New opportunities and a competition

About our online groups

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.

Afternoon group

Having completed 10 sessions of the afternoon group in the autumn, where topics ranged from musical experiences, the American Civil War, an original play on the theme of love, famous sisters, charities helping improve living conditions, and Christmas customs, we are now enjoying our Spring sessions. These started with a singing session (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.

Rather predictably we said that we became very much aware that “no man is an island” and that we missed the interaction with friends and family that we had perhaps taken for granted. We learned to appreciate nature by walking more in our local areas. We learned that Zoom and WhatsApp groups were invaluable for staying connected with people. We learned to get along without hairdressers and without buying new clothes. We learned that the whole world is vulnerable and we learned to be cautious about infecting other people.

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.

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

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

Have you recently moved house? Are you newly retired? Or simply want to meet people and make new friends? Then NWR is for you!

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 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

name of your group and, if you wish, your contact details. Are you looking for more ideas on how to Our style is informal and relaxed with local group meetings for women offering conversation, friendship and fun. We have over 300 groups nationwide, with each group creating its own programme of events and activities to ensure members get to talk about what interests them, balancing serious subjects with those that are lighter. I have made so many friends, discussed and explored interesting and challenging subjects. It has lifted my spirits in life’s down periods and at times I have laughed till I ached. “ Your local NWR group is looking for new members. office@nwr.org.uk 01603 406767 @ www.nwr.org.uk www.facebook.com/nwr.uk “ promote your NWR National Women’s Register, Unit 31, Park Farm Industrial Estate, Ermine Street, Buntingford, Herts, SG9 9AZ Registered Charity number 295198 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!