NFWI Annual Review 2015-2016

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF 

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES 

ANNUAL REVIEW 

2015-2016 

THE WI IS HERE 

TO INSPIRE 

YOU

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OUR YEAR IN PICTURES 

2015-2016 

01 OCTOBER 

Anglesey MP, Albert Owen, hosted a special 

reception for WI member constituents and 

guests to celebrate 100 years since the first 

WI meeting 

02 NOVEMBER 

SOS for Honeybees resolution proposer, 

Susan Jonas, speaking at the Friends of the 

Earth and WI Bee Summit 

03 DECEMBER 

WI members enjoy the special Nutcracker 

Christmas Treat with the Helen Hamlyn 

Trust at the Royal Opera House 

04 JANUARY 

Ann Jones, Chair of NFWI-Wales, was a 

panel member at the Stop Climate Chaos 

Cymru ‘Good COP? Bad COP? Have your say 

on climate change’ event in Cardiff 

05 FEBRUARY 

A great feature in Grazia magazine looking 

at the changing face of the WI and how the 

organisation is growing 

06 MARCH 

WI members took part in the Million 

Women Rise march to end male violence 

against women and girls 

07 APRIL 

NFWI-Wales Chair, Ann Jones, addressing 

members at the Annual Conference 

08 MAY 

The launch of the Time to Talk Greater 

Manchester regional campaign 

09 JUNE 

NFWI Chair, Janice Langley, addresses WI 

members at the NFWI Annual Meeting in 

Brighton 

10 JULY 

A Care not Custody coalition event hosted 

in the House of Commons 

11 AUGUST 

Members from Cambridge WIs held a 

summer social in support of local business 

12 SEPTEMBER 

WI members across the country took part in 

the first WI Sports Week 

IMAGE: Louise Haywood-Schiefer

IMAGE: Ian Weir 

WELCOME 

JANA OSBORNE 

General Secretary 

W 

hilst I can hardly 

believe an entire year 

has passed since we 

were reflecting on the 

unprecedented successes of the 

WI centenary, this year has really 

seen the WI build on the amazing 

spotlight that we enjoyed 

throughout 2015. With such great 

increases in the number of WI 

members and the number of new 

WIs being set up, the organisation 

really does seem to be going from 

strength to strength. Following 

the amazing events throughout 

the centenary, this year has really 

seen all federations working hard 

to open new WIs to accommodate 

the increased interest garnered 

last year. Curiosity about the WI 

and the range of opportunities 

open to women through WI 

membership continues as more 

women decide that now is the 

time to give their local WI a try – 

or to set up a new one. These 

membership increases are down 

to everyone’s hard work at every 

tier of the organisation, from the 

NFWI spokesperson discussing 

new resolutions in the national 

press, to the federation trustee 

and WI Adviser organising a new 

formation meeting, to the WI 

member handing out membership 

flyers at their local farmer’s 

market and inviting her friend 

along to a meeting. The WI is 

strongest when we all pull together, 

and these membership increases 

are a real testament to all three 

levels of the organisation working 

in harmony towards a shared goal. 

One major new project under 

development specifically designed 

to make members’ lives easier and 

more informed, and to help the 

NFWI share both important 

policy information and 

inspirational content with 

everyone in the WI is the new 

members’ only website. This site 

will provide everything that every 

WI member needs 

to know to help plan 

meetings, events, 

and get involved 

with the resolution 

process, and will 

share new 

inspirational 

projects to try from 

all of the NFWI 

committees, videos 

demonstrating new 

skills, and suggestions on how 

every WI member can get the 

most out of her membership. The 

site will be accessible to every WI 

member through the Membership 

Content System using their email 

address, and we are working hard 

to make this as smooth as possible 

to ensure that as many members 

“ Th e 

organisation 

seems to be 

going from 

strength to 

strength.” 

as possible want to engage with 

this very special online portal. 

With such a huge undertaking, we 

are working with WI members 

who have generously agreed to 

test the new site to make sure it 

works for a variety of different 

skill sets and interests, and we are 

looking forward to launching a 

wealth of information on there 

soon. The selection of two new 

mandates at this year’s Annual 

Meeting was a very positive 

demonstration of members’ 

continuing commitment to Public 

Affairs. This year’s result was a 

steadfast sign of 

members’ dedication 

to campaigning for 

change. There is good 

news too from 

Denman; an increase 

in the number of 

students attending 

the college is an 

essential step in the 

right direction. My 

thanks go to the 

NFWI Trustees who all dedicate 

so much time to ensure that the 

WI continues to go from strength 

to strength. Thank you to each of 

the 69 federations, and to all of the 

the staff who do so much to 

ensure that every WI member can 

truly enjoy her membership – 

here’s to another successful year! 

7 SECTION 1 

THE WI IS HERE 

TO INSPIRE YOU 

The NFWI in action 

providing information 

and inspiration for 

every WI member 

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IMAGES: Keith Morris, Bookham Butterflies WI, and Pershore WI 

DON’T MISS: 

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FEDERATION LIST 

NFWI 

COMMITTEES 

BOARD OF 

TRUSTEES 

17 SECTION 2 

THE WI IS EVERYTHING 

YOU WANT IT TO BE 

Federations working 

with the NFWI to 

provide the best 

opportunities for 

members 

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42 

MEET THE TEAM 

FINANCES 

25 

SECTION 3 

THE WI IS WHAT 

YOU MAKE OF IT 

“How would you 

describe a typical WI 

member?” There’s no 

such thing!

IMAGE: Andy Lane 

WELCOME 

JANICE LANGLEY 

Chair of the NFWI 

W 

hat another amazing 

year to be a part of the 

WI! Whilst this year 

has been a little 

quieter than 2015, things have 

been anything but ordinary. This 

year we evaluated the final 

centenary activities and all of the 

media attention, but with 168 new 

WIs and 36,630 new members 

joining, bringing the total to 

224,624 WI members, this 

definitely isn’t the time for us to 

rest on our laurels. 

Hearing from WI members who 

are happy to share their views on 

the direction of the organisation 

has led to the development of a 

monumental project that will 

evaluate the thoughts and feelings 

of every single WI member. I hope 

that everyone submitted 

responses to the Our WI, Our 

Future questionnaire to make 

their voices heard and have a real 

stake in the future of the WI. The 

resulting report promises to 

influence and update many 

elements of the organisation and 

make the WI stronger than ever. 

As a three-tier organisation, the 

WI works to ensure that the best 

opportunities are on offer to every 

member, and this research will 

provide vital information to direct 

the WI into the future, and 

guarantee that all members have 

played a part in the direction that 

the organisation takes. It really is 

an exciting project and I know 

that everyone at the NFWI is 

looking forward to sharing the 

findings. 

Following testing times, this year I 

have more positive news from 

Denman. This year’s results are 

encouraging, with an increase in 

the average number of people 

staying overnight and over half of 

our 69 federations making a trip. 

The launch of the Saving Denman 

Appeal, an appeal run by WI 

members to develop specific funds 

to underwrite the maintenance of 

the building, had a positive start 

and many 

fundraising activities 

have been planned. 

Having said this, 

Denman is not out of 

the woods: an 

increase in student 

numbers is essential 

for the college to 

survive. These funds 

are dedicated to 

essential 

maintenance to keep the building 

running; Denman needs course 

bookings to be able to continue 

offering its unique educational 

experience. I know there are 

thousands of keen Denman 

supporters out there who are 

“This 

definitely 

isn’t the time 

for us to rest 

on our 

laurels.” 

already planning their next visit. 

The seminal report produced last 

year – The WI at 100 – not only 

reflected on the wealth of 

campaigning work that members 

have undertaken since 1915, but 

sought to find out what members 

really think about pressing issues 

the organisation should address. 

Whilst the results will guide future 

projects in line with previous 

mandates, members’ continuing 

interest in making a positive 

difference in the world was 

reflected in the two new mandates 

voted for in Brighton. It is 

particularly exciting that we will 

be working on two diverse topics 

after our very special 

centenary year. 

After another 

amazing year, thank 

you to all of the NFWI 

Trustees who 

dedicate so much to 

ensure that we can all 

do our best for all 

members. Personal 

thanks go to all WIs 

and federations who 

have invited me to special events 

this year. Sincere thanks go to Jana 

Osborne and all of the staff who 

work tirelessly to ensure that WI 

members can enjoy every aspect 

of their membership – here’s to 

another inspiring WI year! 

IMAGE: Pershore WI 

THE WI IS HERE TO 

INSPIRE YOU 

SINCE THE VERY BEGINNINGS OF THE ORGANISATION, THE 

NFWI HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE AND SUPPORT FOR ALL 

MEMBERS TO LEARN NEW SKILLS AND STRIVE TO ACHIEVE 

EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE WANTED TO THROUGH THEIR 

WI MEMBERSHIP 

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ABOVE: NFWI Board of 

Trustees at the NFWI 

Annual Meeting with General 

Secretary, Jana Osborne 


W 

hilst the federations work hard to ensure 

that each of their WIs has a range of 

opportunities available close to home, the 

NFWI offers members the chance to work 

alongside other members across England, Wales and 

the Islands on national projects, attend large events 

such as the Annual Meeting, and have a real stake in 

the direction of the WI, such as engaging in the 

resolutions process. 

One of the easiest ways to see the NFWI in action 

alongside WI members is at the biggest event in the 

WI’s calendar: the NFWI Annual Meeting. This year 

the meeting was held at the Brighton Centre in June. 

