The WI offers all kinds of opportunities to all kinds of women. We can help you to expand your horizons and make new friends, take up new interests, learn new crafts and develop new skills. The Women’s Institute is the largest voluntary organisation for women in the UK with 205,000 members in England, Wales and the Islands. Its concerns range from climate change to cooking, from crafts to community projects, from healthy eating to Fairtrade fortnights, from traditional values to new friendships.

Beginnings:
It began when Adelaide Hoodless addressed a meeting of women at Stoney Creek in Canada in 1897. It came to Britain on 16th September 1915 with the first WI meeting at Llanfairpwll, Anglesey.

Structure:
The WI has a threefold structure – the National Federation (NFWI), 70 County and Island Federations and 6800 individual WI’s with over 220,000 members. In our Cheshire Federation (CFWI) there a over 100 WI’s.

Activities:
Besides our regular monthly meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, we also get together for additional activities such as outings, , a coffee morning, Quiz nights etc. You can also get involved in community events and projects. The Federation organises a wide range of events and details are with the Secretary every month.

Campaigning:
Over the years the WI has campaigned on a wide range of issues that matter to women and their communities, including Equal Pay in 1942, Breast Cancer Screening in 1975, Aids in 1986, Farmgate Milk Prices in 2005 and excessive Food Packaging in 2006. Recent campaigns include Climate Change, Ending Violence against Women, Renewable Energy and Community Hospitals. Campaigns are initiated as a result of resolutions passed at the National AGM.
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WI Jargon Explained:
AGM (Annual General Meeting) – A meeting of NFWI open to all members. It is held annually during the first week in June, alternating between the Royal Albert Hall and other large venues around the country. It was at the Liverpool Arena in 2008. Three or four WI’s link together to send one delegate to represent them at the meeting and so vote on resolutions according to their instructions.

Annual Meeting – The WI meeting of which the retiring committee present a short statement of accounts and a report of the work of the year and the committee and officers are elected for the coming year.

ACWW – Associated Country Women of the World – A worldwide organisation of country women’s societies to which the NFWI belongs.

Group Meetings – North Cheshire Group is attended by 2 members of each institute for 4 committee meetings per year where events are organised for 2 meetings with speakers for all WI members in that group to attend.

Delegate – A WI member who attends a meeting and votes according to the instructions which the WI has given. She should report back to her WI and is entitled to reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.

MCS – The Membership Communication System is a database of WI members. Members need to be on this database to receive “WI Life” so it is important that this is kept up-to-date.

Officers – Those who hold office in Widnes Wonders WI – President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.

Resolution – A positive statement of opinion on current issues put forward for consideration at a meeting. A resolution calls for action, and should therefore deal with one subject only, and be clearly worded so that a straight vote can be taken on it.

WI Advisor – WI Advisors are trained and appointed by the NFWI to promote policy within their own Federation and to ensure that members know what opportunities are available and help them to make the most of their subscription.

My WI – All members are given the opportunity to get a login for the official MY WI which holds a huge amount of information for members, including the Handbook.