours? Here are some suggestions: Community centre, church hall, garden centre, town hall, high street notice boards, coffee shops, supermarket, corner shop, bookshop, doctors’ surgery, local takeaway, chemist, museum, library. There is a white box on the flier providing you with space to write the
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name of your group “ and, if you wish, your contact details. Are you looking for more ideas on how to promote your NWR group? The NWR Promotion Guide is full of tried and tested methods. You can find it here, along with many other useful resources: https://nwr.org.uk/ about/resources-for-nwr-volunteers/ Good luck! “
About our online groups
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@ office@nwr.org.u 01603 406767
Your local NWR
www.nwr.org.uk om/nwr.uk www.facebook.c
group is looking
s. for new member
Estate, Ermine Street, Park Farm Industrial number 295198 Register, Unit 31, Registered Charity National Women’s SG9 9AZ Buntingford, Herts,
