Parish room users can get cooking after microwave is given by WI

Titchfield Abbey WI past president Rosemary Mitchell recently presents the microwave oven for community use to Titchfield Parish Room chairman Richard Ashton

The building did have one, but it struggled to perform the simplest of tasks – such as heating up soup.

Now though, thanks to the Titchfield Abbey Women’s Institute, there is a new microwave available for use by all in the kitchen.

Margaret Wellington, publicity officer for the Titchfield Abbey WI, said: ‘The microwave will be a valuable asset to the Titchfield Parish Room, as previously the only means of properly heating food was the gas cooker.

‘It was a real struggle for them to get by in that regard, and a challenge for them to get anything productive done in the kitchen.

‘We really wanted to give back to a place that offers so much to the community, so we sat down with them and asked what we could do to help.’

The Titchfield Parish Room is owned by a charitable trust, chaired by Richard Ashton. It’s used for shows, parties, fairs and other events – including the country market on Fridays, which has become a cornerstone of the local community.

The venue is also steeped in local history and features in the Titchfield Tapestries –a Millennium Lottery project of six panels sewn by local volunteers, depicting Titchfield life since the Saxons.

Ms Wellington added: ‘The donation has been planned since Christmas, but on Monday we handed it over, and I would like to think we’ve really helped to make a difference.

‘Hopefully now they can cook a bit more than just soup!’