THE September meeting was opened by president Brenda Dainty, who told members the annual bingo evening would be held at Shawhurst Community Centre on October 14. Names were taken for the group meeting to be hosted by Hollywood WI and for the autumn council meeting.

Nicola James, from Cheltenham, a fundraiser for National Children's Homes (NCH), gave a talk about the charity's work.

NCH was founded in 1869 by a Methodist minister, Dr Thomas Bowman Stephenson, to provide refuge for street children.

He travelled widely to find the best way of caring for needy children and set up the first small group homes in Britain.

Today, the charity helps 89,000 vulnerable children, young people and their families through 500 projects, working with local authorities, social services, schools and housing associations and many other groups.

The next meeting at 2pm on October 27 will be the AGM.