Happy New Year to all sisters and yet to be sisters.  Hopefully, 2023 has gotten off to positive beginnings for most.  To anyone who may have experienced the winter bugs doing the annual rounds, hopefully you are on the mend now and not too worse for wear.  Otherwise, we send our wishes that you get well soon so we can see your radiant faces at Feb’s meeting where we will be getting active with dance.  Your DBWI has a history of trying out new dancing and this month we will be trying Bollywood with a beautiful instructor, Neha Steinberg (see poster below).  Doing some brief research I found out that the word ‘Bollywood’ is the name given to the Indian film industry and is derived from ‘Bombay’ (which we now know as Mumbai) and ‘Hollywood’.  The Bollywood dancing style seen in films is a fusion of many classical and contemporary dance styles such as traditional Indian, belly dance, hip-hop and jazz.  It is highly theatrical and a wonderful way to freely express ourselves and connect with others.  There are no set rules or restrictions so anyone can join in and enjoy being themselves. 

At all meetings

Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month in the Crypt at St Peter’s Church, De Beauvoir, starting at 7.30pm.  Sisters take it in turns to serve delicious refreshments, including tea and cake, wine, and assorted snacks from the kitchen.  Meetings are free to members, or only £5 for guests (price includes tea/coffee and cake).  Come and join us for a chance to catch up with friends old and new.

Covid compliance notice

Please continue to follow the DBWI precautions regarding Covid.  We would also encourage everyone to book their next jab when called to do so. 

In line with guidance from the NFWI masks are optional but we encourage members and guests to wear one when in more crowded areas, such as queueing for refreshments.  Now the temperatures have dropped it is too cold to keep the windows and doors open in the crypt.  Therefore, if you feel unwell at all, or live with someone who has Covid, please do not come along to the meeting as a number of our members are vulnerable.  Wash hands in the toilets and/or use sanitiser, which we will provide hand sanitiser if you cannot bring your own but please bring your own if you can.  All surfaces on tables and at the hatch will be wiped down with disinfectant before your arrival.  If you can do a lateral flow test before attending meetings and contact us if you develop symptoms after attending.

Book Group

This group is usually held on the third Tuesday of a month at a pub.  The book of the month is announced at the monthly meetings and are usually around 300 pages in length.  You can sign up at the meeting or email if interested.  For further details please visit the page on the website.

BST Walking Group

The walking group is now in hibernation for the winter.  There is a WhatsApp group remaining open for people to arrange impromptu walks whenever the rambling bug speaks to them.  Ask about this via the usual email or at the meetings. Please see the group page on the website for information and pics of previous walks.

Knitting Group

The knitting group is meeting again when a project idea comes to mind.  If anyone has any ideas for projects or can host an evening for crafting, please email the usual address You can also request to be added to the WhatsApp group for regular updates. 

News

Warm Wednesdays

Volunteers are still being welcomed for Warm Wednesdays at St Peter’s Church.  In particular anyone who can lead some knitting or other craft activities.  Please email simonperfect@stpeterdebeauvoir.org.uk directly if you can assist with this.  The church has a box of wool, we can provide needles. pom pom makers and other craft materials if you have ideas.  Email the address on the poster for this.  If you can donate any board games or offer a financial contribution then these will also be gratefully received.

Community Café

On Friday the 24th of February the DBWI will be hosting the community café in the crypt of St Peter’s Church.  Please email us if you can cook a meal, dessert, or help serve and clear up on the day.

Solace Women’s Aid

We will be collecting donations for Solace again this year.  They would like donations of the following items. Please bring donations along to the meeting.

• Toiletries
• Gift sets
• Gloves
• Hats
• Scarves
• Socks
• Games
• Headphones
• Make up
• Children’s toys.
• Store gift vouchers.

Campaigns

We will be making short presentations of the new campaign resolutions at the February meeting and will be asking members to vote.  The deadline for selections is Tuesday 14th February.  You can look at details of the four resolutions on the campaigns page here.  We will also be putting out a list of other active campaigns to gather a tally of interest in becoming more active for important causes.   

Recruitment

The DBWI committee have been discussing ways in which we can grow membership and welcome new sisters to the fold.  In the next few months we will be compiling a questionnaire to distribute but in the meantime would like to invite you to tell us what you think we do well and what we can improve upon.  Email your comments to the usual address (on the poster at the top).

As always we wish you all health and happiness until we next meet.