Members of three different branches of the Country Women's Association (CWA) gathered in Forbes on Wednesday afternoon to host CWA NSW President Stephanie Stanhope.
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As members from the Forbes CWA evening and day branches of as well as the Bogan Gate Branch enjoyed a cup of tea and a selection of food for afternoon tea, Stephanie spoke about the trials she has faced this year.
"It's been such a hard few years with drought and Covid," she said.
Along with much of the state facing drought and the effects of Covid, Stephanie spoke about having to rebuild after fire burnt down her house as well as the support she has received from CWA.
Stephanie said the generosity of the CWA towards people around the state is just amazing and they are a reliable group looking for ways to help.
Along with speaking about the challenges faced by her and other members of the community over the last year, Stephanie also presented a 20 year long service bar and certificate of appreciation to Forbes CWA member Anne Reade.
Anne joined the Forbes Branch of the CWA three years ago, but has been in the CWA for over 50 years. Prior to joining the Forbes branch, Anne was a member of the Bedgerabong Branch of the CWA.
The Bedgerabong Branch was closed in 2017 as there were less active members and many were living in Forbes which made things more challenging.
Anne said she joined the CWA as a young woman when she and her husband moved to Corinella with their two children.
Anne said as she lived around 50km out of town, she only got into town once a fortnight, joining the CWA was a good place to meet people and be part of a community.
Since joining the CWA, Anne has been an active member of the Forbes branch, and the Bedgerabong branch prior to that, attending state conferences and being a CWA state cooking judge.
Prior to acting as a state cooking judge, Anne competed in the state cooking events, entering fruitcakes among other foods which were on the schedule for that year.
After joining the Forbes Branch Anne has been active helping around the branch, including helping keep things in order.
Forbes CWA branch president Elaine Bright said they presented a certificate of appreciation to Anne because she does so much for them around the branch.
Forbes CWA Branch meets on the first Friday of every month and are always welcoming new members. To join, contact one of their members or Elaine Bright on 0402 025 888.
