At the April meeting, President Margaret Wainwright welcomed us at the Old Library. Our speaker was Ann Salisbury Jones, the founder of the UK Project Linus, which provides security through blankets.

It is a new charity founded when Karen Loucks, who had just learnt to crochet, decided to provide home-made security blankets to the Denver Rocky Mountain Children's Cancer Centre. Project Linus was born! Project Linus was named after the security blanket toting character from the Peanuts comic strip. Project Linus came to the UK in March 2000 when it was discovered there wasn't a branch this side of the Atlantic. Once a blanket is given to a child it is theirs to keep. They are delivered to hospitals and hospices. Occasionally one is given to a seriously ill child being nursed at home. Margaret herself thanked Ann.

Betty Steel gave a report on the annual general meeting of the Worcestershire Federation of WI, which was held at Malvern Theatre. The guest speaker was Graham Walton, father of sextuplets, who spoke mainly on their early years. He recalled that when they first started feeding themselves, he had to take the six high chairs into the garden for a hose down, likewise with the little ones. A bring and buy sale was held and did a brisk trade.

We have the offer of the mayor's parlour, should our hall not be ready for our May meeting.