Rallying call by National WI Chair at Staffordshire's annual meeting
The guest speaker at the 106th Annual Meeting of Staffordshire Federation of Women's Institutes was Jeryl Stone, the WI's National Chair. The meeting was held on Zoom to allow a delegate from each WI across Staffordshire the opportunity to attend.
As well as a report by the Federation Chair, Helen Mancey and the Treasurer, Beryl Podmore, delegates were able to remind themselves of the extraordinary work carried out on their behalf by the sub-committees - Craft, Art & Design, Leisure & Pleasure, Education & Public Affairs, Member Support, Events and the County Show. Activities and events included mosaics, Amigurumi, felting, painting and story competitions, darts, bowls, skittles, a summer concert, quizzes and pebble decoration.
As well as hearing high profile speakers such as Nancy Birtwhistle and well known authors and learning about historical figures - sometimes with afternoon tea! Jerly Stone is an inspiring National Chair and she spoke of how the WI is evolving to give members what they have asked for. The Learning Hub is a good example with online educational talks, classes and demonstrations on all manner of subjects - mostly free of charge for WI members.
She acknowledged that women of all ages have to juggle many tasks and that they should congratulate themselves - they are doing well. She urged women to be kind to themselves as well as to others.
Jeryl gave the amazing statistic that the WI is the largest women's organisation in England, Wales and the Islands with 25,000 new members joining last year. Founded in the times of the Suffragettes, the WI has always campaigned for positive change - improving lives for not only women but for wider society, too.
The current campaign is Dental Health Matters and national awareness has been raised about the wider implications of poor dental hygiene and a call for improved access to dental services.
The election of the Board of Trustees was held after the Annual Meeting with Helen Mancey being elected to serve as Federation Chair for 2025/2026. Helen chairs a dedicated Board of 12 Trustees.
There are over 100 Women's Institutes across Staffordshire. They are lively and welcoming, offering friendship, support, fun with opportunities to learn and acquire new skills. For more information on the Staffordshire Federation of Women's Institutes, go to sfwi.org where there is a link to their Facebook page.
