News
Llanafan WI Donates £150 to Breast Cancer Now
We achieved the Green Flag Community Award
Keep Wales Tidy / Llanafan Women’s Institute Wildlife Garden launch event
Llanafan hosts the Derwen Group
Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers revisit!
Success with National Lottery Heritage Fund bid
Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers help with Wildflower Garden installation
Lottery award received for a micro-office set up
A Wildlife Garden Package from Keep Wales Tidy
Jacqueline Yallop gives a talk to our book group
Our Easter coffee morning was a huge success
Postponed AGM held at the Cottage
The passing of our President, Mary Jones
December 2025
Llanafan WI Donates £150 to Breast Cancer Now
Llanafan Women’s Institute held an Arts & Crafts Selling Exhibition at their Cottage on 29th & 30th November 2025.
It was a timely event as there was a varied choice of handmade Christmas presents on offer; from hand-knitted garments to lino-cut prints, limited-edition greeting cards depicting the Cottage to artisan-crafted jams, jellies and preserves.
20% of all sales was earmarked to be donated to Breast Cancer Now. It is a cause that is literally close to the heart of Adelle Robinson, Llanafan WI Secretary and Trustee who was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2024.
In 2025, she took part in Breast Cancer Now’s “Walk 100 Miles in October”, raising just short of £1,000 for the charity.
Funds raised at the Arts & Crafts Selling Exhibition resulted in a donation of an additional £150.
September 2025
We’re in the media again!
Llanafan Women’s Institute has been featured in the autumn 2025 issue of the Welsh Beekeeper Magazine. We were given a skep as part of our Keep Wales Tidy Wildlife Garden package. One member’s husband repurposed the original old outhouse into a bee house, and another member’s husband – an experienced beekeeper – provided us with drawn comb to encourage a swarm to set up home.
July 2025
We achieved the Green Flag Community Award
Llanafan Women’s Institute has achieved the coveted Green Flag Community Award in recognition of its high environmental standards, cleanliness, safety, and community involvement.
A dedicated group of Llanafan Women’s Institute members – with valued assistance from some of their partners and a hard-working group of young people from Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers – has turned a long-neglected patch of scrubland that was the WI Cottage grounds into a vibrant garden that not only beautifies the area but also supports local wildlife and provides a pleasant spot for local people to meet up and socialise.
May 2025
Keep Wales Tidy / Llanafan Women’s Institute Wildlife Garden launch event
After almost 12 months of continuous hard work by members, husbands & partners, Pob & Eurig from Keep Wales Tidy and dozens of young people from Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers, our Wildlife Garden had its official launch.
The sun gods shone down on us on the day and we had a fantastic turnout of visitors to the Cottage and garden. We provided an array of sweet & savoury buffet food and hot & cold drinks for everyone. An introduction and thanks were given by Secretary, Carolyn Derrick followed by a talk by Richard Thomas, Keep Wales Tidy’s Ceredigion Project Officer. The ribbon was cut by gardener, journalist and author, Alys Fowler.
There are lots more photos from the day here.
April 2025
Llanafan hosts the Derwen Group
On the afternoon of Saturday 5th April, Llanafan WI played host to the Derwen Group; a collection of WI chapters from within Ceredigion:
- Bwlchlan
- Cilcennin
- Llanafan
- Llangwyryfon
- Llanon
- Llanrhystud
- Swyddffynnon
- Tregaron
The visiting ladies were given a preview of our work-in-progress Keep Wales Tidy Wildlife Garden. Prior to which light refreshments were provided while a member from each branch gave a summary of recent activities.
The Derwen Group meets up twice yearly (in spring and again in autumn), with a different chapter hosting each time.
Click here for further photos of the meeting.
February 2025
Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers revisit!
After their second visit to the Cottage garden was cancelled due to the arrival of Storm Darragh, the Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers finally returned on Saturday 15th February.
They got stuck in with excavating massive cherry laurel roots, building a dead hedge, digging out and creating a pond and extending the terraced steps up the left-hand side of the Cottage.
Have a look at more photos from the day here.
January 2025
Success with National Lottery Heritage Fund bid
We’re thrilled to share the news that Llanafan Women’s Institute has been awarded £11,782.00 by the Cronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri Gen / National Lottery Heritage Fund – Cymru.
The money will pay for the Cottage to be connected to mains water, have electric radiators fitted, a kitchenette installed, new carpet flooring laid, loft insulation put in and the interior redecorated.
Rydym wrth ein bodd yn rhannu’r newyddion bod Sefydliad y Merched Llanafan wedi derbyn £11,782.00 gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri / National Lottery Heritage Fund – Cymru.
