Shropshire Federation of Women’s Institutes
We are affiliated to the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK, with 205,000 members in 6,500 WIs in England, Wales and the Islands.
We play a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.
The Women’s Institute was formed in 1915 with two clear aims: to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then our aims have broadened and we are now the largest women’s organisation in the UK. We play a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities .
Objectives:
To promote a positive, modern image of the WI
To gain and retain members
To influence legislators and decision-makers about issues which are of concern to WI members
To empower WI members to turn their concerns into campaigns and act as a force for positive change
To offer a wide range of learning and training opportunities
To encourage personal development and promote lifelong learning
To encourage WI members to adopt healthier, more sustainable lifestyles
To promote a wide variety of learning opportunities
OUR YEAR MONTA summary of 2009 month by month
Jan
January
January
Programme Planning Day at Hodnet and Church Stretton
Book Club Lecture by author Jeff Phelps
February
New Age Kurling at Tilstock
Finishing Touches—West Mid Show briefing at Crowmoor
March
New Age Kurling at Little Wenlock
Concord College International Concert
Stourbridge Visit
Shropshire Wildlife Trust Talk, Dorrington
‘The Just William Lady’ - talk and supper with Alison Neal, Pontesbury
April
Darts Final, Greenfields
Conveners Meeting
Resolutions Briefing Meeting at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Stiperstones Ghost Ride and supper
May
County Lunch with speaker at St Chad’s Hall Shrewsbury
Leighton & Eaton Constantine Ramble
90th Anniversary Fun Run/Walk in the Quarry, Shrewsbury
Visit to Westonbirt Arboretum
June
National AGM at the Royal Albert Hall, London
Fashion and Flowers for our 90th Birthday, ProStar Stadium
Poetry Evening on the theme ‘Celebrations’
Farm Visit
West Mid Show
Tilstock Ramble
July
Meet the Board—Ludlow
August
Oswestry Show
Burwarton Show
Minsterley Show
Glass Museum, Stourbridge
September
Hat Making classes
Knowbury Ramble
Dinner with...Bunny Campione
Weekend at Alnwick
October
90th Birthday Weekend at Denman College
Poetry Evening on the theme of Anniversaries
Butcher & Brewer evening at Wistanstow
November
The Next Step—resolutions meeting
90th Birthday Revue—Meole Brace School
Trivia Quiz—Dorrington
County Lunches at Radbrook College
December
Christmas Extravaganza—County Office
In addition to here are some of the other activities going on at County Office
WI Advisers We have a team of six—soon to be seven when Sylvia Barrett of Bucknell completes her training— who are on hand to help WIs, officers and members with any problems they may have.
Book Club meets in County Office monthly to discuss a book circulated the month before. Books are kindly loaned by Shropshire Library Service.
Art Club is a similar venture and meets at County Office or arranges visits.
Judges Our Judges’ Co-ordinator, Sue Elliot, has continued to support our network of judges in the county.
County News Rosemary Hamilton and Jean Williams meet monthly to put together the newsletter. A packing team, led by Anne Harris and Dorothy Wilde, comes into the office every month to make sure the packages get to every WI.
Speakers Lists We are hugely indebted to Anne Pipkin and Flora Mackie who keep the speakers’ lists up to date.
Promotion Stands have been manned at several shows in the county and have also been borrowed by a number of WIs for their own events.
ASSOCIATED COUNTRYWOMEN
OF THE WORLD.
We were delighted that just as we were due to send our annual cheque to ACWW, we reached our target of £5526 for our adopted project in Romania. The purpose of the project was two fold: to raise the living standards of the target group of 40 disadvantaged women from the rural areas of Mures County by training them in new skills such as machine sewing; and to improve access to education for rural children by providing scholarships to exceptional children whose parents could not afford to send them to high schools in the town. In addition, English language classes were offered to members of the Association. The beauty of the ACWW system is that once we agree to adopt a project the money is immediately released to start work and our job to replenish the working fund. The trainees were equipped and taught how to use sewing machines to make useful and saleable items such as bed linen. Approximately 20% of the income goes to the trainees to help them with family expenses. The remainder provides 2-3 boarding scholarships to disadvantaged children (it is hoped to increase the number of scholarships with time). It is hoped that eventually the trainees will be sufficiently skilled to set up their own businesses or become trainers themselves.
At 31 December 2009, there were with 133 WIs
in Shropshire with a total membership was 3,360.
Dale End Lite and Bridgnorth opened this year .
Sadly, Tasley and Pantglas &Sellatyn WIs closed and Ash and Upton Magna are planning to close at the beginning of 2010.
Every year WI members put forward resolutions for discussion at the AGM in June. If passed, these then become mandates and form the basis of campaigning activities in the years ahead Before the final resolutions is put to the AGM, it has been through a year long debating and consultation process, and been selected from up to 100 other proposals. This process ensures that our campaigns have been through a democratic process involving all members and come from the grass-roots of the organisation. Our 2009 resolution was on honey bees:
'SOS' FOR HONEY BEES
Honey Bees play a vital role in the pollination of food crops and in our environment. In view of concerns about the accelerating decline in the UK honey bee population, this meeting urges HM Government to increase funding for research into Bee Health.
AWARD WINNERS 2009
ONE STEP FURTHER COMPETITION (for a guided walk leaflet)
County and National Winners Marton WI
NFWI STYLISH STITCHES Debbie Gore,
Clive & Grinshill WI
THE CORONATION CUP Carole Garland,
(Mini Quilt Competition) Bucknell WI
MEMBERSHIP COMPETITION Chapel Lawn WI
Rushbury & Cardington WI
St Giles WI
DARTS CUP Norbury WI ‘C’ Team PRESS PRESS SECRETARIES’ COMPETITION Marian Mathias, St Giles WI
WEST MID SHOW WINNERS:-
The Lady Osmond Rosebowl Tilstock
The Telford Cup Snailbeach
The Gwynedd LLoyd Cup Withington & District
The Wattlesborough Cup Tilstock
The Mrs Richardson Rosebowl Little Wenlock
Lady Harlech Cup Withington & District
The Anne Pipkin Cup Harmer Hill & District
Mary Becket Novice Cup Withington & District
Kathleen Harper Salver for best craft Snailbeach
Esme Morris Trophy for best preserve Pontesbury
Rosemary Hamilton Trophy for best cookery Sundorne
Staffordshire Building Society Cup Tilstock
for staging and interpretation (large)
Certificate for staging & interpretation (small) Withington & District
COUNTY BURSARY (£250, financed by the County Bursary Fund)
June Watson, Albric
DENMAN DIP (£250 each, from proceeds of NFWI Annual Raffle)
Kristina Norton, Bettws-y-Crwyn
Ruth Haile, Pant
Wendy Owen, High Ercall
Marian Eastwell, Ludlow
Celia Rawlings, Cressage
BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATIONS
Congratulations to the WIs who had special anniversaries in 2009:-
90th
Calverhall & Ightfield WI Craven Arms WI
Hodnet WI
Lydbury North WI
Worfield WI
85th
EllesmereWI
Llansilin WI
Ryton WI
Sundorne WI
Clive & Grinshill WI
Oldbury WI
80th
Condover WI
Loppington WI
Shrawardine & Montford WI
Weston Rhyn WI
60th
Bedstone WI
Bucknell WI
Kinlet WI
Lea Cross WI
and Neen Savage WI
OUR YEAR H
January