NFWI Annual Meeting
The NFWI Annual Meeting on 4 June 2025 was held online for all attendees. The meeting was streamed from the NFWI London HQ Office. Attendees joined from all over England, Wales, and the Islands in their homes or with other members at local watch parties.
AGENDA
The Companies Act Meeting was held before the Annual Meeting, starting at 10am and concluding at approximately 11.30am. The Annual Meeting started at 11.45am and ended at 3.40pm.
Jeryl Stone (NFWI Chair)
Other key items on the agenda were:
- Public Affairs Resolution
- Treasurers Statement
- Opening and closing remarks from the NFWI Chair
SPEAKERS
Emma Bridgewater was the first guest speaker of the day and was interviewed by NFWI CEO, Melissa Green. The interview was played as a prerecorded video, but Emma joined live in person to participate in a question-and-answer session. Emma Bridgewater spoke more about her journey and inspiration to create her well-known brand.
Jeryl Stone (NFWI Chair), Emma Bridgewater and Melissa Green (NFWI CEO)
Angel Strawbridge was the second guest speaker on the agenda. Angel joined live from France and spoke about her love for vintage and her inspirational journey in business. Dick Strawbridge, Angel’s husband also made an appearance. Angel was able to answer many questions from the audience.
Angel Strawbridge
RESOLUTIONS
One resolution, “By standers can be Lifesavers” was put forward for debate and voting. The resolution passed with a 97% majority of the votes cast, and a campaign will now be launched by the Public Affairs Department.
Please visit the following link for further information - WI members decide 2025/26 campaign | National Federation of Women's Institutes
2026 Annual Meeting
Jeryl Stone, NFWI Chair, announced the date of the 2026 Annual Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, 4 June 2026. This meeting will also be held online for all attendees and streamed from the NFWI HQ Office.
What is the NFWI Annual Meeting (AM)?
The main business of the AM is to receive the Chair’s address and the Hon. Treasurer’s statement, and to vote on Public Affairs resolutions.
What is on the agenda?
The meeting runs from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm, with a lunch interval around 12.30 pm. There are typically two guest speakers who address the meeting for around half an hour each. The NFWI Chair addresses the meeting, as well as the Hon. Treasurer who presents an overview of the organisations' accounts. At some venues, NFWI committees and external exhibitors will have stands for attendees to enjoy both ahead of the start of the meeting and again during the lunch interval.
When & where is it?
The AM is typically held in late May or early June but this is dependent on venue availability. First notice of the meeting is sent annually in advance, directly to all federations and WIs in the July NFWI mailing.
The AM venue changes on an annual basis to give as many members as possible the opportunity to attend. The venues currently used are some of the best in the UK and include the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Echo Arena in Liverpool, and the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.
Annual Meeting 2015 at Royal Albert Hall London (Credit: Andy Lane)
Who is invited?
The NFWI AM is open to all WI members.
Every WI in the UK is represented by link delegates. The role of the link delegate is to vote on resolutions on behalf of her own WI and those within her linking group. It is also the responsibility of the link delegate to report back to each of the WIs within her group, the outcome of the resolution voting, and on the meeting in general. All link delegates are seated together and participate in resolution debates and voting.
Observer tickets are allocated to federations in late October each year on a pro-rata basis according to the number of members in each. The sale of these tickets is administrated by federations. All observers are seated together and attend the meeting to observe the proceedings only.
Each year, the NFWI also invites distinguished guests and members of the media to keep up-to-date on the latest news from the organisation.
How much are the tickets?
The price of the observer ticket varies each year but they are generally around the £22 mark.
If you would like more detailed information, about voting majorities or attendance, for instance, please click this link and take a look at pages 11 - 15
NFWI Annual Meeting 2024
We are very happy to share a recording of the 2024 Annual Meeting at the Royal Albert Hall.
AM Session
PM Session