The May meeting was held in the New Road Methodist Church on May 7, the day of the General Election.

The speaker was Chris Doncaster, from whom we learned about a charity, Teddies for Tragedies, few of us had heard about.

Formed in the 1980s, its concept is brilliant.

Wherever in the world there is a disaster of any kind, there are distressed children. This charity has worked out a way to provide comfort and even joy for these children; small knitted teddy bears.

Today there’s a growing group of people in this country who knit: knit little teddy bears which are then conveyed in bulk to whichever part of the world children most need them.

If you would like to become a knitter for teddies for tragedies then contact Wendy Packer on 01384 372799.

The group meets on the first Thursday of every month at 2pm, New Road Methodist Church, where the subjects of talks in the coming months are British Wildlife from Shetland to the Scilly Isles and the many fine gardens in Worcestershire.

Of the thirty interest groups, there are now six studying French, rom elementary to advanced. Visit u3asite.org.uk-stourbridge