How is everyone faring after a period of ‘freedom’ from restrictions?
Is everyone double jabbed and the booster jab on the horizon? I am waiting for my booster and quite frankly am looking forward to it even though I have a fear of hypodermics.
Something happened in the past month which impacted so many on so many levels: the fuel issue! It highlighted what can happen when people react without checking facts. I think we should all be able to take a step back to see what the reality is before becoming part of the problem, no matter the subject (toilet rolls, for example).
I was extremely challenged, as were many front line/emergency service workers and normal folk really needing fuel to be somewhere to help others. What I saw was an amazing outpouring of the ‘me first’ attitude which is beyond my comprehension. I hope that if anything like this happens again, people will stop to think of those who are really in need and not just of their own comfort.
There were so many cars, parked throughout Middlesex, with full tanks but going nowhere; totally unnecessary. This had a big impact on those on a strict budget and those already isolated, the car being their only outlet to see others and attend appointments. Another challenge to attempts to alleviating loneliness, sadly.
As we know in the WI world, there are always changes of officers/trustees and sadly, we say goodbye to Yve McBride, on both Board of Trustees and the Digital Team. Thank you Yve for all the support you have given our members over the past four years. (Please do send in your digital requests as normal to digitalteam@mfwi.org.uk; they will be picked up.)
The MFWI Board of Trustees and I would also like to give a warm welcome to our newest Trustee, Heather McIntyre from Ashford WI, who has joined with immediate effect. We look forward to working with Heather and I know that she will be a welcome addition to our team.
I attended the resolutions longlist meeting with NFWI. Each resolution one is gone through in detail (ie all the pros and cons debated, questions asked) in order to generate a much shorter list. The shortlist will be published soon by NFWI. Once that is done, the Public Affairs Team will be able to put into place a Zoom session for WIs/members to attend to have a discussion, just as we did last year.
The National Council meeting is being carried out via Zoom in stages and as I write this, part 2 is coming up and will be across two days. Although I quite like not having to travel and stay away from home, I will miss the interactional benefits of talking to other Chairs and Treasurers face to face, but it is what it is, at least for this year.
Enjoy any Halloween and bonfire night celebrations you may have—let us have some photographs of your creations if you do any.
Take care and keep well as we go further into Autumn.