Four thousand WI members and guests made the trip 

to the coast to vote on two resolutions, enjoy keynote 

speeches from Rona Fairhead CBE, Chairman of the 

BBC Trust, and The Rt Hon the Baroness D’Souza 

CMG, and meet with friends and make new ones 

throughout the day beside the seaside. There were 

passionate and informed debates on both resolutions 

and both were voted for by the delegates, with two 

new campaigns launched for the future working on 

‘Appropriate care in hospitals for people with 

dementia’, and ‘Avoid Food Waste, Address Food 

Poverty’. 

Whilst these two new campaigns will take shape 

throughout 2017 after vital preparation work and 

feedback from members through the latter half of 

2016, the Public Affairs committee have been 

working with members on a range of campaigns. 

2015 was a landmark year for climate change, with 

the agreement in Paris of a groundbreaking 

international commitment to limit emissions and 

keep global temperature rises below two degrees. The 

WI has worked for many years to ensure that climate 

change is high on the public agenda, and to support 

UK leadership at an international level. Over 50 WIs 

turned Valentine’s Day green by organising green 

heart craft workshops during February in order to 

raise awareness of The Climate Coalition’s Show the 

Love campaign. 

These events 

included workshops 

with beekeepers and 

farmers to discuss the effects 

of climate change, crafting 

beaten metal hearts and a 

workshop held in Bodiam Castle by 

arrangement with the National Trust. 

In September 2016, 40 

WI members 

volunteered to become 

Climate Ambassadors 

and attended a 

workshop to learn how 

to communicate climate 

change, and nationally, 

the WI continues to 

make the case for continued leadership at home and 

internationally, with further positive news when the 

EU ratified the Paris agreement. 

MEMBERS HAVE THE 

CHANCE TO WORK 

ON NATIONAL PROJECTS 

There was more 

success for the WI’s 

Care not Custody 

campaign in July as the 

government announced the 

further rollout of liaison and 

diversion services. Since the 

campaign’s launch, WI members have 

taken the subject to their hearts and shone a 

spotlight on the ‘taboo’ issue of 

mental health. In autumn 

2015, WI members wrote to 

their MPs to stress the 

importance of securing 

funding for the expansion of 

liaison and diversion services, 

and the partnership between 

the WI and the Prison Reform 

Trust through the Care not Custody coalition has 

continued to make the public case for change and to 

support government efforts. The government’s 

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OVER 1,000 000 

VISITS TO THE 

WI WEBSITE 

announcement expands these vital support services to cover 75% of the 

country, and reaffirmed its aspiration to 100% rollout by 2020. The 

announcement was made at a Care not Custody coalition event hosted in 

the House of Commons. 

February saw the publication of the National Maternity Review, which 

assessed current maternity care provision and proposed wide-ranging 

recommendations to improve services and meet the changing needs of 

women and babies. The NFWI has a long held interest in maternity 

care, having passed our first resolution on the topic in the 1920s. 

The More Midwives campaign stems from the 2012 

resolution calling for action to address the chronic 

shortage of midwives and findings from the 

NFWI’s maternity report, Support Overdue, 

contributed directly to the 

recommendations for better, safer 

and more personalised maternity 

services. Our report was cited in 

the terms of reference for the 

review, and many of the 

recommendations were taken up. 

The review included positive 

recommendations around 

personalised care, continuity of 

care for women giving birth as 

well as the importance of safe 

staffing levels. 

In Wales, NFWI-Wales 

encouraged federations and 

WIs to support the SCC Cymru 

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: More Midwives 

report, NFWI Wales Not in my Name 

campaign activity, WI members 

IMAGE: Ezzidin Alwan 

activities organised ahead of the UN climate conference (COP 21) in Paris 

in December. Hundreds of people attended a Wales Climate Action Day in 

Cardiff, which involved a mass bike ride from the city centre to the 

Senedd where a rally was held. Ann Jones, Chair of the Federations of 

Wales, addressed an event organised by the Climate Change Commission 

for Wales at the Wales Millennium Centre and later spoke about the role 

of women in tackling climate change at a public meeting in January at the 

Temple of Peace in Cardiff, which was targeted at stakeholders and 

decision-makers. A Not in my Name Stakeholder Event was hosted by 

Joyce Watson AM in November in the Senedd for the Not in my 

Name campaign, where Ann Jones spoke alongside a 

domestic abuse survivor from homeless charity 

Llamau; Leighton Andrews AM, Minister for 

Public Services; and Rhian Bowen-Davies, 

National Adviser for Violence against 

Women, other forms of Gender- 

Based Violence, Domestic Abuse 

and Sexual Violence. Following 

this, a Candlelight Vigil was held 

by the NFWI-Wales and Joyce 

Watson AM outside the Senedd 

where supporters heard from 

ambassadors, a victim of domestic 

abuse and politicians, and many 

male ambassadors and groups 

from their communities were 

recruited for the campaign. As 

part of the 2016 Not in my Name 

campaign, WI members were 

asked to write a piece of prose on 

the title ‘Not in my Name’ 

reflecting on the campaign to end 

violence against women, and 45 

entries were judged by Joyce Watson 

AM, and Mererid Hopwood, Poet. 

The winner was Therese Casemore, 

IMAGE: NFWI Wales 

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Llandogo WI, Gwent Federation. 

The NFWI launched a new approach to regional 

campaigning with a pilot for the organ donation 

campaign in Greater Manchester, which has 

particularly low rates of sign-up to the Organ 

Donation register. The campaign encouraged WIs 

and federations to work together across the Greater 

Manchester region, and the launch saw members 

from 34 WIs and two federations attend to hear about 

the plans and pledge to take action. The initiative was 

launched with NHS Blood and Transplant and 

Manchester City Council with a special WI meeting. 

David Regan, Director of Public Health for the 

Council, praised the work of the WI, and pledged to 

expand their existing partnership to include the WI 

and to promote it widely to 

all the councils in the area. 

The pilot has already seen 

WIs holding information 

days across the city, holding 

drop-in sessions and even 

yarn-bombing their local 

communities, and other 

federations are 

investigating their own sign-up rates and planning 

more targeted local events. In Wales, over ten WIs 

from Glamorgan, Anglesey, Gwent, Sir Gâr/ 

Carmarthenshire, Powys Radnor and Gwynedd 

Meirionnydd federations were involved in a project to 

raise awareness within communities about the 

changes to the organ donation law that came into 

force on 1 December. 

30,791 TWITTER FOLLOWERS 

14,058 FACEBOOK FANS 

1,387 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS 

Training goes hand in hand with 

many of the opportunities available 

for members to get more involved with their 

WI and local community, and this year members 

have undertaken a range of formal courses 

offered by the NFWI. With so many new WIs 

forming this year, WI Advisers are as important as 

ever, and 34 new WI Advisers were trained and 

appointed and achieved the Laser Learning Award 

(LLA) in Leadership Skills in the WI Level 3, with 

31 WI Advisers attending a WI Adviser Forum for 

continuing training and 

information sharing. 

Public speaking is 

something that many 

members are worried 

about when thinking 

about taking more of a 

leading role in their WI or 

federation, and the NFWI 

Training Committee can help. This year, six 

members attended a Stand Up and Be Heard 

course held in the Glamorgan Federation. Ten 

members in the Kent West Kent Federation and 

twelve members in Worcestershire Federation 

attended Laser Learning Awards (LLA) Speaking 

with Confidence Part 1 course, and ten members 

attended Laser Learning 

Awards (LLA) Speaking with 

Confidence Part 2 course in 

Worcestershire Federation. Nine 

members successfully sat the English 

Speaking Board, Level 3 Speaking and Listening 

Skills for Adult Learners examination in 

Worcestershire federation, and seven members 

attended a WoW Your Audience workshop in 

Wiltshire Federation. These courses all provide 

invaluable help and advice for those who wish to 

make their voices heard, and help build 

confidence for a range of different opportunities. 

Offering WI members opportunities to get more 

involved in learning new and developing existing 

skills has been central to the organisation for 101 

years, and this year has been no different. Thirteen 

members were awarded City and Guilds 

IMAGE: Dave Thompson 

ABOVE: WI member at the Time 

to Talk Manchester event 

qualifications in a variety of crafts, which is a really 

positive demonstration of the organisation’s 

commitment to lifelong learning, and the NFWI 

Creative Craft Award was launched at the Autumn 

National Council meeting in October 2015 and is now 

available in the craft area of the WI Moodle for all 

interested members. Information to support all 

participants and a forum for members to ask 

questions and share ideas is also available, and there 

are currently three members working through this 

new specialised award. Alongside this, eight new 

“how to…” films have been developed for members to 

download from the craft area on the WI Moodle. 

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1ST 2ND 3RD 

1st Gillian Wilson, Poynton WI, Cheshire Federation 

2nd Elé Van Schoor, Hungerford WI, Berkshire Federation 

3rd Barbara Evans, Kings Norton WI, West Midlands Federation 

These step-by-step films have instructions on various 

craft projects for members at every skill level, and 

promise to offer something new for everyone to try. 

Across the Surrey, Worcestershire and Derbyshire 

Federations, WI members have been participating in 

pilot courses of the NFWI Baking and Preservation 

certificates. Students have been enjoying 

developing skills and achieving their certificates, 

and some are looking forward to progressing to 

Demonstrators and Judges training in the future. 

The Cookery Committee will review these pilot 

courses with a view to 

being able to promote 

the certificates more 

widely in coming years. 

For members keen to try 

their hand at something a 

little more competitive, 

the Craft Committee ran an upcycling craft 

competition: ‘Something Old, Something New’. 

Members were invited to give an existing woollen 

jumper or cardigan a new lease of life and turn it into 

a new piece or product that could either have a 

functional element or be a purely fun crafting object. 

