Fairfield (Dartford) Women’s Institute

1:37pm Thursday 20th December 2007

When Adrian Uden visited Fairfield (Dartford) Women's Institute meeting this month he came to tell us about the Save the Children charity.

However the way he went about it was very different.

First he told us that the charity was the largest children's charity in the United Kingdom.

They serve 60 countries overseas especially in Africa and Asia.

Adrian is a buyer for Save the Children Overseas Programme and proceeded to illustrate how the money is used by inviting us play the game Deal Or No Deal.

One member Anne Holmes was the contestant and other members held red envelopes which contained different amounts of money from £2 for a blanket, £100 for five multipurpose tents to the really large amounts £66,500 for six Toyota 4x4 vehicles.

Each envelope was opened to groans for the large amounts and cheers for the lower figures.

Anne held on to envelope 13 despite the banker who rang to offer to buy her envelope several times.

At last Anne had only one other envelope to open apart from her own one. The last one was a low amount and Anne's envelope which she had refused to swap was then opened to reveal she had the £250,000.

This top amount would pay for three charter flights for the charity to send their emergency kits and equipment to where it is needed in the world during a crisis.

Adrian showed us how the charity uses its money in this novel way. Ninety-two pence in the Pound is used by the charity in the field and only 8p is used in administration.

Anne was presented with a red Save the Children t-shirt and each envelope holder had a charity badge.

Adrian had meet the Princess Royal Princess Anne, who is the charity's president, and he has also travelled to many of the world's disaster areas in his work.

This month Jean Homer visited the headquarters of the NFWI and was featured on the front page of a special edition of Home Life magazine.

The Lunch Group are booked in for a Christmas meal at the Holy Trinity Café.

The theatre-goers are off to the pantomime at Erith after the New Year to cheer away the post- Christmas blues.

However Melissa reminds us that subscriptions are due in January.

We have our Christmas quiz to solve and bring back next meeting.

There is also for keen members the transport connections quiz (The federation's puzzle).

Next meeting: Discussion and chat evening.

Competition: My Favourite Christmas Card

Trading table: All sorts!

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