WeyBay WI

As the recent heatwave comes to an end, Weybay members have continued to enjoy a variety of activities, including cycling, walking, lunches, and other social events, alongside our regular monthly meetings.

Each month, the Dorset WI magazine provides opportunities to learn about upcoming events and to catch up on news and activities from other WI groups across the county. The events team this month are advertising a canal trip, the opportunity to get involved with Camp Bestival and a 5 day tour in Kent.

The latest magazine also announced the result of this year's WI resolution vote. Members gave a clear majority in support of the resolution, "Accessible Public Toilet Facilities to Promote Dignity, Health and Social Inclusion," which will now be taken forward to the national WI.

It's 2026 and WeyBay members can look forward to a new list of monthly speakers covering a wide variety of topics. Check out the list for 2026 on the Meetings page. The committee has come up with a wonderful selection and provided something that everyone will enjoy. Many thanks for their hard work. Other club events and groups are advertised at the monthly meetings and sent out by email. Members are encouraged to get involved and share their passions with other WeyBay ladies.

The year started with a presentation of money raised at a raffle at the Christmas Party. President Sheila Vogwell and Belinda Sedgbeer present a £500 donation cheque to Clare Dunster at Weldmar Hospice Trust on behalf of Weybay WI Members.

New Year greetings to all WeyBay WI members and friends!
This year the WI embraced the Christmas season in true traditional style, joining the joyful carol service at Wimborne Minster. Our Weymouth members braved the blustery weather to come together with fellow Dorset groups for a warm and festive celebration in the wonderful ancient church.

Back at home, thirty-nine of our members enjoyed a truly delightful Christmas lunch at The Avenue, prepared and served by the talented catering students. And of course, no December would be complete without our very own Christmas party – complete with all the trimmings! Our theme this year? Sparkle.
And really, that’s exactly what Christmas at WeyBay is all about. ✨

We couldn't resist showing this lovely autumn photo. WeyBay holds a Country Fayre at their October meeting with members entering the various catergories. This year this included bakery, craft, jams and chutneys, photography, floral art and even poetry. The evening starts with a quiz while the judging is taking place and ends with everyone admiring the entries and, the best bit, the tasting the cakes. Check the photos of the other entries in the Gallery.

A huge well done to our WeyBay members who recently raised £270 with a coffee morning in support of Macmillan Nurses and £150 for Cycling Without Age.

Cycling Without Age is a wonderful charity that offers free trishaw rides to people of all ages and abilities. Founded in Denmark in 2012, the initiative has grown to 52 countries worldwide, with the Weymouth chapter launching in 2019.

On Saturday, 27th September, a rally to promote Cycling Without Age took place in Weymouth. The group stopped outside the Angling Club, where WeyBay proudly presented Jane Renton, Trustee of the Weymouth Group, with the raffle money raised. The pilot in the first photo is none other than the founder of the charity himself!

If you’d like to learn more or get involved, visit the Cycling Without Age website for details.

After a magnificent summer, WeyBay welcomes back its members with the first meeting of the season at the Angling Club. Lorraine Puckett, a physiotherapist at Winterbourne Hospital, will be the guest speaker. She will focus on the importance of staying active as we age and may even lead a few simple exercises that everyone can join in. It promises to be both interesting and useful. A coffee morning raising money Macmillian Cancer Charity and Cycling without Age Charity is organised for Saturday 27 September and on Thursday 16th October Dorset Federation WI Annual Meeting at the Lighthouse Theatre , Poole ,

Members have stayed connected over the break with a successful bike ride, an informal beach gathering, and ongoing book club meetings. A newly formed craft group has also held its first get-together, with examples of their successful creations showcased here.

WeyBay celebrated its 15th anniversary in style with a wonderful tea party, complete with music and bubbly. A big congratulations to the committee and all our members for keeping WeyBay WI vibrant and thriving, with a full and enthusiastic membership.

This month has been especially eventful—not only did we celebrate our birthday, but members also took part in the annual bike ride and launched a brand new craft group.

It’s the energy and dedication of our members that make WeyBay such a special and active club. Well done to everyone involved—we’re excited to see what the next years will bring!

Look in the Gallery for more photos of the party.