A total of 59 entries were received and the three 

winning entries were: 

1st Gillian Wilson, Poynton WI, Cheshire Federation 

2nd Elé Van Schoor, Hungerford WI, Berkshire 

Federation 

THIS YEAR 168 NEW 

WIS HAVE OPENED 

ACROSS THE COUNTRY 

3rd Barbara Evans, Kings Norton WI, West Midlands 

Federation 

All three winning entries are available as projects for 

members to download from the craft area on the WI 

Moodle. The Cookery Committee has been working 

hard to offer members ways to develop their skills 

from the comfort of their own home, and has worked 

with the WI Cookery School at Denman to develop 

collaborative short skills videos available through the 

WI Moodle and WI website. There will be insights 

into all sorts of cookery and baking in these 

informative videos, and they 

are a great way of showcasing 

the facilities and tutors at the 

WI Cookery School at 

Denman too. For members 

who are keen to develop 

digital skills, there is a new 

interactive course for 

members on the WI Moodle to discover how to put 

together their own digital story to share with friends 

and family, and present information in a completely 

new way. The course includes an understanding of 

basic storytelling skills, how best to structure and 

script a story, edit the audio recorded, and illustrate 

and edit the voiceover - the possibilities are endless! 

In Wales, a scrapbook competition was launched to 

give every WI the opportunity to record their activities 

during the WI’s centenary year. The scrapbooks are an 

historical document with all members recorded 

IMAGE: Jackson Hammond 

WI member taking part in a class 

at the WI Cookery School 

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IMAGE: Keith Morris 

alongside photographic or digital 

reminders of events held, activities enjoyed, 

and work in the community, with a promotion 

and reference to the area in which they live and where 

they meet. The scrapbooks were judged by Helen Carey 

and Non Richards; and took place in March 2016 and 

the winners were Barmouth WI, Gwynedd 

Meirionnydd Federation, in the category for over 30 

members and Nannerch WI, Clywd Flint, in the 

category of WIs with 30 members and less. The project 

was a great way for every WI to be involved with the 

centenary, and will definitely provide fascinating 

reading for members looking back in 2115! 

Members interested in developing their motoring 

skills were invited to attend a one-day driving event at 

Wroxall Abbey, Warwickshire, in April 2016, taught by 

IAM RoadSmart (formerly the Institute of Advanced 

Motorists). This unique opportunity was taken up by 

120 WI members keen to develop their motorway 

skills, improve their parking and maneuvering 

techniques, confidence when driving at night, and 

speed awareness. Plans are under development with 

IAM RoadSmart to look at possibilities for hosting 

further driving days for the coming year. Members 

headed off the road and into the garden for another 

special day event that was held for the first time this 

year, focusing on sustainability. The sold-out 

Sustainable Gardening Day took place at Denman on 

28 September and was run in conjunction with Suttons 

Seeds. Bob Flowerdew, from BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners 

ABOVE: Ballerinas on stage 

during the WI’s special 

centenary performance of 

The Nutcracker at the Royal 

Question Time, gave 

Opera House 

an informative and 

imaginative talk on various 

topics such as digging, watering and 

composting. Brigit Strawbridge spoke about 

bees, pollination, and creating nesting habitats in 

our gardens. Tom Sharples from event partner, Suttons 

Seeds, suggested perennial borders and growing your 

own veg as two ideas for gardening sustainably. 

One of the most memorable events from the past twelve 

months was the WI’s special performance of Th e 

Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House in December 2015 

for members and their families who were invited to 

experience their first ballet. Together with the Helen 

Hamlyn Trust, the Royal Opera House offered members 

a range of special activities and workshops before the 

matinee performance of the ballet, with face painting 

and crafts to try, and talks from make-up and costume 

experts who gave a real insight into working in such a 

fascinating world. It was a real treat for everyone who 

was lucky enough to attend and rounded off the 

amazing year of celebratory centenary action! 

THE WI IS EVERYTHING 

YOU WANT IT TO BE 

EACH OF THE 69 FEDERATIONS THAT MAKE UP THE NFWI 

PLAY A KEY ROLE IN WORKING WITH THE BOARD OF 

TRUSTEES AND NFWI STAFF TEAM TO ENSURE THAT ALL WI 

MEMBERS CAN MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP, 

AND THAT AS MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE 

OFFERED TO AS MANY DIFFERENT MEMBERS AS POSSIBLE 

16 17 


2

ALL MEMBERS CAN GIVE A 

RANGE OF DIFFERENT 

MEETINGS AND EVENTS A TRY 

ABOVE: Sue MacEwan 

taking part in the Great 

River Race, London 

IMAGE: Sue MacEwan, 

Trustee, Essex Federation 

E 

very federation is as different as its 

WIs; some manage thousands of 

members whilst others have hundreds 

in diverse locations across large 

geographical areas, but they all work hard to ensure 

that all members can give a range of different 

events and meetings a try, whether for the very first 

time, or to develop existing skills and expertise. 

Training for federations to enable them to do the 

best possible job for their WIs is vital, and this year 

has been no different. The NFWI Training 

Committee has developed a new workshop, MOT 

for Committees, which now forms part of the 

Trustee Training programme. An action plan will 

be agreed with federations at their Trustee Training 

day and the trainer will return after six months to 

deliver the MOT for Committees to both the 

federation boards, their WI Advisers, and other 

federation committees, with the aim of 

encouraging federation boards and WI Advisers to 

work more closely together. General Trustee 

Training workshops were delivered to 29 different 

federations this year, with 18 Membership 

Chairmen attending a dedicated workshop, and 17 

Federation Chairmen and 15 Federation Treasurers 

attending a workshop at Denman to develop their 

skills. Financial 

planning and management 

are key elements to running a 

successful federation, and eight 

members undertook an LLA Level 3 blended 

learning course to become Independent Financial 

Examiner Trainers, which will enable them to train 

others in their federation to independently examine 

WI accounts. Nine one-day workshops were 

delivered in the federations to train members to 

independently examine WI Accounts, which will 

make a real difference to many WIs in these 

federations. In Wales, 13 Get Cooking courses were 

delivered in Gwent, Ceredigion, Powys Montgomery, 

Gwynedd Caernarfon and Sir Gâr/Carmarthenshire 

to a range of groups including young parents and 

young people with physical disabilities. Denman has 

enjoyed a record number of federation visits this year 

with 38 federations making the trip to the college for 

an overnight stay, compared to 29 last year. Whilst at 

Denman, the federations select courses to build their 

own ideal stay so each visit is tailored to every 

federation’s tastes and interests; it’s a really great way 

to introduce members to the college and everything 

IMAGE: Louise Heywood-Schiefer 

Woolwich and Plumstead 

Roses WI members 

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JUDGES’ COMMENTS 

One of the most inspiring aspects, in a 

motif employed by many entrants, 

was a retrospective upon the real or 

imagined happiness, peace and 

sisterhood of the membership in the 

long-ago days of 2015. That says a 

great deal about the WI experience in 

these times. Altogether, this year’s 

entrants offered a very positive series 

of readings. 

ABOVE: Winner of the 

Lady Denman Cup 


it has to offer. 

Competitions have long played a part in the WI with 

members honing a variety of different skills and 

specialities to be judged on the national stage by 

NFWI-trained judges and invited experts. For this 

year’s Lady Denman Cup prose competition, WI 

members were invited to 

imagine what their WI 

would be like in 2115 and 

write a futuristic president’s 

annual report using no 

more than 500 words - 114 

entries from 55 federations 

were received, and the 

winning entries were: 

1st Joan Knowlman, Somerset Federation 

2nd Lois Maulkin, Essex Federation 

3rd Kay Kennedy-Hardy, Cumbria Westmorland 

Federation 

High Commended 

Carol James, Oxfordshire Federation 

COMPETITIONS ALLOW MEMBERS 

Patricia Guy, Glamorgan Federation 

Maureen Wood, Lincolnshire North 

Federation 

National entries were judged by John Ballam 

(Director of the Undergraduate Diploma in Creative 

Writing) and Jenny Lewis (poet, playwright, 

story-writer tutor) from 

 

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Oxford University. 

This year’s Huxley Cup took 

place at Greys Court, the 

former home of Lady 

Elizabeth Brunner who was 

Chair of the NFWI from 

1951-1956. There were 

eight entries from seven federations each producing 

a pedestal design depicting one of six themes based 

on the life of Lady Brunner. The competition was 

judged by NAFAS judge Pip Bensley, who was very 

impressed by the standard of all entries. After careful 

deliberation, she pronounced the winners as: 

1st Ann Willetts, Gwent Federation 

TO DISPLAY THEIR SKILLS 

ON A NATIONAL STAGE 

The National Federation of Womens Institutes Yellow News 

The Mail on Sunday (Main) 

24 July 2016 

14 

1374864 

665cm2 

38463.6 

The National Federation of Womens Institutes Yellow News 

Cambridge News (Main) 

19 July 2016 

13 

15088 

501cm2 

1613.22 

è 

RIGHT: Winner of 

the Huxley Cup 

competition, press 

cuttings from the NFWI 

Hanging Braskets 

competition 

2nd Karen Wakefield, Staffordshire Federation 

3rd Carol Doughty, Oxfordshire Federation 

This year, a brand new competition was organised by 

the Cookery Committee that caught the attention of 

both members and the national media. Over 450 

entries were submitted for the Hanging Brasket 

Competition, and members’ efforts were featured in a 

huge range of regional media and nationally in Th e 

Mail on Sunday and The Daily Mirror. 

