PRESIDENT Marion Neale welcomed members to the Raven Hotel for the February meeting.

Officers were elected for the year 2003/4 - the club's 60th birthday year. The president will be Honor Craig, vice president Patricia Phillips, secretary Pat Oliver, treasurer June Green, overseas service organiser Lesley MacKenzie and club correspondent Pam Plumridge.

Final arrangements were made for the annual fellowship meeting in March when 190 ladies will be gathering at the Raven Hotel. Guest speaker Andrew C Wadsworth, fresh from the London stage, will be talking about theatre life and will be singing, accompanied by his wife Louise.

On completion of the formal business, members got to work finishing blankets for Project Linus UK, a charity organisation which has already delivered over 13,000 blankets to children who are seriously ill, traumatised or otherwise in need. Droitwich Inner Wheel will also be sending knitted teddies to "Teddies for Tragedies" for refugee camps and orphanages worldwide.

Lesley MacKenzie, overseas service organiser, reported that £100 had been raised for Hope and Homes for Children and £50 for the Impact Foundation Riverboat Hospital. Nearer to home, St Richard's Hospice will benefit from proceeds raised at a beetle drive to be held at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Droitwich on Friday, April 4, at 7.30pm - tickets cost £6.