Bydd yr arian yn talu am gysylltu’r Bwthyn â’r prif gyflenwad dŵr, gosod rheiddiaduron trydan, gosod cegin fach, gosod lloriau carped newydd, inswleiddio’r atig ac ailaddurno’r tu mewn.
Gift of a Welsh Dresser
Member and Minutes Secretary, Carolyn Derrick, has given a generous gift of an antique Welsh dresser. The dresser is much more in keeping with the age and décor of the Cottage and looks very much at home already!
December 2024
Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers help with Wildflower Garden installation
Twenty-two young people from Aberystwyth University’s Conservation Volunteers (ACV) came along on Saturday 7th December to help us prepare the ground for the installation of our Wildflower Garden Package.
They enthusiastically carried out jobs such as constructing raised beds from sleepers, making a foundation for a garden shed and cutting & clearing the many areas of invasive cherry laurel.
October 2024
Lottery award received for a micro-office set up
We’re thrilled to share the news that Llanafan Women’s Institute has been successful in securing £544.00 from The National Lottery Community Fund/ Cronfa Gymunedol y Loteri Genedlaethol.
The money went toward the purchase of much-needed equipment for the Cottage, including a laptop, all-in-one printer/scanner, laminator and other office supplies and stationery… and a sturdy & secure office cabinet in a beautiful shade of Women’s Institute green in which to store it all!
It’s hoped that the micro-office hub will also offer computer and office support & services to the wider Llanafan community.
September 2024
Musical flower arranging
A few of our members took part in a flower arranging festival organised by held by and held at the picturesque Llantrisant Church. The theme of the event was ‘Favourite Song’. We chose, (I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson and Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (Scarborough Fair) by Simon and Garfunkel.
August 2024
A Wildlife Garden Package from Keep Wales Tidy
After a site visit this week by Richard from Keep Wales Tidy and Adam from The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, we’re thrilled to reveal that we’ve been successful in our application for a Wildlife Garden Package.
With help from The Aberystwyth Conservation Volunteers, we plan to create a space that’s teeming with wildlife and that we can share with the village.
June 2024
Our day out in Llanon
We were generously hosted by the Llanon chapter of the Women’s Institute. We were met that morning by 3 of their members who led us on a short walk along green footpaths to the beautiful and historic home of Linda Hood, Llanon WI President. After being shown around the cottage, we were all shared tea, coffee, cake and biscuits.
We shortly set off for a visit to the nearby Llanon Museum Cottage. Our afternoon closed with lunch at the White Swan Pub.
Jacqueline Yallop gives a talk to our book group
We were treated to a very informative and thought-provoking talk and reading at the Cottage by Jacqueline Yallop about her recently published book ‘Into the Dark’.
March 2024
Our Easter coffee morning was a huge success
We held a coffee morning on Easter Saturday, with proceeds raised going to a bench in memory of our former President, Mary Jones. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the event was very well attended.
The grand total raised on the day was £456. Donations: £265, Refreshments: £104, Raffle: £87.
January 2024
We’re in the news!
News of National Federation Chair, Ann Jones, joining us for our AGM was reported in the Cambrian News.
We were afforded a half-page spread with two, full-colour photographs. Many thanks to them for spreading the word!
Postponed AGM held at the Cottage
We held our postponed AGM on the evening of Thursday 18th January. We were thrilled to have Ann Jones, NFWI Chair, in attendance.
Ann led on the election of our new committee members and later in the evening gave us a truly inspirational talk about her decades of WI experience.
Our new Committee is as follows:
- President – Helen Rowe
- Vice-presidents – Adelle Robinson & Susan Chambers
- Treasurer – Julie Collingwood
- Minutes Secretary – Angela Rugg
- Correspondence Secretary – Lynne Moore
December 2023
The passing of our President, Mary Jones
Llanafan WI is saddened to report the passing of our beloved President, Mary Jones at the age of 80 on 24th November 2023. Mary was a valued member of Llanafan WI for over 40 years, Secretary for a time, Treasurer for 20 years, before becoming President in 2022.
Mary was a loving mother to Elizabeth, John and the late David, cherished friend to Dennis, dear mother-in-law to Paul and Sarah, caring and treasured Nanna to Samantha, Nick, Shauna, Hannah, Sheila and Kevin and all her great-grandchildren.
Her funeral took place at Aberystwyth Crematorium on Saturday 9th December.
We’re featured in WI Life!
Our litter pick event held at the end of August was highlighted in the November/December 2023 issue of the WI Life magazine!