The winners were: 

1st Joy Kent, Bluntisham & Colne WI, Huntingdon & 

Peterborough Federation 

2nd Catherine Bamber, Park Appleton WI, Cheshire 

Federation 

3rd Joan Davies, Little Mill & District WI, Gwent 

Federation 

In Wales, seven competitions were held at events. At 

the Royal Welsh Show, the Rose Bowl competition on 

the theme Romance was won by Glamorgan 

Federation, and Ceredigion Federation took 

home the Brecon Cup competition in the flower 

tent. At the Eisteddfod, the NFWI-Wales trophy 

for the best stand amongst the voluntary sector 

went to Cancer Research UK, with Shelter 

Cymru the runners up. The Angel Hotel in 

Abergavenny took home the award for the best 

business welcoming the Eisteddfod to the town, 

and at the Winter Fair, the winner in the 

Flowers for A Celebration Card was Eleri 

Thomas, Ceredigion Federation; the Craft Wine 

Bottle Cover was won by Betty Wyn Davies, 

Ceredigion Federation; and the Three Assorted 

Preserves was won Lynda Probert, Powys 

è 

IMAGE: Anne Willetts 

taken by staff in the 

NFWI unit 

20 21

1,000S OF MEMBERS 

TOOK PART IN THE 

FIRST WI SPORTS WEEK 

IMAGES (from left): 

Lorraine Bennetts, 

Dunton WI, Claire 

Baird, Tea and Tarts WI, 

Jackson Hammond 

Joy Jordan from Shelford WI in 

Nottinghamshire Federation. Joy 

competed in the Rome 1960 Olympics 

in the 800m when she was 25, where she 

came 6th with a time of 2:07:8 

IMAGE: Louise Haywood-Schiefer 

Brecknock Federation. 

Alongside competitions with the NFWI committees, 

there have also been key workshops this year 

providing guidance on staging with winning tips and 

tricks. One hundred and thirty WI members from 

nine different federations attended the one-day 

staging and interpretation workshops, ShoWIng Off, 

demonstrating how to create a balanced and 

structured presentation, and how to display visuals 

whilst delivering a talk or workshop throughout the 

year. Members from a range of federations attended 

floral art workshops in Oxfordshire and West Kent 

where members completed three arrangements and 

learned new designs and fresh ideas to help take their 

floral art skills to the next level. 

A Combined Arts Conference at Denman welcomed 

28 Federation Representatives who enjoyed a huge 

range of different activities throughout the three days 

to inspire them to share their experience and learning 

with fellow members back in their federations. 

Fifty-seven federations have a Combined Arts 

Representative, 59 have a Sport and Leisure 

Representative and 59 have a Science Representative, 

which is a real demonstration of the breadth of 

interests throughout the WI. Thirteen federations 

organised their own Chemistry Workshop with Dr. 

Natalie Fey from the University of Bristol, a project 

that started in 2014 and has really captured the 

ongoing interest in science throughout the 

organisation. Another first for this year was the WI 

Sports Week in September, which opened up a variety 

of sports to all members through federation events, 

with members of all ages and abilities taking part 

22 23

in a variety of sports – from hula hooping, walking 

and abseiling to Zumba, horseriding and 

clubbercise. 

Powys Radnor Federation 

hosted the annual 

Federations of Wales 

Conference. The excellent 

eve of conference concert 

‘Robyn of Radnor’ was 

written by a young member 

and performed by WI members. The Conference 

the following day, held in Llanelwedd was 

successful, and the speakers included Julia 

Roberts, NFWI Hon Treasurer; Diane McCrea, 

Chair Natural Resources Wales; Dr Anwen Mair 

Jones, Lecturer in Physiology 

and Health; and Carolyn Hitt, 

broadcaster and journalist. 

Gwynedd Meirionnydd 

Federation hosted the 

NFWI-Wales enclosure at the 

Royal Welsh Show on the 

theme ‘Home Spun’ and the 

National Eisteddfod held in Abergavenny was 

hosted by Gwent Federation on the theme 

‘Pathways’. 

36,630 NEW 

MEMBERS JOINED 

THE WI IN 2016 

IMAGE: Bookham Butterflies WI 

THE WI IS WHAT YOU 

MAKE OF IT 

“HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WI MEMBER?” THIS QUESTION IS 

ASKED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, USUALLY IN DISCUSSION WITH THE NFWI 

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, AND THE ANSWER IS ALWAYS THE SAME: 

THERE IS NO SUCH THING. EACH AND EVERY WI IS AS DIVERSE AND UNIQUE 

AS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR 220,000+ MEMBERS 


24 25 

3

THIS PAGE: WI members taking 

part in courses at the WI Cookery 

School in Denman 

IMAGES: All Jackson Hammond 

s a result, each WI – and even each 

federation – is completely different. With 

every WI setting their own programmes 

and agendas, and federations offering 

many different opportunities to members 

through their annual programme of events, the 

possibilities available through the WI are endless, and 

the NFWI team is continually amazed and inspired 

by what WI members get up to. 

Denman has enjoyed a successful year with some 

great events for members including an Associated 

Country Women of the World (ACWW) event, lunch 

with the Calendar Girls, two London Riverside 

History Cruises, a Fawlty Towers evening, and a 

variety of sponsored 

Denman Days. The 

average number of 

residents per night has 

increased to 58.5 

people, up from 54 last 

year, which means the 

college has reached a 

surplus of £98,837. The 

Saving Denman Appeal, the member-led appeal to 

raise money for the ongoing maintenance of the 

house and grounds, reached £132,500, which is 

positive looking forward to next year. 

WI members and federations never fail to impress 

when they’re planning events for their members, and 

this year has been no exception. Offering something 

to tempt everyone into learning more is no easy feat, 

and some federations have really been striving to 

26 

A 

EVENTS INCLUDED DNA 

PROFILING AND A 

BLOOD SPLATTER ANALYSIS 

ensure that a whole range of events and activities 

are on offer to capture the interest of every member 

across their WIs. 

In Northamptonshire, their Science Representative 

has been working very hard over the past couple of 

years to bring events to members across the 

federation. They planned DNA Profiling events, an 

event at the Shoe 

Museum in 

Northampton detailing 

the preservation of 

shoes, and organised a 

blood spatter analysis 

talk that was so popular 

it had to be repeated. 

One of the federation’s 

most successful trips was run by their Travel 

Committee who contacted their local MP who 

agreed to host groups of 25 members in the Houses 

of Parliament. Having advertised the trip in their 

newsletter, they were inundated with applications 

and eventually had over 300 members and friends 

apply so they organised six coaches to London over 

six months, with huge thanks to their MP’s office 

for organising the trips and tours. The final trip 

took place on the day after the Brexit vote 

DENMAN DOES IT AGAIN! 

“What makes Denman such a special place and 

why do I want to return? The fabulous food… 

the warm traditional accommodation…the 

friendship from those you meet…the serenity 

and beauty of the grounds…and the skills learnt 

on yet another great course! For those who 

have never been please do, because you will 

not be disappointed. I promise once you have 

been you will want to return!” 

- Debbie Bull, Swaffham Evening WI, 

Norfolk Federation 

WELL DONE DENMAN 

“I have had a wonderful time! The 

accommodation was excellent, good food 

and very friendly staff. The host was 

approachable and nothing was too much 

trouble. I came away feeling determined 

that I will return. Ladies, do not feel 

reluctant to go on your own, you will very 

quickly feel part of the Denman family.” 

- Shirley Franklin, New Barkby WI, 

Leicestershire and Rutland Federation 

27

TAILORED EVENTS 

FOR WHAT MEMBERS 

REALLY WANT 

so members really were witnessing history in the 

making. 

One event that brought a great deal of publicity was 

their celebration of WI Day 2015. Calling on an 

already existing relationship with BBC Radio 

Northampton, the presenters agreed to run their 

lunchtime show from WI House. Their presenter, 

Helen Blaby, runs a special series throughout her 

show called “Helen tries...” around the county, which 

saw her trying out different sports and activities. She 

came to WI House for the live broadcast interviewing 

a range of different WI members and had a go at all of 

the showcased items. Throughout the two-hour 

show, Helen tried bobbin lace, spinning, machine 

embroidery, Mah Jong, and basket weaving – 

hopefully she’ll be joining a local WI soon! 

Another great example of federations tailoring their 

events to what members really want to learn is from 

Durham Federation, who recently organised ‘Back to 

Basics’ workshops to respond to requests for 

workshops and educational sessions from their 

members. One of their newer younger members 

expressed a wish to make scones so the idea of a 

range of Back to Basics sessions was formed. Their 

Home Economics and Craft Committee took the idea 


on board and so far they have held a scone making 

session with members learning how to make three 

different kinds, a jam making session with a variety 

of flavours tried and tested, and a chutney making 

session. Every session has been oversubscribed and 

they intend to offer them again next year – a great 

example of the WI’s educational ethos with members 

handing down key skills and learning through their 

membership. 

ABOVE: Changed due to 

resolution 

Crafts weren’t forgotten; two ‘Back to Basics - crochet’ 

sessions have been organised, and there are also 

monthly self-help knitting, embroidery, and sewing 

sessions. Such a simple idea that goes right back to 

the very roots of the WI has really caught the 

attention and imagination of so many members – a 

great idea for all federations and WIs to try. 

Communications through the WI is a continually 

evolving feat, with members turning to social media 

to keep an eye on what the WI is up to nationally, 

whilst sharing details of their own WI events with 

their federation through Facebook, and promoting 

activities to potential new members through Twitter. 

