A woman’s organisation that has been running for over 44 years has closed after the sudden death of its president.

Wilton Inner Wheel was founded in 1980, made up of 14 ladies who were the wives of Wilton Rotary. They got together to form their own club – part of the national organisation “Inner Wheel”.

The members did not all come from Wilton but from many villages ranging from Dinton, Downton and Salisbury.

Meetings were held mostly in members’ homes with speakers, and they arranged events in halls, such as dinners and quizzes where money was raised for various charities both locally, nationally and internationally.

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The group raised money for the community of Wilton, such as Riding for The Disabled, and it is calculated that it raised more than £35,000 over forty-four years.

Members also held social events, often with their husbands. The members all became good friends over the years, and numbers grew as more ladies joined.

Wilton Inner Wheel has been running for 44 yearsWilton Inner Wheel has been running for 44 years (Image: Wilton Inner Wheel)

In January 2024, the club was shocked by the sudden death of its president and with there being just ten members, four of who were founder members, as well as the fact no one was keen to take on positions such as treasurer, it reluctantly decided to close.

The club closed at the end of June, which marks the end of the Inner Wheel year.