In response to our request to NWR groups to share how they have been fairing in lockdown, we’re pleased to have heard from Caversham group. Margaret Wall, Local Organiser (LO) for Caversham, told us how her group has been ‘meeting’ online:
“At the start of the first lockdown in 2020, it became apparent we were not going to be able to continue our meetings in the accustomed way ie meeting in members’ houses with coffee and chat. But, as with other groups, we have adapted.
“We continue to meet once a week, now via Zoom on a Thursday morning for 40 minutes, and this has worked very well. Every week we have a topic pre-arranged according to our programme, some serious, some light-hearted, which we devise in advance according to members’ suggestions.
“Each meeting has a leader to keep the meeting in order, and each person in turn has a few minutes to give their views. We always manage to keep to the 40 minutes limit without a problem. The only exception was the occasion on which we had a speaker (a very interesting session on forensic science) and we had a double session.
“In fact, the turn-out has been very good and most people turn up each week (although we are fairly small by the standards of some groups).
“At the moment, we haven’t made any plans to meet in person, but when the lockdown eases a bit more, it’s possible we may have a garden meeting or a walk.
“It’s great that we have been able to keep things together in this way.”