The WI is very much part of the community, offering women of all ages lively, interesting and stimulating opportunities. As you travel through our varied  county you will see posters on village hall notice boards, community centres and schools advertising forthcoming WI events. Every WI is different, some having nearly 100 members and others much smaller  but all share the common purpose of enhancing women’s lives.  WIs meet on a monthly basis but many of them run craft class, a book club, a walking group and arrange outings to theatres and other places of interest.

All our WIs welcome visitors to their meetings. If your local one is not convenient for your time schedule, try the next nearest, as there is no requirement to live in any catchment area. Look at ‘Institutes’ to find the most suitable one for you.

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE - SEPTEMBER 2010

It is hard to believe that I am writing this letter for publication in September - where has the year gone? One think is certain about being actively involved with the WI, you should never be bored and the weeks and months slip by before you know it!

During this summer I have had the chance to visit many WIs and have shared some special celebrations with members across the county. It is really amazing how varied are the activities undertaken in each one. There is no absolute right or wrong way to do things in a WI as long as the basic charity rules are complied with and this freedom of choice produces the vibrant varied organisation we have today.However, it does not run itself, but relies on those members prepared to give a little more of their time and energy and become Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers and Committee members in their WI. All of you will soon be having your Annual Meeting and electing your own Committee. Without these people, willing to stand for Committee, WIs die and it is always sad when the Advisors have to suspend a WI because no-one will take office. Please do think about standing for office; it is only for a year at a time, not a life sentence, and it can be such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

I am really looking forward to our "Evening with Mrs Gaskell" and hope to see many of you at the Guy Nelson Hall, Warwick on 15th October. Tickets are still available. Lots more interesting and exciting events and classes have been arranged before the end of the year so I hope to meet some of you at one of them.

Best Wishes

Jan Wade

Federation Chairman