2019 Resolution voting is in…

The results of the 2019 resolution shortlist selection process are:

2019 resolutions		Selections
1	Improving plant biosecurity	13,010
2	Trees- improving the natural landscape	18,959
3	Pelvic floor education	8,401
4	Suffering in silence- menstrual health taboo	8,912
5	Decline in local buses	35,194
6	Don’t fear the smear	20,825
	Total selections received to date	105,184

This year’s total is the most selections cast since the individual selection process was introduced, with over 105,000 selections cast by members.

In order to allow members the opportunity to work on a breadth of issues, the NFWI Board of Trustees has decided to put forward the top two resolutions to the Annual Meeting.

The wordings of the resolutions are as follows:

A call against the decline in local bus services

Wording – Over the last decade there has been a massive decline in the number of bus services, particularly of those in rural and semi-rural areas. In order to alleviate loneliness, improve health and wellbeing, as well as promoting sustainable development, the NFWI calls on the Government and local authorities to increase subsidies and work in partnership with bus companies and community transport operators to enable an adequate provision of services.

Don’t fear the smear

Wording – Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives a year, yet attendance is currently at its lowest for a decade. The NFWI urges WI members to attend routine screening, to take action to raise awareness of the importance of cervical screening and address barriers to attendance to help eradicate cervical cancer.

You can find a selection of resources to help you learn more about the resolutions on the WI website and on My WI:

• Detailed briefing notes about each resolution.
• A PowerPoint presentation on the topics.
• Quizzes to test your knowledge.
• A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document about the resolutions process.
• A discussion guide with ideas about how to discuss the resolution in your WI.
• Videos

 

Digital Training Sessions 2019  

Digital training sessions will take place at County Office West Drayton on the : 

• 2nd Thursday (10.30 – 12.30) of the month and  
• 4th Tuesday (2 – 4 pm) of the month during 2019 

Both member suggested topics and sessions to support the running of your WI via MS Office 365 are scheduled quarterly.  Download the current session topics here:  Digital Training Sessions April, May, June 2019

Booking Essential

To book a place or discuss a training need contact digitalteam@mfwi.org.uk or leave a message at County Office on 01895 440161 and one of the team will get back to you. 

 

ACWW – Associated Country Women of the World

Lorraine Reed is your MFWI Representative link to ACWW. As a WI member, you are probably familiar with the Pennies for Friendship scheme and Foreign Currency collection that most WIs support annually at their meetings. All the proceeds go the projects either in the general funding pot or if a WI wishes to support a specific project, they are able to do so.

ACWW connects rural and non-rural women and their communities worldwide through a network of Member Societies and Individual Members. We do this through advocacy, partnership, sharing knowledge and local activities. This includes UN representation, access to better information resources, funding community development projects and training programmes. ACWW is committed to raising the health and standard of living of rural women and their families. ACWW is non-sectarian, non-political and forward looking.  For more information about ACWW visit their website.

Pennies for Friendship

These are collected on behalf of the Associated Country Women of the World. ACWW is the largest international organisation for rural women. It has a uniquely down-to-earth approach offering mutual support, friendship and practical help to its members. The organisation has a membership of nine million through over 400 member societies in over 78 countries. Through projects in rural communities ACWW aims to improve the standard of living for all women and their families in health and nutrition, fresh water supplies, housing and literacy. It helps with small scale agricultural and income generating schemes and gives leadership training.

To supplement the income, back in 1939 it was conceived that if every member of every society gave at least the smallest coin of their country every year the essential work of ACWW could continue. Today nothing functions without these pennies – projects administration, United Nations links, conferences and the society’s magazine are all funded by Pennies for Friendship. Some pennies remain in London to run the office of ACWW.

The ‘pennies’ collected by WI members are annually passed to Middlesex Federation of WIs who in turn pass on the pennies received from all WIs to ACWW.

MFWI News

A newsletter sharing information and experiences across the Middlesex Federation is distributed to all members via WI Secretaries in .pdf format.  For those members without email access or prefer a hard copy this can be ordered via your WI Secretary at a subsidised cost of 80p for each edition, 11 editions per year.

Please send articles or information you would like to be shared via MFWI News to newsletter@mfwi.org.uk

To view and or download the latest editions click a link below:

Middlesex Newsletter – December 2018

Middlesex Newsletter – February 2019

Middlesex Newsletter – March 2019

My WI

My WI is the dedicated website for WI members. Here you will find everything you need to get the most from your membership – from essential news, information and advice for running your WI, to campaign action packs and special interest projects for you to try.

How do I login?

Members with an email address registered on the MCS (Membership Communications System) will receive an email outlining the steps to create a secure ‘Digital WI’ password. Once your password has been set you will be able to use your account to access My WI. If you have already logged into My WI, or you’re an existing MCS Rep, login now by visiting: https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/ and entering your login details.

If you haven’t yet received a ‘Welcome to the Digital WI’ email with your ‘My WI’ login details, visit: https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/welcome-to-my-wi and follow the steps outlined.