The 2025 annual WeyBay bike ride was led by Jan Summers as in previous years (about ten years we think). You can see Jan in the first photo in a very fetching gilet setting off to meet the riders at the Palm House. They rode on cycle paths along the Rodwell Trail and Beach Road to Portland for coffee at Salt overlooking Portland Harbour. They returned via Radipole Lake to Chickerell for lunch at the Turks Head pub. The second photo shows the whole team in the Turks new outside area with the cycle hat on the table the clue that they did actually cycle there!
Another cracking WeyBay event - thanks Jan.

What’s not to love? A trip through the beautiful Dorset countryside on a glorious summer day, followed by a meet-up with friends for a guided tour of the recently renovated Georgian gem The Sherborne.

Formerly a substantial country estate and later a school, Sherborne House had fallen into disrepair. Now wonderfully restored and reimagined as The Sherborne, it houses an art gallery, café, and restaurant. A true highlight is the magnificent staircase, featuring a mural by Sir James Thornhill, as well as the exhibitions that bring fresh perspectives with each visit.

A heartfelt thank you to WeyBay WI for arranging this outing—many members commented that it was an experience they wouldn’t have thought to try on their own. The WI always aims to offer something for everyone, and this visit was truly a gem.

Looking forward to the annual summer party and a couple of new groups - a new book club and a craft club. Details will be sent out to members.

June’s walk on Portland starting from Portland Heights through the sculpture park, a visit to St George’s church and coffee stop at whitestones all organised by Judy Carr.

ANNIVERSARY ALBUM

The celebrations for the ten-year anniversary of WeyBay WI in April 2020 were suddenly and very disappointingly put on hold (it is still hoped to have some celebrations in 2021) but it was decided to put together the memories of the first ten years into a photo book. What a lot of memories and a lot of work to put them together into a coherent format to reflect the diverse activities, and the fun that everyone had. The photo book is now published and will be available to see when the WI is able to have its next meeting. But reminiscing over the past years has reminded us again of how important WeyBay has become for so many members and the certainly that it will continue to provide this support to members again as we come out of the pandemic.

Photo shows the original poster in March 2010 inviting everyone to come to the first meeting and a memory of the first venue at The Clipper in St Thomas St.

PRIVACY NOTICE

Your privacy is important to WeyBay WI. This privacy notice provides information about the personal information that we collect and the ways in which we use it.

When do we collect personal information about you?

We will collect personal information from you when you join or communicate with us by any means.

What happens to your personal information?

a. Contact details will be input into the NFWI Members Communication System (MCS) which is password protected.

b. We will also hold details of current members for administration and communication purposes.

c. For non members we will only capture the minimum amount of information that we need in relation to your visit or enquiry.

Who will hold the information?

Information will be held securely by designated person/s, usually an Officer, who requires it for administration purposes. Electronic files will be password protected and paper copies will be held securely.

How do we use your personal information?

There are legitimate reasons to hold personal information for running the WI, to comply with legal obligations or to carry out a contract to which you are a party. For any other purposes we will request your consent.

Do we share your personal information?

We will not sell, rent or lease your personal details to a third party but reserve the right to disclose personal information for legal or regulatory obligations or proceedings and for auditing purposes.

How long do we keep your personal information?

We will erase your personal information immediately when you cease to be a member, hold office, your enquiry is complete or you wish to withdraw your consent, other than for that held for administrative and financial purposes.

What are your personal rights?

You are entitled to ask us to see your personal information, correct it or have it deleted. You have the right to be forgotten. You can also ask us to restrict how we use it.

What about personal details on websites?

We will not use your personal information on our website or within any form of social media, without your consent, but we will not be responsible for the privacy practices of the the web or content of linked websites.

Who do I contact about personal information that has been collected?

Firstly contact our WI Secretary and/or DFWI Federation Secretary about your concern. If they cannot resolve it you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commission’s Office at www.ico.org.uk/concerns

Our contact email: reception-dfwi@uwclub.net

We couldnt resist putting this lovely autumn photo onto our website. WeyBay hosts a Country Fayre every October meeting with members submitting entries for several different classes including craft, baking, photography, chutneys and jams and even poetry. It's always a fun evening starting with a quiz while the judging takes place and ending with tasting the produce. Check out photos of theother entries in the Gallery.