A FORMER Women’s Institute group in Weymouth that rejuvenated into a new friendship club after being forced to close is celebrating its first anniversary.

Preston and Sutton Poyntz Women’s Institute, which first launched more than 90 years ago, was disbanded last year after the leaders could not recruit another treasurer to the board and therefore had to close.

However, a committed group of ex-WI members, spearheaded by former president Gayl Salt, combined to launch the Preston Friendship Club in a bid to keep the community spirit alive.

Mrs Salt, who lives in Preston, said: “There was about 12 to 14 of us who wanted to keep the group together but the group had to close.

“After it did, we didn’t want it to die so last May we sat down and decided to create the friendship group to make sure that it kept going, although in a different form.

“Ever since then, we have had more and more new members turn up and we had two men join us for the first time a couple of months ago, and that wouldn’t have happened at the WI.”

Now a year on the group, which has people aged 55-94 attend, has gone from strength to strength and celebrated its first anniversary at the start of this month with a party at the group with cakes and a performance from the Weymouth Ukeleleans.

The group is now appealing for more members to make sure that it lasts for the next 12 months.

Mrs Salt added: “We are always encouraging new members to come and join us, we want this group to survive.

“We are open to everybody, both men and women, and we have a really friendly afternoon which is such fun, and everyone leaves with nice feeling.

“We had quite a few members who joined us and said they wouldn’t have joined if we were a WI and said that it was such fun.”

The next meeting of the group will take place on Wednesday, June 3 and is a show-and-tell themed event, with attendees invited to take one small item and present it as part of a group presentation.

The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at Preston Village Hall at 2pm. For more information contact Gayl Salt on 01305 832918.