FROM ‘make-do and mend’ to village maps and hassocks the women of Steeple Aston Women's Institute have dedicated 100 years to supporting their community.

This year marks the centenary for the group, thought to be the oldest extant Women's Institute in Oxfordshire.

The wheels are in motion and the group’s calendar is jam-packed with celebrations to mark the impressive milestone.

Steeple Aston WI president, Merrill Bayley, said: “In March 1918 women in our small village of Steeple Aston formally established a branch of the Women’s Institute and have met practically every month for the last 100 years.

“In March of this year that amazing milestone will be celebrated in style.”

The group dates back to the first meeting in March 1918 and to this day still holds documents dating back thus far including the very first minutes of the meeting taken by Miss L G Worrell – who subsequently became the first president.

The group added it has an impressive collection of both meetings and books from down the years, more recently including embroidery works created by members which are used to put together a book each year.

Currently the group boasts 36 members, with four having joined very recently, and ages range from 40 to 90.

Over the years the team have devoted their time to supporting the community which goes back to the traditional make-do and mend approach during the Second World War, collecting vegetables and fruit for pickling and preserving and knitting scarves and socks for members of the armed forces.

More recently their work in the village has included presenting embroidered hassocks to the church, arranging to have a map of the village erected beside the bus stop in South Side and donating funds to replace an ancient Sycamore tree in the churchyard among many other projects.

Members have also been contributing to the group's centenary fund for several years and have been squirrelling away planning for the major milestone.

The group says it has a special programme of activities planned and speakers lined up, plus a surprise outing for June this year.

The group will officially celebrate its 100th birthday on March 21.

Ms Bayley added: “The WI motto is Inspiring Women. To this end we strive to enlighten, educate and usually entertain our members.”