The Wānaka Women’s Suffrage Committee has donated $6,500 to Food for Love after sales of ‘Skirt Tales: The Sequel’ exceeded expectations.

The original Skirt Tales book was the result of an idea from the late Phyllis Aspinall and formed part of the centennial celebrations of women’s suffrage in New Zealand organised by Liz Hall for the Queenstown Lakes District Council. 

Twenty-five years later, during the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the committee decided to create a second book which, like the first, told the stories of women in the Upper Clutha and celebrated suffrage.

“Both the original and the sequel books are very popular as we expected as they are valuable history books of the Upper Clutha,” committee chairperson Liz Hall said. 

After the second reprint of the sequel the committee decided to make a local donation.

“Together we unanimously agreed that Food for Love is a very worthwhile charity to give funds to,” Liz said. 

“The money is to financially help to provide meals for the people in our community who are unable to cook for themselves for various reasons.”

The committee recently presented Food for Love founder Bex Sarginson with the donation. 

Liz said she hoped there would be a third Skirt Tales in the future.

“In the foreword of the sequel book, we have given the challenge to the next generation of women to write another book,” she said, “but I doubt very much if we, at the present age of 70s and 80s will be involved in the 150th anniversary of suffrage in New Zealand!”

The committee behind ‘Skirt Tales: the Sequel’ included Liz Hall, Pam Kane, Jenny Moss, Cheryl Taylor and Dee Gordon.

PHOTO: Supplied