We’re seeing more and more members reaching out 

on Instagram and sharing more images than ever 

before – WI Sports Week was a perfect example of 

every NFWI social media channel working together 

in harmony – with longer-form case studies written 

for the NFWI blog, Behind the Door of 104, shared to 

inspire fellow members to give their latest activity a 

go. The WI website continues to share information 

online, but this is primarily a tool to market the WI to 

those looking for more information on what the WI is 

and what it does, and for women hoping to find a WI 

nearby to visit for their first-ever meeting. With this 

in mind, the WI members’ only website is currently 

under development with the aim of providing an 

easy-to-access secure online space with everything 

that a WI member needs to know, alongside 

inspirational projects and information to allow 

28 29

every member to really get the most out of her 

membership and truly make the WI what she wants 

it to be. With such a huge aim, this project is a large 

undertaking and whilst it was announced at the 

NFWI Annual Meeting in June, the official launch is 

still under wraps; it is more 

important for all aspects of 

this project to be what WI 

members want and need, 

rather than rushed out with 

errors and mistakes. Keep 

an eye on social media and 

in WI Life: as soon as there is 

news, WI members will of 

course be the first to know. 

THE WI TRANSFORMS 

As society develops and changes, the WI continues 

to reflect the communities that it represents, and as 

such, the organisation shifts and transforms with 

WITH OUR 

MEMBERS 

our members. After the unprecedented success of 

the centenary celebrations, the focus now shifts 

onto each of the 69 federations as they plan their 

own centenary celebrations – kicking off in 2017 to 

mark the very first federations and going forward 

for many years – the party 

absolutely isn’t over just yet! 

As all of these parties are planned, 

and the events are outlined, each 

member can be proud of what the 

organisation has achieved and be 

inspired by how much there is to be 

done. Every WI member has the 

chance to do whatever she wants 

and be whoever she’d like to be through the WI; it’s 

up to all of us to take advantage of the opportunities 

presented to us and ensure that the WI is still going 

strong for the next 101 years! 

IMAGE: WI member taking part in a 

photography course at Denman 


30 31

FEDERATION LIST: 

