The Clifton Women's Institute

25 March 26 Meeting - Defibrillator training with St John's Ambulance Many thanks to Ali (pictured-centre), very ably supported by Karen (left) and Sue (right), of St John's Ambulance who joined our March 26 meet-up.  They provided a very engaging and informative session on CPR and how to use defibrillators , including some advice on how to help with choking cases .   As you can see, some of us took the opportunity for some hands-on practice and we all left feeling more confident about what to do if needed.   We also learnt more about the extraordinary and challenging work these kind volunteers do.

Our thanks to Elise Heptinstall-Holmes , who joined our February meeting to tell us about her work as a personal stylist and to share her wisdom on what (and what not!) to wear to suit our body shapes and skin tones.  During her engaging talk, one lucky member  also had a live colour profiling to help us all understand how wearing the right colours can make a huge difference to our appearance and confidence. We'll all be thinking about it as we dust off our Spring wardrobes shortly.   We also welcomed Laura and Verity from the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum who shared a few words about one of their upcoming exhibitions and how we might get involved. 

  Our speaker at our August meeting was Denise Rudeforth a volunteer from Avon Wildlife Trust. Denise told us a great deal about the work of the Trust which included the habit in Avon Gorge known as 'The Gully.' When asked what members could do to support wildlife, Denise helped us to understand how accessible water in our gardens is an important way to contribute to the preservation of wildlife. 

  Clifton WI Members on the Wallace and Gromit trail. 

The speaker at our June meeting was Professor Paul Crawford who is an academic and an award winning author of fiction and non-fiction. Paul is a leading figure in mental health and he talked to us about his latest book, The Wonders of Dr Bent. Professor Crawford holds a number of fellowships and was an engaging speaker who widened our knowledge of mental health and its impact on individuals, families and society. 

Clifton WI enjoyed an extremely interesting talk about the Ronald McDonald House Charities (UK). Our speaker, Ericka Heron gave a fascinating account of how the charity supports the families of sick children by providing them with accommodation so that they can be close to their children. As well as a place to stay the charity creates a warn supportive environment at a time when families most need this. There is a Ronald McDonald House in Bristol, and a further link to Bristol is that the charity was co-founded in the USA with help from Dr Audrey Evans who had been educated at Badminton School in Bristol. The charity is separate from the restaurant chain, but some funds are raised through its customers.