Members of Porthleven WI were delighted to see a room full of people arriving at their recent Open Meeting, despite the terrible weather. Everyone had come along to hear about the work of Porthleven Harbour Hedgies, a small rescue and rehabilitation centre for sick and injured hedgehogs set up in the garden of guest speaker, Tracy Sargent.
Tracy led the group through all the obstacles a hedgehog faces in its life, including some of the things people do to help but which actually cause more harm. In the 1950s, the UK had more than 30 million hedgehogs; today, there are less than 1 million. The members were advised what they could all do in their own gardens to become more hedgehog friendly, which foods to put out and how to make a hedgehog house.
The evening continued with lots of chatter over tea and coffee with delicious bakes provided by committee members Tracy and Alli. Contributions for refreshments were donated to the Porthleven Harbour Hedgies.
Porthleven WI President Wendy, handed out the new programme for the coming WI year and explained all the groups and activities run for the members. These include yoga, swimming, a book club, garden group, walking group, a lunch club and Girls Nights Out. Planned outings include visits to the Minack Theatre and Enys Gardens, and a gin tasting session.
Porthleven WI meets on the second Wednesday of the month at Porthleven Public Hall. New members are always welcome.