Women’s Institute headquarters at East Stoke to be investigated by parish council after WI disbands

A parish council is to investigate the future of its village’s Women’s Institute headquarters now the branch has disbanded.

The building, erected in 1937, is the only facility in the two parishes of East Stoke and Thorpe aside from the church.

The building is owned by the local WI, but not the land on which it stands.

Residents do not want to see the building disappear and the parish council could, it is being suggested, take it over.

Parish clerk Mike Elliott has been instructed to seek comment from the landowners as to their intentions, and to ascertain if they would be willing to sell the site on which the hall stands.

The council uses the building for meetings as did the WI. With only 13 members, the branch, which had not met for over a year due the pandemic, decided to cease to function.