The Jubilee and AGM

What a whirlwind of activities the last week has been! The Diamond Jubilee celebrations of one of our WI Presidents have been well recorded, and many WIs have had a presence at events all over England and Wales; rom the WI Tent at the Battersea Park Jubilee celebrations, to my own WI in Cambridge federation, joining in with the village diamond festivities. It has all been a wonderful showcase for the WI at its best and I would like to thank  the many members for their hard work.


Just a few days before these celebrations began, the NFWI celebrated the whole of the WI at its AGM in the Royal Albert Hall. This included a round up of another very successful year, with increasing numbers of members and achievements, particularly within recent campaigns and projects. I think of the more liaison and diversion schemes announced by the government via our Care Not Custody mandate; and some shift for the better with the two rather than one year timescale for reporting of domestic violence in the new, revised Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, which has recently come on to the statute book. Again, all the campaigning came out of our mandate on Legal Aid being available for all.

Julian Fellows entertained and delighted the audience of over 5,000 women, and some men, with his acknowledgment that he has always been surrounded by strong women, for whom he is most grateful.  His fictional female characters often fall into this category too- and indeed, is this not why we love them?!

Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, together with her two year old daughter, elucidated why she wants inner city children to aim for outer space; in other words aim high, as everyone has a gift for something and it only needs a spark to ignite a passionate flame.

She was also one of our adjudicators in the knitting challenge undertaken to secure a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of people knitting in one place for 15 minutes.  We await verification, but with the current record standing at just over 1,400, the WI is hopeful.

Dancing from four of the Strictly Come Dancing artistes rounded off the day; but one of the most important issues to come out of the meeting was the adoption of this year's mandate:  “There are chronic shortages of midwives. The NFWI calls on the Government to increase investment in the training, employment and retention of midwives in England and Wales to ensure services are adequately resourced and are able to deliver a high standard of care”.  96.16% of the membership backed the resolution put forward by Horwich WI in Lancashire, which means a new campaign will begin shortly.

On the evening before  the AGM I spent a few minutes explaining the WI to a Japanese diplomat. He was attentive to my description, but I know that in such a short time he could not understand the depth and breadth of our great organisation.

I was speaking to him at the reception prior to the showing of the film “In the Land of Blood and Honey”. Angelina Jolie, the film’s Writer and Director, and Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, was there along with three of the actors, and the United States Ambassador, Louis Susman. The film was shown on the same day that the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, announced a UK initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict. The initiative forms part of the UK’s forthcoming Presidency of the G8 in 2013. It includes the establishment of a dedicated UK team devoted to combating and preventing sexual violence in conflict. This team will be able to be deployed overseas at short notice to gather evidence and testimony that can be used to support investigations and prosecutions.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” is set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War of the 1990s, and tells the story of two people from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict; and the sexual violence in the conflict is never far away.

Just another week in the WI.

Looking towards the AGM

This Wednesday, the NFWI is holding its AGM in the Royal Albert Hall but before that gets under way; there is much to report on recent WI representation. 

On 16 May, I attended the Wildlife Trust's Centenary event held at The Natural History Museum in London. We were seated at tables in the Central Hall surrounding the diplodocus, and listened as Sir David Attenborough told of how he became involved with the natural world and ultimately the Wildlife Trust. He recounted his teenage days in Leicestershire when a local farmer purchased a tractor and everyone gathered to view it, without realising that this was the beginning of a new way of life in the countryside. We also heard the well-known ornithologist, Bill Oddie talk of his passion for wildlife and the countryside via a letter written to his grandchildren.  It was a memorable evening and pertinent to the WI since so many WI members live in, and share, a passion for the countryside.

The countryside was also at the forefront of the National Trust’s Octavia Hill Awards luncheon last Wednesday. The awards were introduced this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of one of the National Trust's founders, Octavia Hill. The awards celebrate individuals and groups that are keeping Octavia's legacy alive and the following awards were given: Growing Hero; Natural Hero; Inspirational Hero; People's Campaigner: Green Space Guardian; and 'Love Places' award.  The full list of winners can be found on the National Trust website.

