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SFWI in the Community

RESOLUTION FOR 2011

 

The Resolution carried at the NFWI Liverpool AGM was that against Library closures and we are acting on this now. The Petition forms sent out to WIs  should  now have been completed and sent in to NFWI. Surrey WIs have been very busy protesting at the closure of local libraries and many turned up on the Action Day in September to show their feelings. 

 



LOVE YOUR LIBRARIES CAMPAIGN

 

National Libraries Day 4 February 2012

 

National Federation of WIs (NFWI) have notified us that the next stage of the Love Your Libraries campaign will be a lobby day in Parliament on Tuesday 13 March 2012.  Members are invited to join the rally and meet your local MP to explain why libraries are so important to you.  Full briefings will be provided.  To find out more please contact Emma Lindsay in the Public Affairs Department on 020 7371 9300 (ext 213) or email e.lindsay@nfwi.org.uk.

 

If you have not already organised an event to demonstrate how important our libraries are to our community, NFWI have suggested the following:-

 

·       A ‘hug a library event’ – organise a human chain to form a ‘group hug’ around the library to demonstrate just how much it is valued

·       A Love Libraries March to your public library, or a rally – you might even want to dress as you favourite literary character

·       Hold your WI meeting, or WI book group in your local library

·       A library ‘read in’ event with local authors, or for children’s reading group.

 

More details of the above projects can be found on the Campaign pages of the NFWI website and there is also an embroidery competition running in conjunction with this. Members are invited to embroider their favourite literary quotation to illustrate the importance of libraries to our lives. All guidelines and entry forms are available on the same area of the website.

 

 

AND RESOLUTION FOR 2012

 

The resolution short list is being voted upon now (Jan) and the resolution/s chosen will be discussed at our May meetings. To help members have a detailed insight on the resolution/s chosen there will be a meeting at St. Mary's Church Hall, Fetcham on 17 April from 10.30am. Cost £6


Don't forget the NFWI  Public Affairs department works on all current resolutions and they now have a blog  at http://theWIpa.blogspot.com.

 

A Community Event at Claremont Gardens in Esher is being held by the National Trust and SFWI has been asked to participate. It is hoped that local WIs can support this venture. More news shortly.

 

CHEFS CLUB

Betty Dominy, Maureen Finn and a team of WI members named the Chefs Club have been running courses in Kingston since February, 2010. The courses include basic cookery skills, food hygiene and healthy eating, taking two hours a week after school for year 4 children and their parents. The third group recently completed the six-week course at Effingham. During the presentation of certificates children and parents all agreed it had helped them to learn about healthy eating and skills in cooking and hygienic handling of food in an informal and social way. Everyone expressed their gratitude to SFWI members.


WIs Help Out

Many WIs have projects to help in their local areas by refurbishing village halls, getting overgrown footpaths and ponds cleared, tidying up and planting bulbs. Here we see Sanderstead clearing up their local recreation ground.

Sanderstead cleaning up

Wandsworth WI  have got down to hard work by taking over a derelict garden at a Women's Aid Hostel nearby and are transforming it as an ongoing project.
Wandsworth gardening
The Federation promotes co-operation between differing groups in  our local communities and here is news of one of those joint ventures.

SOUTH GODSTONE HELP "ST. STEPHEN'S"

South Godstone Mothers' Union celebrated their 50th Anniversary in the Autumn of 2009, and a decision was made to commission a new banner. Who to ask to carry out this work? The WI of course! Elizabeth Fisher,  President of South Godstone WI was approached and asked if the WI would be prepared to take on this work. Elizabeth (never able to turn down a challenge) agreed and enlisted the help of fellow member Audrey Skinner.

The Banner was a replica of the original and after many hours of stitching it was completed and presented to the Mothers' Union at their meeting on 2 November, 2010. They were delighted and the banner will be dedicated by the new Rector Rev. Paul Goodridge. 

Audrey and Elizabeth proudly hand over the new banner. Elizabeth Fisher with banner
WALLINGTON & CARSHALTON CRAFT GROUP

 

Quilt for Project Linus
Members of the Craft Group proudly show off their first project.

The newly formed Wallington and Carshalton Craft Group made a quilt this year to be donated to Project Linus, a children's charity that looks after children in hospital and donates hand-made blankets to them. They were very pleased with their first effort.

 

SURREY ACTIONS ON OTHER ITEMS OF CONCERN

Another subject which has come to the fore in recent months is the dangerous nature of Chinese Lanterns.  We are supporting The Bourne WI by writing letters to MPs and raising the question with NFWI of the hazardous nature of these objects which are becoming a very popular way of marking a private occasion and making it into a public problem.

 

In March 2007 at our Annual Council Meeting we passed a resolution calling for allergy testing to return to all GP clinics.This was proposed by Thames Ditton WI. Surrey members and other people signed a petition to support this resolution during the summer and in November 2007 Thames Ditton WI members took a journey to 10 Downing Street to hand it in.

At present the problem of allergies is being dealt with in a different way but at least the effort put in was not wasted as this resolution and petition were taken into account in the government's enquiry.

For more information on this subject please visit the Action for Allergy website. www.actionforallergy.org.

Now sit back and enjoy the adventure of Thames Ditton's visit to London.