Eaton Bray WI Report

Posted on July 9, 2006

Our president welcomed the members to the June meeting. Among the items discussed before welcoming our speaker, were the summer walk and our outing to Stratford on Avon in August.

An invitation has been received to join with our Dunstable WI friends for a back stage tour of Covent Garden Theatre, and the Eaton Bray Methodist Church has invited us to a service and afternoon tea on 15th June.

A national WI membership promotion is to take place later this year and discussion took place on how we can participate.

Our guest speaker was from the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, the largest animal charity in Europe. Their aim is to provide free care for animals of people who live in deprived areas and cannot afford veterinary fees. They also aim to promote responsible pet ownership.

The founder Marion Dickin opened a clinic in Whitechapel in 1900, the first hospital opened in Ilford Essex.

The PDSA Dicken Award is given to dogs of "outstanding deeds". The most recent recipient was Buster, an explosives dog in the Gulf war.

The PDSA annual budget is £37 million with 47 Pet Aid Hospitals and 329 practices who provide one and a half million free treatments a year. All the veterinary staff are professionals and the charity is the biggest employer of veterinary nurses. The charity receives no government or lottery money and relies entirely on fundraising and donations with income from PDSA charity shops.

Our speaker concluded in revealing that the most common pet ailment is obesity!

The next WI meeting is at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd July in Eaton Bray Village Hall, new members and friends are always very welcome.

Source: Eaton Bray WI