Members of Bow Brickhill Women’s Institute raised £50 for a new tree at Westbury Arts Centre. The tree planting on 11 December was witnessed by members of the group, Claire Bowyer, President, Helen Scudamore, Secretary, Christine Kelly and Yvonne Alton, Treasurer.
Since January 2023 members donated the equivalent of the cash value of the carbon footprint of the travels of a teddy bear who accompanied members on their travels to fund the planting of a tree. The idea for planting the tree at Westbury Arts Centre was so that group could visit it and watch it grow. Claire Bowyer, the branch President is a former workshop participant at Westbury Arts Centre and a work colleague of former trustee, Hilary Grayson.
The Women’s Institute movement is committed to action on climate change and is a founding member of The Climate Coalition, a group of over 130 organisations that support climate action projects locally. Yvonne Alton, Treasurer of the Bow Brickhill branch is the Climate Ambassador for Buckinghamshire.
The bear, named Bowina, sporting appropriate ‘designer’ cute, knitted outfits went on overseas holidays, on canal trips, a sponsored walk, to rugby matches and even to an overseas business meeting.
Westbury Arts Centre is committed to encouraging wildlife, diversity and conservation by the way it manages its gardens. The tree selected, which replaced a box tree with extensive caterpillar damage, was a golden Irish Yew which provides food and shelter for native animals.
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