On Thursday I attended the second meeting of the Prime Minister's Champion Group on Dementia Friendly Communities, this time attended by the Prime Minister himself.  David Cameron was updated on the plans and progress being made by the group and he acknowledged that a change in the culture around dementia is needed. Indeed, the outcome of this whole project relies on a mixture of culture shift and specifics, together with an understanding of actions that government must take where barriers are encountered. Included in this, of course, is a sustainable funding system for social care, and the Prime Minister's advice was one that all WI members hear so often: speak to your MP, lobby your MP in person and in writing, and explain what is needed, why, and possibly, how it might be done. The government needs the public to tell them what barriers and regulations should be changed.

During the discussions we heard from a young volunteer who, through the National Citizens Service, and together with others, had built a beach garden in the grounds of  a care home so that residents can experience the 'seaside' without leaving the premises. Training in awareness and some understanding of dementia is happening in many sectors now across retail, banking and leisure, and raising awareness among children and young people is high on the list of desired outcomes.

Now we move on to the NFWI’s AGM.  Keep an eye on our twitter feed for regular updates throughout the day.

Ethical living

One of the WI's Little Black Dress judges and NFWI Associate, journalist Lucy Siegle reminded the nation about the packaging problem it still faces in a recent response in The Observer to a reader’s problem.  She also highlighted the WI's campaign on the issue from 2006, which aimed to reduce packaging.  Although much has changed for the better; there is generally LESS packaging on groceries and nothing other than what is deemed necessary to prolong the life of the product.  In some shops I have noticed a slow move back on some items but nonetheless, the state of packaging is better than it was when the WI first started campaigning.  However, that must not breed complacency.  The removal of unnecessary packaging at the checkout mentioned by Lucy was one action WI members took but many also returned excessive packaging from a weekly shop to the supermarkets, discussed concerns about packaging with store managers, and refused of plastic bags in favour of bags already owned. Many of us still carry on this campaign, I know I certainly do.

And the maxim remains the same, less packaging in the first place means that less non-recyclable packaging is sent to landfill, which results in less methane gas being produced and less contribution towards climate change.

 Another campaign we ran on hazardous chemicals between 2003 and 2006 brought about the WI's booklet "Simple Solutions". I have mentioned this before; it was published to show alternatives to beauty preparations and cleaning products on the market.  The aim was to show that chemicals, hazardous or otherwise, need not be used on the skin or in our homes where natural alternatives are available. I notice that the START website is currently introducing eco alternatives that may be purchased, but even some of these could be replaced with natural products that you could make yourself.

Another issue that we have revisited recently is the state of farming in Britain. In 2006 the NFU launched their "Why Farming Matters" campaign that "restated, and in time re-established, the case for a productive, farming industry in 21st century Britain". This time last year I addressed the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs Annual Convention in Blackpool, and in the discussion that ensued with young farmers who are passionate about their work, the question was asked if enough was done to promote farming as a career.  Does the general public know that technology of the highest calibre is a large part of farming in the early 21st century; do they perceive farming as a profession, or as a way of life?  Is it seen as a tradition rather than a business?  Those young people would be great adverts for farming, if they had the time and opportunity to promote it but farming is hard work that takes up most of the hours of the day. 

Yesterday, I saw some of these issues addressed by the NFU at the launch of their "Farming Delivers for Britain” campaign. Moored at Butler's Wharf Pier, a farm themed boat was the venue for a reception at which Peter Kendall, NFU President, spoke about the new campaign to acknowledge all that Britain's farmers do for us.  “Make it British, Make it Local, Make It Happen” is the slogan that celebrates all that farming delivers and stands for in Britain; food, animal welfare, the economy, the environment, careers and cleaner energy.

Life is one big cycle and we should always remember that everything has a connection to everything else!

This year’s National Countryside Week, supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund, will run from 9th – 16th July. The week provides a great opportunity to get out into the countryside and to raise awareness of the importance of the countryside to the UK so I hope you will join me in getting behind it!