Linda opened our October meeting with a short reading and prayer from the Mothers' Union Prayer Diary about  children's education and wellbeing.

We sang a harvest hymn, "Fair Waves The Fields of Corn"  and Linda told us about her grandparents and her childhood on the family ranch.

Gill led our prayers and we went on to have a short business meeting. 

Then Gill welcomed Bernie Ryan- Self from The Rural Coffee Caravan who told us all about the charity.

The Rural Coffee Caravan was started about twenty years ago.  It was the brainchild of the Rev Canon Sally Fogden who was manning a switchboard for the Farm Crisis Network at the time. She saw the need to do something to combat stress and rural isolation.

The charity began in Mid Suffolk with one caravan. It has grown over the years and now has three campervans and one caravan and covers the whole of Suffolk.

The people who go to the coffee mornings not only enjoy the coffee, cakes and company but are able to gain access to information about many services and benefits available to them.

The charity is also responsible for "Meet Up Mondays", a network of pubs and cafes across Suffolk, hosting free weekly coffee mornings.

We all enjoyed Bernie"s ttalk and Gill thanked her for coming. We all agreed that the Rural Coffee Caravan is providing a wonderful and much needed service in rural Suffolk.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 12th November at 11:00 a.m. in The Rock, when Kathy Drakes will lead us in a Bible Study.

Do come along and bring your bible.

Gill Flower & Linda Scoles.