MFWI Updates

Another successful AGM with our NFWI Chair, Ann Jones hosting around 3,000 women; some at the Liverpool Conference and some on Zoom. As we know as she settles in to her role, she is always calm, excited and smiley and leads with a positive vibe and her lovely Welsh accent!

Our Honorary Treasurer Jeryl Stone reminded all to try to get Gift Aid from your subscriptions and also ‘please mention leaving a legacy for WI in wills’.

We then heard from the Federation Chairman of the Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland, Margaret Broome, who told us about splitting their 90^th birthday celebrations in to nine separate events across the region.

Anne Kerr, President of the Scottish Women’s Institutes, talked about having COP-26 coming there and highlighted the SWI’s own campaigns for change and transformation.

Kate Garbers, founder of the anti-slavery organisation Unseen gave an excellent talk on Modern Slavery and the fact that in UK nationals make up a large proportion of the victims. Safe houses, help-lines, professional counselling etc can all be offered once a victim is identified – we need to learn the signs of this happening and Public Affairs holds support materials for your own WI.  You can ring the Police (101) or Crime Stoppers too.  There are dedicated helplines – this is happening all over the UK in so many forms. Anti-Slavery Day is on 18 October.

Our Guest Speaker was Sarah Clarke OBE, Black Rod, the first female Black Rod in 650 years. Moving on from managing major events career as Championship Director Wimbledon gave Sarah all the leadership tools needed for her new role.

She said that she hardly ever gives talks but knowing WI members herself, she knew she would have to accept this request!

Again, enthusiasm for the role and calmness and dedication gave her huge success at Wimbledon and to work on many other major events which carries her forward in her role today.  She was most inspiring.

All of us will have considered and discussed and read our resolution on ASD/ADHD in women and girls. it was the alternative viewpoint that we maybe did not know about and an excellent talk was given discussing dependence on drugs/categorisation is not the key/remove diagnosis as a gatekeeper/lack of support services/long waiting lists and whether support is given to the right level of need of each individual.  It was a brave ‘against’ but the audience gave huge credence to the points raised and learnt about how Devon authorities are trying new ways of approaching the diagnosis and level of needs of girls.

The 2022 resolution was carried by 96% and your own votes were cast as you requested.

Congratulations to the winners of our recent 200+ Club draw for June 2022

1st prize – £35
Linda Frise, Hampton Tudor Rose

2nd prize – £20
Lorraine Reed, Ruislip Evening

3rd prize – £15
Mary Jeffery, Stanwell

Happy birthday to WIs in Middlesex celebrating birthdays this month:
Southbourne
03 June 1953

Greenford
11 June 1985

Hayes Town
17 June 1993

Stanmore
18 June 2018

Finchley
13 May 2009

Stanwell
15 May 1919

Ladies Of The Lock
26 May 2016

Congratulations to the winners of our recent 200+ Club daws.

April 2022

1st prize – £35
Elizabeth Owen, West Drayton

2nd prize – £20
Margaret Smith, Iver

3rd prize – £15
E Hutton, Manor Farm

May 2022

1st prize – £35
Linda Frise, Hampton Tudor Rose

2nd prize – £20
Lorraine Reed, Ruislip Evening

3rd prize – £15
Mary Jeffery, Stanwell

In April 2022, the Board of Trustees said our own thank you to Lorraine Reed who stepped down from her role as Federation Chair in March. Lorraine did a brilliant job steering the Federation through the difficult Covid period, even staying on for an extra year in the hope of sharing our Centenary celebrations.

Unfortunately, this was not to be, but we all just wanted to show our gratitude to Lorraine—so we treated her to a lovely lunch on the South Bank.

It was good to get together face to face, as the majority of our meetings are still via Zoom, and while Zoom is very convenient it’s not the same as actually meeting up. The meal was delicious (and so was the wine!) and a good time was had by all.

Thank you to all of my colleagues for a lovely meet-up—and especially to Sarah Endersby for making the arrangements.

For the third year running, our Middlesex Federation Annual Council Meeting was held online, following a poll of our members. It was disappointing for us as we hoped to begin or end our centenary year in person, however we were pleased to have a healthy turnout online.

Outgoing Chair Lorraine Reed-Wenman, in her final ACM, welcomed Zoom attendees and spoke of the challenges of the past year and her period as Chair as a whole, while Treasurer Sarah Endersby presented the Financial Report.

We were very pleased to welcome an excellent speaker, Petra Wenham, a member of Cake and Revolution WI in Ipswich, Suffolk. Petra was the first openly transgender WI member to appear on the cover of WI Life magazine (July-Aug 2021). Petra shared her personal journey, of coming out to her wife Loraine in 2015, to living full-time as a woman in 2018, and joining the WI.

We hope you enjoyed the meeting if you were able to attend, but very much hope for a fabulous in-person meeting in 2023!

Congratulations, Angela!

Following the ACM, the Board of Trustees, without departing Chair Lorraine, continued the online meeting to elect a Chair to lead us through the next three years, assisted by Hertfordshire Federation Trustee Maggie Eccleston. We congratulate Angela Chessman on her appointment! Angela, a member of Stanwell WI, was co-opted onto the Board in 2016, enjoying her role as Denman Ambassador while Denman College was operating. More recently she ran the 200+ Club. Good luck Angela: we wish you well for your term as Chair!

Congratulations to the winners of our January 200+ Club draw!

1st prize – £35

Stanwell WI

2nd prize – £20

Dianne Butler, Stanwell

3rd prize – £15

Sunbury-on-Thames WI