Federation Address Telephone number Email address 

Anglesey / Sir FÔn 

Avon 

Bedfordshire 

Berkshire 

Buckinghamshire 

Cambridge 

Sir Gâr/ 

Carmarthenshire 

Ceredigion 

Cheshire 

Clwyd - Denbigh 

Clwyd - Flint 

Cornwall 

Cumbria - 

Cumberland 

Cumbria - 

Westmorland 

Derbyshire 

Devon 

Dorset 

Durham County 

AFWI Office, WI Hall, Holyhead 

Road, Llanfairpwll Anglese,y 

LL61 5SX 

WI House, 11 Station Road, 

Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2BH 

WI House, 62 Adelaide Square, 

Bedford Bedfordshire, 

MK40 2RW 

WI House, The Street 

Mortimer Common, Reading 

Berkshire, RG7 3RD 

Stuart Lodge, Stuart Road, High 

Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 

HP13 6AG 

CFWI Office, Oakington Road 

Girton, Cambridge, 

Cambridgeshire, CB3 OQH 

11 St Peters Street, Carmarthen, 

Dyfed, SA31 1LN 

Ein Swyddfa, 11 Cambrian Place, 

Aberystwyth, 

Ceredigion, SY23 1NT 

11 White Friars, Chester 

Cheshire, CH1 1NZ 

WI House, 67 Vale Street, Denbigh 

Denbighshire, LL16 3AP 

WI Office, The Hutments 

County Hall, Mold, Flintshire, 

CH7 6NB 

Chy Noweth An Conteth, 

Truro Business Park, 

Threemilestone, Truro, 

Cornwall, TR4 9NH 

13 Earl Street, Carlisle 

Cumbria, CA1 1DP 

WI Office, Masonic Hall, Station 

Road, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 6BT 

Derbyshire House, Sherwin 

Street, Derby, Derbyshire, 

DE22 1GP 

The Firs, Clyst Honiton, 

Exeter, Devon, EX5 2AN 

County House, 58 Icen Way, 

Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1EW 

W I House, Barnfield Road 

Spennymoor, County Durham, 

DL16 6EB 

01248 717 600 afwisecretary@btconnect.com 

0117 9864782 office@avonfwi.org.uk 

01234 359538 bcfwi@btconnect.com 

0118 933 3448 bfwi@clara.net 

01494 526685 HQ@bucksfwi.org.uk 

01223 234872 office@cfwi.co.uk 

01267 235 972 wi@carmarthenwi.plus.com 

01970 61283 Ceredigion.wi@btconnect.com 

01244 347462 info@cheshirewi.org.uk 

01745 812985 a.edwards@cdfwi.co.u 

01352 756884 wi@clwyd-flint.wanadoo.co.uk 

01872 272843 cfwi@btconnect.com 

01228 -521774 secretary@ccfwi.co.uk 

01539 720921 cwfwi@btconnect.com 

01332 3425 derbywi@btconnect.com 

01392 255 386 enquiries@devonwi.org.uk 

01305 266366 dorsetfwi@uwclub.net 

01388 819100 durhamwi@btconnect 


32 33 

East Sussex 

East Yorkshire 

Essex 

Glamorgan 

Gloucestershire 

Guernsey 

Gwynedd 

- Caernarfon 

Gwent 

Gwynedd 

- Meirionnydd 

Hampshire 

Herefordshire 

Hertfordshire 

Lincolnshire Humber 

Huntingdon & 

Peterborough 

Isle of Ely 

Isle of Man 

Isle of Wight 

ESFWI Headquarters, Falcon 

Way, Hailsham, East Sussex, 

BN27 1HY 

2B Railway Street, Beverley, 

East Riding of Yorkshire, 

HU17 0DX 

WI Centre, Whitelands Terling 

Road, Hatfield Peverel Essex, 

CM3 2AG 

Federation House, 13 Courtland 

Place, Port Talbot, 

Glamorgan, SA13 1JJ 

WI House, 2 Brunswick Square 

Gloucester, Gloucestershire, 

GL1 1UL 

GIFWI, Wynbourne Les 

Amballes, St Peter Port, 

Guernsey, GY1 1WZ 

19 Bangor Street, Caernarfon 

Gwynedd, LL55 1AT 

Suite 1, Raglan House, 

Llantarnam Business Park 

Cwmbran, Gwent NP44 3AB 

Glan y Don, Llandanwg, Harlech 

Gwynedd, LL46 2SD 

WI House, 22-24 Station Hill 

Southampton Road, 

Eastleigh, SO50 9XB 

WI House, 90 St Owen Street 

Hereford, HR1 2QD 

County House, 29 High Street 

Wheathampstead, Herts, 

AL4 8BB 

WI House, 10 Queen Street, 

Brigg, North Lincs, DN20 8HY 

WI Centre, 6A Walden Road 

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, 

PE29 3AZ 

WI Office, Room 1, March 

Community Centre, March 

Cambs, PE15 8LE 

Beech House, 51 Main Road 

Onchan, Douglas, Isle of Man, 

IM3 1AL 

WI House, 42 Carisbrooke Road 

Newport, Isle Of Wight, 

PO30 1BW 

01323 442592 hq@esfwi.org.uk 

01482 860626 eyfwi@eyfwi.karoo.co.uk 

01245 382233 fedsec@essexwi.org.uk 

01639 881 588 glamorgan@btconnect.com 

01452 523966 secretary@gfwi.org.uk 

01481 725404 doreen07@hotmail.com 

01286 676 178 gcfwi@btconnect.com 

01633 864456 secretary@gwentwi.org.uk 

01341 241661 jillhoulistonwi@gmail.co 

023 8 061 6712 secretary@hampshirewi.org.uk 

01432 272268 fedsec.hfwie@tiscali.co.uk 

01582 834010 herts.wi@btconnect.com 

01652 653641 humbfedwi@btconnect.com 

01480 453137 office@hpfwi.co.uk 

01354 652284 isleofelywioffice@btconnect.co 

01624 818194 iomwioffice@manx.net 

01983 524716 iwcfwi.office@gm


Jersey 

Kent - East Kent 

Kent - West Kent 

Lancashire 

Leicestershire & 

Rutland 

Lincolnshire North 

Lincolnshire South 

Middlesex 

Northamptonshire 

Northumberland 

Norfolk 

Nottinghamshire 

North Yorkshire East 

North Yorkshire West 

Oxfordshire 

Pembrokeshire 

Powys - Brecknock 

JIFWI Office, Royal Jersey 

Showground, La Route De La 

Trinite, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5JP 

9 Beer Cart Lane, Canterbury 

Kent, CT1 2N 

Ethel Hunt Lodge, 4 Hawkwell 

Business Centre, Maidstone 

Road Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, 

TN2 4AG 

LFWI Office 8 Croston House 

Lancashire Bus. Park Centurion 

Way, Leyland, Lancashire, 

PR26 6TU 

WI House, 135 Loughborough 

Road, Leicester 

Leicestershire, LE4 5LQ 

WI House, Banks Street 

Horncastle, Lincolnshire, 

LN9 5BW 

Pattinson House, East Road 

Sleaford, Lincolnshire, 

NG34 7EQ 

Unit 3, 7 The Green West 

Drayton Middlesex UB7 7PL 

WI House, 71 Park View 

Moulton, Northampton, 

NN3 7UZ 

Cresswell House, 11/12 Brenkley 

Way, Blezard Business Park 

Seaton Burn, Northumberland, 

NE13 6DS 

Norfolk Federation, Evelyn 

Suffield House, 45 All Saints 

Green, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 3L 

Trent Bridge House, 

Beastmarket Hill, Newark 

Nottinghamshire, NG24 1BN 

WI House, Front Street, Norby 

Thirsk, North Yorkshire 

YO7 1BG 

WI Office, Alma House, Low St 

Agnesgate Ripon, North 

Yorkshire, HG4 1NG 

5 Court Farm Barns, Medcroft 

Road, Tackley, Kidlington 

Oxfordshire OX5 3AL 

WI House, 90 Prendergast 

Haverfordwest, 

Pembrokeshire, SA61 2PP 

St David’s House, 48 Free Street 

Brecon, Powys, LD3 7BN 

01534 731669 wi.jersey@yahoo.co.uk 

01227 464106 ekfwi.fed@zen.co.uk 

01892 823813 westkentwi@btconnect.com 

01772 459020 admin@lfwi.org.uk 

0116 266 1342 wihouseleics@aol.com 

01507 525546 lincsnorthoffice@btconnect.com 

01529 302398 fedoffice@lsfwi.org.uk 

01895 440161 

office@mfwi.co.uk / 

wiadviser.middlesex@gmail.com 

01604 646055 admin@ncfwi.org.uk 

0191 217 0808 northumberlandwi@btclick.com 

01603 624580 fedsec@norfolkwi.org.uk 

01636 673 550 nottsfedwi@tiscali.co.uk 

01845 522415 fedsec.nyefwi@btconnect.com 

01765 606339 nywfwi@btconnect.com 

01869 331 081 ofwi@btconnect.com 

01437 768674 wihouse@btconnect.com 

01874 622666 powysbrecknock@gmx.co.uk 


Powys - Montgomery 

Powys - Radnor 

Shropshire 

Somerset 

Staffordshire 

Suffolk East 

Surrey 

Suffolk West 

South Yorkshire 

Teesside 

Tyne & Wear South 

Warwickshire 

Wiltshire 

West Midlands 

Worcestershire 

West Sussex 

West Yorkshire 

Abermule Community Centre, 

Abermule, Montgomery, 

Powys, SY15 6ND 

New House, Pentrosfa, 

Llandrindod Wells, Powys, 

LD1 5AL 

Unit 9, Park Plaza 

Battlefield Enterprise Park 

Shrewsbury, 

Shropshire, SY1 3AF 

Wilton Lodge, 11 Trull Road 

Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4PT 

WI County Office, The 

Cornerstone, Common Road 

Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 3EQ 

22 Orford Street, Ipswich 

Suffolk, IP1 3NS 

Federation Office, 6 Paris, 

Parklands Railton Road 

Guildford, Surrey, GU2 9JX 

SWFWI Headquarters, Unit 11, 

Park Farm Business Centre 

Fornham St Genevieve, Suffolk, 

IP28 6TS 

Hall Cross Cottage, 5 Albion 

Place ,South Parade, 

Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 

DN1 2EG 

WI Office ,St Mary’s Centre, 

82-90 Corporation Road, 

Middlesbrough, TS1 2RW 

St Aidan’s Parish Ctr, New 

Herrington, Houghton Le Spring 

Tyne & Wear, DH4 4LR 

Federation House, 1 Corunna Court, 

Corunna Road, Warwick 

Warwickshire, CV34 5HQ 

WI House, 17 Couch Lane, 

Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1EB 

County House, 38 Wensley Road 

Birmingham, West Midlands, 

B26 1LT 

Unit 7, Elgar Business Centre 

Hallow, Worcester, WR2 6NJ 

North Lodge, Northgate 

Chichester, West Sussex, 

PO19 1BJ 

WYFWI, Rodley Business 

Centre, Ground Floor, 164/166 

Town Street, Rodley, Leeds, 

West Yorkshire, LS13 1HP 

01938 552071 info@pmfwi.org.uk 

01597 823569 prfwi@btinternet.com 

01743 461646 enquiries@wi-shropshire.co.uk 

01823 284261 wiltonlodge@somerset-wi.org.uk 

01785 223838 secretary@sfwi.org 

01473 251632 office@sefwi.org.uk 

01483 233230 sfwi2dr@yahoo.co.uk 

01284 336645 office.swfwi@gmail.com 

01302 325829 southyorksfed@gmail.com 

01642 219665 tfwi@ntlbusiness.com 

0191 5845814 twsfwi@btconnect.com 

01926 419998 admin@wfwi.co.uk 

01380 739340 info@wiltshirewi.eclipse.co.uk 

0121 743 4567 WMFWI@aol.com 

01905 641 658 fiona@wfwi.org.uk 

01243 783 134 secretary@wsfwi.co.uk 

0113 255 0810 westyorksfed@gmail.com 

34 35

NFWI COMMITTEES 2015-16 

Chair: Janice Langley 

Honorary Treasurer: Julia Roberts 

Vice-Chair: Marylyn Haines Evans 

Vice-Chair: Lynne Stubbings 

Committee Chair Trustee Members Member Representatives 

Denman 

Cookery 

Pat Tulip 

Mary Clarke 

The Officers, Catriona 

Adams, Lynne 

Andrews, Ann Jones. 

Jane Probitts, Amanda 

Willday 

Craft Jane Probitts Pat Tulip, Sue Wilson 

Finance 

Membership 

Public Affairs 

Science & Leisure 

Training 


WIE Ltd Board 

Julia Roberts 

Joy Thomson 

Marylyn Haines Evans 

Catriona Adams 

Lynne Andrews 

Ann Jones 

Lynne Stubbings 

n/a 

Angela Hawkins (Lincolnshire 

North),Nancy Hawksworth 

(Derbyshire) 

Holly Myles (Cambridge), Sue Ensor 

(Warwickshire) 

The Officers, Mary Clarke, Jane Probitts plus Chair of Denman 

(Pat Tulip) and Chair of WIE (Lynne Stubbings) - both 

ex-officio 

Catriona Adams, Mary 

Clarke, Ann Jones, 

Amanda Willday, 

Lynne Andrews 

(ex-officio) 

Lynne Andrews, Joy 

Thomson, Sue Wilson 

Jane Probitts, Pat Tulip, 

Amanda Willday 

Mary Clarke, Ann 

Jones, Sue Wilson, Joy 

Thomson (ex-officio) 

Liz Morrell (Middlesex), Sheila 

Gunson (Essex), Margaret 

Collingwood (Norfolk) 

Mary Dorrell (Norfolk), Mary Gibson 

(Lancashire), Anna Bradley-Dorman 

(Huntingdon & Peterborough) 

Penny Crawley (East Sussex), 

Jeanette White (Shropshire), Terry 

Barker (Warwickshire) 

Chris Butterfield (Surrey), Yvonne 

Price (West Sussex), Christine 

Gardner (Derbyshire) 

Committee composed of all the Chairmen of the Federations in 

Wales 

Sally Graham , Steve Kenward, Catriona Adams, Ann Jones, 

Jane Probitts, Pat Tulip, NFWI Chair (ex-officio), NFWI Hon. 

Treasurer (ex-officio) 

NFWI COMMITTEES 2016-17 

Chair: Janice Langley 

Honorary Treasurer: Julia Roberts 

Vice-Chair: Ann Jones 

Vice-Chair: Lynne Stubbings 

Committee Chair Trustee Members Member Representatives 

Denman 

Pat Tulip 

The Officers, Catriona 

Adams, Lynne 

Andrews, Marylyn 

Haines Evans 

Cookery Mary Clarke Jane Probitts, Pat Tulip 

Craft 

Finance 

Membership 


Science & Leisure 

Training 


WIE Ltd Board 

Jane Probitts 

Julia Roberts 

Joy Thomson 


Catriona Adams 

Lynne Andrews 

Ann Jones 

Lynne Stubbings 

Mary Clarke, Sue 

Wilson 

n/a 

Betty Dominy (Surrey), Daphne 

Furneaux (Glamorgan), Jeryl Stone 

(Warwickshire) 

Helen Carter (Hampshire), Sue Ensor 

(Warwickshire), Holly Myles 

(Cambridge) 

The Officers, Amanda Willday, Sue Wilson, plus Chair of 

Denman (Pat Tulip) and Chair of WIE (Lynne Stubbings) - both 

ex officio 

Mary Clarke, Pat Tulip, 


Lynne Andrews (ex 

officio) 

Jane Probitts, Joy 

Thomson, Sue Wilson 

Marylyn Haines Evans, 

Amanda Willday, Sue 

Wilson 

Catriona Adams, 


Joy Thomson (ex 

officio) 

Lyn Coleman (Oxfordshire), 

Margaret Collingwood (Norfolk), 

Sheila Gunson (Essex) 

Nicola Amos (Somerset), Anna 

Bradley-Dorman (Huntingdon & 

Peterborough), Mary Gibson 

(Lancashire) 

Terry Barker (Warwickshire), Penny 

Crawley (East Sussex), Jeanette 

White (Shropshire) 

Chris Butterfield (Surrey), Christine 

Gardner (Derbyshire), Yvonne Price 

(West Sussex) 

Committee composed of all the Chairmen of the Federations in 

Wales 

Danielle Dunn and Georgina Creighton, Catriona Adams, Ann 

Jones, Jane Probitts, Pat Tulip, NFWI Chair (ex officio), NFWI 

Hon. Treasurer (ex officio) 

36 37

IMAGE: Alex Tapley 

BOARD OF 

TRUSTEES 

2015-17 

Janice Langley Chair (West Sussex) 

Julia Roberts Honorary Treasurer (Worcestershire) 

Ann Jones Vice-Chair from June 2016 (Ceredigion) 

Lynne Stubbings Vice-Chair (Warwickshire) 

Marylyn Haines Evans Vice-Chair until June 2016 (Sir 

Gâr Carmarthenshire) 

Catriona Adams (Lincolnshire North) 

Lynne Andrews (Hampshire) 

Mary Clarke (Gwent) 

Jane Probitts (Oxfordshire) 

Joy Thomson (Jersey) 

Patricia Tulip (Northumberland) 

Amanda Willday (Powys Montgomery) 

Sue Wilson (Gloucestershire) 

WELSH TEXT: 

Yng Nghymru, anogodd FfCSyM-Cymru 

ffederasiynau a sefydliadu i gefnogi gweithgareddau 

Atal Anhrefn Hinsawdd Cymru a drefnwyd yn y 

cyfnod cyn Uwchgynhadledd y Cenhedloedd Unedig 

ar yr Hinsawdd (COP 21) ym Mharis ym mis Rhagfyr. 

