By JESSE GRAHAM
A LONG-running Healesville group marked its 500th meeting this month, gathering at the Badger Creek Hall on 2 July for cake, catching up and crafts.
The Healesville Spinners and Weavers Group celebrated 500 meetings on 2 July at the hall, with about 30 past and present members visiting to reminisce and catch up on their crafts.
Though about 15 members were present in the morning when the Mail stopped by, secretary Lesley Wilkinson said numbers grew once members had finished voting in the Federal Election.
She said the Spinners and Weavers had their first informal meeting at a private address in the early 1970s, and have met on the first Saturday of each month through to present day.
“Healesville’s always had a lot of people with diverse interests, especially artistically, and I think, being the early ’70s, it was sort of that time when people were getting back to earth … as far as making your own clothes and growing things,” Ms Wilkinson said.
“The time was right.”
A usual meeting will see members catch up with one another, run through formalities, have lunch together and then run a workshop on a new skill or technique.
Ms Wilkinson said there were 28 current financial members of the group, and that she had been involved for about 11 years.
Her favourite part of the group, she said, was the community that it created.
“I’m not just there for the people, but the people are what keep you coming back as well, and the sharing and the learning – the whole community, the sharing and the people,” she said.
“We want to encourage people to learn in a comfortable environment, and we want them to come back again because they like it.”
Anyone interested in signing up to the Healesville Spinners and Weavers Group can contact Ms Wilkinson on 0400 695 126 or visit www.facebook.com/healesvillespinnersandweaversgroup
