Page 26 - Quaker News & Views Nov 25 - Jan 26

Each issue of News & Views will include the local annual reports from the two preceding
Area Meetings ie those that have been held since the last publication

Wimborne Local Meeting Report – November 2024 to July 2025

It is only eight months since we last reported to Area Meeting and our community has continued both to grieve for
Richard and to make all the adjustments necessary to continue to run the Meeting without one of its hitherto core
members. We have been helped in this by Friends from both Poole and Bournemouth Meetings. We thank them for
this,

Initially Barbara, assisted by Glenn, took over as Clerk and they were crucial in enabling us to carry on Meeting as
normal through the winter. In March a combination of a new job and family commitments led Barbara to need to lay
down the Clerkship. Ruth, again supported by Glenn, has taken over this role and David Coates has taken on the
treasurership.

We have been particularly grateful for support over Eldership from Poole Meeting, as we have only one Elder and
one Pastoral Friend and have not been able to find additional Friends to serve in these roles.

We have continued to meet in Allendale House on the first and third Sundays of the month and since the beginning
of the year have started a new pattern for fifth Sundays. We meet in Allendale House for half an hour of worship
followed by an opportunity for learning or discussion. Our aim is to alternate inward and outward looking topics.

In March a worship sharing session on ‘Assisted Dying’ was valued by all those who took part.

We have continued to read from Advices and Queries during Meetings for Worship.

We tend to have 8 to 10 Friends at our Meetings for Worship, though sometimes as many as 12 or14, about half
members and half attenders. Apart from a core of regulars we have longstanding Friends who come from time to
time and new attenders, who sometimes come just once or twice but occasionally stay and become regular! Being a
part of the

‘Discovering Quakers’ network has helped to let people know where to find us, as does our Post Office
advertisement.

Our Clerks have continued to circulate a monthly ‘update’ email to enable us to keep in contact with Friends who are
not able to come to Meetings for Worship.
Our library has continued to provide a focus for discussion, particularly with new attenders.

Friends in the Meeting continue to uphold our concern for refugees and asylum seekers. Susannah is active in
maintaining and updating her blog on this subject and convenes the Area Meeting Sanctuary Group. Three of us had
a meeting with our new MP, Vikki Slade, before Christmas. We felt that she heard and understood what we were
saying and would do what she could to further at least some of our concerns.
Susannah also gave a talk about Refugees at the Quaker hosted ecumenical Christian Aid lunch during Lent. Several
other Wimborne Friends assisted Tom and Penny Sanders, who took the main responsibility for this event.

Some of us also attended the ecumenical ‘Service of Lights’ in St Catherines Church during Easter week, where
Barbara read a lesson.

Suzie took part online in the Quaker Universalist Group gathering and also attended Britain Yearly Meeting online,

Some Wimborne Friends are part of the Area Meeting Stitch Group, which has now moved on from creating ‘Loving
Earth’ panels to creating sensory books for blind children. The ministry of the ‘Loving Earth’ panels goes on as,
following the display of panels at last years Folk Festival, a local Wimborne Church has borrowed panels to display at
special events two different occasions!

Our financial situation remains stable thanks to the consistent support of a number of our members and attenders.

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