15/04/2026
At our April WI meeting Jeff Sim, Head of Nature Reserves & Species Recovery, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, gave us an extremely interesting talk on the Wildlife & Nature Reserves of the Trust and also updated us on the ‘Beaver project’. Did you know that Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) is moving closer to bringing wild beavers back to the Trent Valley – with reintroductions which could transform the county’s waterways and help tackle flooding, drought and pollution. Following successful trials elsewhere, in 2025 the government confirmed that beavers can be released into the wild under licence. SWT is currently preparing information for a future full licence application, with plans for a carefully managed 10‑year project. Once approved, this could see an initial 50 beavers introduced in suitable areas. Beavers are often nicknamed “nature’s architects” because their dams, channels and feeding activity create rich wetlands full of life. But their engineering also helps people by: Reducing flood risk by slowing and storing water, Helping during droughts through natural water storage, Filtering water, improving quality Boosting local economies through eco‑tourism, Creating beautiful, tranquil places that support health and wellbeing.
We welcomed one visitor. Committee nominations were requested by 11 May and Charity of the Year 26/27 nominations by 1 June. Information was given for one nomination CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young. One of our members has recently competed in the European Masters Athletic Championships in Torun, Poland. Some of our ladies have been taking part in the Women’s Bike Project. Names were being taken for the New Year 2027 Panto in Birmingham. Members are looking forward to SFWI ‘Here Comes Spring’ 21/4, Breakfast Club 24/4, Lichfield Cathedral Tour 27/4 and Adventure Golf 30/4. Our member who is taking part in ‘Race for Life’ thanked everyone for their donations. A date was given for the Ladies Bowls Taster session. We collected Books4Home. We sold our NFWI raffle tickets. Our monthly competition was a recycled item. Our annual postbox collection for St Giles (in lieu of baking cakes) raised £92 and we raised a further £47 for our Charity of the Year. We celebrated three April birthdays and our refreshments were once again delicious. Another very busy meeting.