Aeth cannoedd o bobl i Ddiwrnod Hinsawdd Cymru 

yng Nghaerdydd oedd yn cynnwys taith feiciau dorfol 

o ganol y ddinas i’r Senedd, lle cynhaliwyd rali. 

Anerchodd Ann Jones, Cadeirydd Ffederasiynau 

Cymru, ddigwyddiad a drefnwyd gan Gomisiwn 

Cymru ar y Newid yn yr Hinsawdd yng Nghanolfan 

Mileniwm Cymru a siaradodd am rôl merched wrth 

fynd i’r afael â’r newid yn yr hinsawdd mewn cyfarfod 

cyhoeddus ym mis Ionawr yn y Deml Heddwch yng 

Nghaerdydd, a dargedwyd at randdeiliaid a 

phenderfynwyr. Cynhaliwyd Digwyddiad 

Rhanddeiliaid Nid yn Fy Enw i dan nawdd Joyce 

Watson AC ym mis Tachwedd yn y Senedd ar gyfer 

ymgyrch Nid yn Fy Enw i, lle siaradodd Ann Jones 

ynghyd â goroeswr camdriniaeth ddomestig o elusen 

digartrefedd Llamau; Leighton Andrews AC, y 

Gweinidog Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus, a Rhian 

Bowen-Davies, y Cynghorydd Cenedlaethol ar gyfer 

Trais yn erbyn Menywod a mathau eraill o Drais ar 

sail Rhywedd, Trais Domestig a Thrais Rhywiol. 

Wedyn cynhaliwyd Gwylnos yng Ngolau Canhwyllau 

gan FfCSyM-Cymru a Joyce Watson AC y tu allan i’r 

Senedd, lle clywodd y cefnogwyr gan lysgenhadon, 

dioddefwr camdriniaeth ddomestig a gwleidyddion. 

Cafodd llawer o lysgenhadon gwryw a grwpiau o’u 

cymunedau eu recriwtio ar gyfer yr ymgyrch. Fel rhan 

o ymgyrch 2016 Nid yn Fy Enw i, gofynnwyd i 

aelodau SyM ysgrifennu darn o ryddiaith gyda’r teitl 

‘Nid yn Fy Enw i’ yn adlewyrchu, ac yn cael ei 

ysbrydoli gan, yr ymgyrch i roi terfyn ar drais yn 

erbyn merched. Cafodd y 45 o gynigion eu beirniadu 

gan Joyce Watson AC a’r bardd Mererid Hopwood. Yr 

enillydd oedd Therese Casemore, SyM Llandogo, 

Ffederasiwn Gwent. 

Yng Nghymru, cymerodd mwy na deg SyM o 

ffederasiynau Morgannwg, Ynys Môn, Gwent, Sir 

Gâr, Powys Maesyfed a Gwynedd Meirionnydd ran 

mewn prosiect i godi ymwybyddiaeth mewn 

cymunedau am y newidiadau i’r gyfraith ar roi 

organau oedd yn dod i rym ar 1 Rhagfyr. 

Yng Nghymru, lansiwyd cystadleuaeth llyfr lloffion 

i roi cyfle i bob SyM gofnodi ei weithgareddau yn 

ystod blwyddyn dathlu canmlwyddiant SyM. Mae’r 

llyfrau lloffion yn ddogfennau hanesyddol lle 

cofnodir pob aelod ynghyd â chofnodion ffotograffig 

neu ddigidol o ddigwyddiadau a gynhaliwyd, 

gweithgareddau a fwynhawyd a gwaith yn y 

gymuned, gyda deunydd hyrwyddo a chyfeirio at yr 

ardal lle maent yn byw ac yn cyfarfod. Cafodd y 

llyfrau lloffion eu beirniadu gan Helen Carey a Non 

Richards ym mis Mawrth 2016. Yr enillwyr oedd 

SyM Abermaw, Ffederasiwn Gwynedd Meirionnydd 

yn y categori i sefydliadau â mwy na 30 o aelodau, a 

SyM Nannerch, Clwyd Fflint, yn y categori i 

sefydliadau â 30 o aelodau neu lai. Roedd y prosiect 

yn ffordd wych i bob SyM gael ei gynnwys yn y 

canmlwyddiant, a bydd yn bendant yn cynnig 

deunydd darllen hynod ddiddorol i aelodau a fydd 

yn edrych yn ôl arno yn 2115! 

Yng Nghymru, darparwyd 13 o gyrsiau Ewch i 

Goginio yng Ngwent, Ceredigion, Powys Maldwyn, 

Gwynedd Caernarfon a Sir Gâr i amrywiaeth o 

grwpiau gan gynnwys rhieni ifanc a phobl ifanc ag 

anableddau corfforol. 

Yng Nghymru, cynhaliwyd saith cystadleuaeth 

mewn digwyddiadau. Yn Sioe Frenhinol Cymru, 

enillwyd cystadleuaeth y Bowlen Rhosod ar y thema 

Rhamant gan Ffederasiwn Morgannwg, a 

Ffederasiwn Ceredigion oedd yn fuddugol yng 

nghystadleuaeth Cwpan Brycheiniog yn y babell 

flodau. Yn yr Eisteddfod, enillydd tlws FfCSyM- 

Cymru am y stondin gorau yn y sector gwirfoddol 

oedd Cancer Research UK, a Shelter Cymru oedd yn 

ail. Gwesty’r Angel yn y Fenni aeth â’r wobr am y 

busnes gorau’n croesawu’r Eisteddfod i’r dref. Yn y 

Ffair Aeaf, enillydd y gystadleuaeth trefnu blodau ar 

y thema Cerdyn Dathlu oedd Eleri Thomas, 

Ffederasiwn Ceredigion; enillydd y gystadleuaeth 

grefft, Clawr i Botel Win, oedd Beti Wyn Davies, 

Ffederasiwn Ceredigion; ac enillydd y gystadleuaeth 

Tri Chyffaith Amrywiol oedd Lynda Probert, 

Ffederasiwn Powys Brycheiniog. 

Ffederasiwn Powys Maesyfed gynhaliodd 

Cynhadledd flynyddol Ffederasiynau Cymru. Cafodd 

y cyngerdd ardderchog y noson cyn y gynhadledd, 

‘Robyn of Radnor’, ei ysgrifennu gan aelod ifanc a’i 

berfformio gan aelodau SyM. Bu’r gynhadledd 

drannoeth, a gynhaliwyd yn Llanelwedd, yn 

llwyddiant mawr. Roedd y siaradwyr yn cynnwys 

Julia Roberts, Trysorydd Mygedol FfCSyM, Diane 

McCrea, Cadeirydd Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru, Dr 

Anwen Mair Jones, Darlithydd mewn Ffisioleg ac 

Iechyd a Carolyn Hitt, Darlledwr a Newyddiadurwr. 

Ffederasiwn Gwynedd Meirionnydd noddodd safle 

FfCSyM-Cymru yn Sioe Frenhinol Cymru ar y thema 

Brethyn Cartref a noddwyd y stondin yn yr 

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn y Fenni, ar y thema 

Llwybrau, gan Ffederasiwn Gwent. 

38 39

OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS 

Outside Organisation 

NFWI representative 

6 ‘O’ Group Janice Langley as Chair 

ACWW 

British Nutrition Foundation 

Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales 

Citizens Advice Group on Post Offices 

End Violence Against Women Coalition 

Fairtrade Foundation (Founders Sub-Committee) 

Gender and Development Network 

Linking Environment & Farming (LEAF) 

LSE Archives Advisory Board 

National Trust 

NIACE Policy Committee 

Payments UK, Customer Engagement Network 

Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Produce Committee 

Rural Services Network – Rural England Stakeholder Group 

Trade Justice Movement 

UK Chemicals Stakeholder Forum 

NFWI Representative: Joy Thomson 

Assistant Representative: Jane Probitts 


Meinir Lloyd Jones 

Jane Probitts 

Emma Holland-Lindsay 

Joy Thomson 


Julia Roberts 

Julia Roberts 

Fay Mansell 

Lynne Andrews 

Julia Roberts 

Mair Stephens 

Anna Bradley Dorman 


Glenis Wedzicha 

NFWI STAFF TEAM 

Senior Staff Team 

Jana Osborne General Secretary 

Anne Wheeler Head of Finance 

Mark Linacre Group Manager - WIE 

Jane Dixon Head of Denman 

Karen Lake Head of Human Resources 

Emma Holland-Lindsay Head of Public Affairs 

Charlotte Fiander Head of Communications 

Rhian Connick Head of NFWI Wales Office 

Val Andrews Head of NFWI Unit 

Central Secretariat 

Jana Osborne General Secretary 

Kerri Le Roux-Marx Board Secretary and Events Manager 

Fiona Lam Events Officer 

Karin Gumble Education Grants Officer 

Sophie Page Membership Officer and PA to General 

Secretary (Shared Role) 

Charlotte Maughan Membership Administrator (shared 

role) 

Resources 

Latel Monks Resources Manager 

Courtnay Howes Resources Assistant (shared role) 

Charlotte Maughan Resources Assistant (shared role) 

Communications 

Charlotte Fiander Head of Communications 

Jason Douglas Webmaster 

Rosie Bernard Online Content Editor 

Joanna Rayner Press and PR Officer 

Finance 

Anne Wheeler Head of Finance 

Thasha Ravennaath Senior Finance Officer 

Aparna Barua Finance Officer 

Erika Kaic Finance Officer 

Catrin Rosquist Departmental Administrator (shared role) 


Emma Holland-Lindsay Head of Public Affairs 

Mary Roberts Research and Campaigns Officer (shared 

role) 

Lisa Plotkin Research and Campaigns Officer 

Oliver Hicks-Pattison Research and Campaigns Officer 

(shared role) 

Sophie Page Research and Campaigns Assistant (shared 

role) 

Human Resources 

Karen Lake Head of Human Resources 

Chrystal Isherwood HR Officer 

Catrin Rosquist HR Project Administrator (shared role) 

Courtnay Howes HR Assistant (shared role) 

WI Enterprises 

Mark Linacre Group Manager WIE 

Hilary Ransom Group Managers Assistant 

Carlos Fialho Marketing Executive 

WI Voucher Booklet 

Shirley McGlynn Sales Executive 

WI Life 

Editorial 

Kaye McIntosh Editor 

Lucy Collins Staff Writer 

Harriet Parish Editorial Assistant 

Advertising 

Andrew Lawston Advertising Manager 

Thomas Melhuish Display Sales Executive 

Shoni Robertson-Finn Classified Sales Executive 

NFWI Unit 

Val Andrews Head of NFWI-Unit 

Clare Spender Craft Adviser 

Helen Neal Administrative Secretary 

Elaine Smith Accreditation Officer 

Victoria Murphy Food and Cookery Adviser 

David Martin Floral Art and Horticulture Adviser (shared 

role) 

Angela Dearlove Administrative Secretary – Cookery 

Committee 

Wales 

Rhian Connick Head of NFWI Wales 

Sarah Thomas Public Affairs Officer 

Lisa Howells PA to Head of Wales 

Amy Stabler Administrative Assistant 

Denman Management Team 

Jane Dixon Head of Denman 

Dawn Rowe Estates Manager 

Nicola Pengelly Administration and Reception Manager 

Claire Lycett Administration and Reception Manager 

(maternity cover) 

Kate Bullas Marketing and Communications Manager 

Dominique Saxby Courses Manager 

40 

41

FINANCES 

Year ended 30 September 2016 

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 

2016 

£m 

2015 

£m 

Income 

Donations and legacies 0.23 0.04 

Charitable activities 4.94 4.62 

Other trading activities 1.83 2.00 

Investment income 0.17 0.18 

Total income 7.18 6.84 

Expenditure 

Trading activities 1.28 1.24 

Charitable activities 5.80 6.05 

Total expenditure 7.08 7.29 

Investment gains 0.30 0.07 

Net income / -expenditure 0.40 -0.38 

FUNDS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 

Endowment funds 0.05 0.04 

Restricted funds 3.42 3.16 

Designated funds 1.26 1.30 

Other unrestricted funds 4.80 4.63 

TOTAL FUNDS 9.53 9.13 

Key Figures 

Members’ subscriptions £2.38m 

WI Enterprises Ltd profit 

Total staff costs 

Spending on membership 

& training 

Spending on education 

(including Denman) 

Spending on Public 

Affairs 

£0.51m 

£2.46m 

£2.03m 

£3.20m 

£0.56m 

Denman income 

(including transfers) 

Denman costs 

Net cost of WI Life 

Total fixed assets 

Net current assets 

Total funds 

£2.92m 

£2.72m 

£0.88m 

£6.72m 

£2.81m 

£9.53m 

TRUSTEES STATEMENT 

The above summarised accounts are a summary of 

information extracted from the annual consolidated 

accounts for the year ended 30 September 2016 and 

contain information relating to both the Statement 

of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet. 

These summarised accounts may not contain 

sufficient information to allow for a full 

understanding of the financial affairs of the Charity. 

For further information, the full accounts, which 

received an unqualified audit opinion, should be 

consulted. Copies of these can be obtained from the 

NFWI or may be downloaded from our website, 

thewi.org.uk. The annual accounts were approved by 

the trustees on 15 February 2017 and have been 

submitted to the Charity Commission and 

Companies House. 

Signed on behalf of the trustees 

Julia Roberts, Honorary Treasurer 

Date: 16 February 2017 

KEY RESULTS 

Total consolidated income for the year increased by 5% 

to £7.18m whilst total consolidated expenditure 

decreased by 3% to £7.08m; investment gains were 

£300k. Net income for the year was £400k and total 

funds at the year-end were £9.53m. 

Income 

Donations and legacies included donations of £155k to 

the member-led Saving Denman appeal and legacy gifts 

of £50k to Denman. 

Income from charitable activities included membership 

subscriptions of £2.4m, an increase of 6% reflecting the 

growth in membership numbers in the year and 

Denman fees of £2.4m, an increase of 19% due to higher 

bookings on courses and events as well as the annual 

price increase. Other income from charitable activities 

related to members’ events and activities. 

Trading income included £1.8m earned by the trading 

subsidiary, WI Enterprises Ltd, from advertising, 

commissions and other sales. 

Total investment income was £170k. In addition the 

market value of investments increased by£301k. 

Expenditure 

Expenditure on charitable activities comprised 

expenditure of £2.0m on membership and training 

services, £3.2m on education and £565k on public 

affairs campaigns. Membership and training costs 

included £1.3m for production and delivery of WI Life 

magazine and £700k on other training, information and 

support. Education expenditure included Denman costs 

of £2.6m and spending on other educational initiatives 

of £600k. Expenditure on trading activities related to 

costs incurred by WI Enterprises Ltd. other than the 

costs of WI Life (included in membership and training). 

The decrease in expenditure for the year was because 

the previous year included additional activities 

marking the WI centenary. 

Denman 

Denman achieved a total surplus of £269k including a 

transfer from the parent charity for its use of Denman’s 

facilities and donated profit from WI Enterprises Ltd 

relating to trading activities at Denman. Having 

expressed concerns about the longer term financial 

sustainability of Denman, the trustees are pleased to 

report a significant improvement in financial 

performance due to higher attendance and increased 

donations and legacy income. Continuing 

improvement will be essential to the long term viability 

of the Denman. 

WI Enterprises Ltd 

The trading subsidiary achieved a surplus of £512k that 

was donated to the parent charity under gift aid. 

Total funds 

Total funds at September 2016 were £9.5m including 

restricted funds of £3.4m relating to Denman, 

designated funds of £1.3m including funds set aside 

from previous VAT refunds for new activities in future 

years, other unrestricted funds of £4.8m and 

endowment funds of £46k. 

Reserves 

The NFWI holds reserves in order to manage peaks 

and troughs in income and 

expenditure, taking into account 

that most subscription income is 

received once a year in April-May; 

and to be able to manage the impact 

of unexpected events. Reserves 

available at 30 September 2016,, i.e. 

not restricted, designated or held in 

fixed assets, were £4.1m. The 

estimated reserves requirement at 

this date was £3.3m. The trustees 

aim to reduce reserves over future 

years by continuing to reduce the 

NFWI’s share of the membership 

subscription and increase the WI 

and federation shares. 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S 

STATEMENT TO THE 

MEMBERS OF THE 

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF 

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES 

We have examined the summary 

financial statements for the year 

ended 30 September 2016 set out on 

page 42. 

Respective responsibilities of the 

directors/trustees and the auditor 

The directors/trustees are 

responsible for preparing the 

summarised financial statements in 

accordance with applicable United 

Kingdom law. 

Our responsibility is to report to you 

our opinion on the consistency of the 

summary financial statement within 

the summarised financial statements 

with the full annual financial 

statements and the Directors’/ 

Trustees’ Report, and its compliance 

with the relevant requirements of 

section 427 of the Companies Act 

2006 and the regulations made 

thereunder. 

We also read the other information 

contained in the summarised 

financial statements and consider 

the implications for our report if we 

become aware of any apparent 

misstatements or material 

inconsistencies with the summary 

financial statement. 

We conducted our work in 

accordance with Bulletin 2008/3 

issued by the Auditing Practices 

Board. Our report on the charitable 

company’s full annual financial 

statements describes the basis of our 

opinion on those financial 

statements and on the Trustees’ 

Report. 

Opinion 

In our opinion the summary 

financial statement is consistent 

with the full annual financial 

statements incorporating the 

strategic report for the National 

Federation of Women’s Institutes for 

the year ended 30 September 2016 

and complies with the applicable 

requirements of section 427 of the 

Companies Act 2006 and the 

regulations made thereunder 

We have not considered the effects of 

any events between the date on 

which we signed our report on the 

full annual financial statements, 15 

February 2017, and the date of this 

statement. 

haysmacintyre, Statutory Auditors 

26 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 

4AG 

Date: 15 February 2017 

42 43

THE WI IS HERE TO INSPIRE YOU 

The WI is all about inspiring women. It’s a rich source 

of experiences, knowledge and skills passed down 

through generations and updated every day. 

THE WI IS EVERYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE 

The WI is naturally diverse. It offers all kinds of 

opportunities to all kinds of women. For some 

women, an opportunity to catch up with friends; for 

others it’s a route to learning new skills, and for some 

the campaigning aspect of the organisation may be 

the key motivator. 

THE WI IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT 

The WI comes in all shapes and sizes. We offer 

women the opportunity to join and be involved in the 

way that suits them. Usually this means joining a 

local WI, though some may prefer to set up a new WI 

with other like-minded women, and others may even 

refer to be Associates of the NFWI with no local WI 

involvement. 

45

NFWI Annual Review 2015-2016

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