More comments from other WI members about the issue of subs this year

 Valerie Hughes

It is not the WIs fault that covid is keeping us apart. I just wish that people would stop thinking about themselves and what they aren't getting from their subs. As I see it subs are keeping an over 100 year fun, educational, social group just for women going. It took a while for it to be established and grow to what it is now. If it dies because people don't think of those who set it up and those who gain great benefit from it now, and those for who it will be a life line in the future, then I think those who cause this by not rejoining should consider how selfish they are being  it will be the little groups that suffer, in the small out of the way villages without access to other forms of socialisation that will be the hardest hit keep paying up for them, please

Ruth Ainsworth

Our last face to face meeting was in Feb since then we have held 11 virtual monthly meetings, 10 virtual book clubs, 9 virtual supper club, 5 virtual social saturdays doing activities such as gin tasting, macrame and scavenger hunts, 10 monthly newsletters, 9 virtual desert island discs, 2 lots of goodie bags delivered, ran a litter pick for the great british clean, collected food for the foodbank twice and toiletries for local refuge. Plus adhoc virtual meet ups ( usually elevenses) We also have a members only Facebook page. Costs for us have still been the same as we have utilised our hall fees else where to ensure our members feel they are receiving value for money. There is naturally going to be a drop in renewals this year my personal opinion is if we don't charge members then it will be the beginning of the decline of the WI. Our uptake in alot of these activities is low but I'd rather show up and deliever for 1 member than non at all. Our Committee have worked their socks off the last 12 months and I really hope people rejoin so their work has not been for nothing. We all need to support this institution whilst we can xx

Brixham WI Lockdown Folder

 

Last year in the  monthly emails and letters, I asked our members to write a diary of the day in April when we would have held our Institute meeting. In May I asked for memories of VE Day, in June a list of favourites- book, music, TV programme and then, in July I asked for something which has been good, despite the COVID situation. 

A number of members responded and their answers are collected together in this folder. Each one of them has read it now (except for Thelma, who is still in Limoges).

If anyone would like to borrow it, please just ask me! 

To join or not to join again in April 2021?

 

• Here is a question and some answers, copied from a Facebook conversation of the UWI group: food for thought as you make up your own mind.

  
  

  As a Committee we are concerned that members will not be rejoining as they consider, under the present circumstances, the Subscription is too high - have other WI’s had similar ‘rumblings’?

  
  

  I feel it also goes back to the reason why people join the WI. If you joined *only* for friendship, and, even though *I* am perfectly happy with Zoom and phone calls, there is no doubt that making NEW friends is pretty difficult under the current circumstances, people may not wish to continue their membership. They may also feel, as I do, that the vaccination isn't going to get things back to any sort of normality for a long time - it is not a magic cure-all. No amount of Zoom meetings, goody-bags, subscription reductions, etc. are going to work for those people. Many people just came because they wanted to make a couple of new good, close friends ... they are pretty indifferent to the rest of it. I am lucky, I had already made those friends, and they are sustaining me through all this madness ... and I am sticking with the WI out of loyalty and interest and because I am looking forward to the amazing parties we're going to have when this is all over! I even attended the meeting last night about setting up a virtual WI - another interesting path that I think I will join as well.
• As a WI member with a low disposable income I have always budgeted carefully. This year my income has decreased.

  I know that my subscriptions are due once a year so I put aside £1 each week in preparation for WI membership. 

  
  

  This year I have 12 extra weeks to save up. By the time my subscription is due in April I will have £20 in surplus - I can either keep that for 2022, or take a dual membership with a second WI.

  Drama? What drama? 

  
  

  
  

Climate Change? Show the Love

 

THE WI (NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN'S INSTITUTES)

Look out in your February WI Life magazine for a special #ShowTheLove postcard in the bag with your magazine.

Attach your crafted green heart and send it to your MP asking them to Show The Love for our climate and environment in 2021! 

For tips on how to get involved in this year's campaign, you can request the Show The Love resource pack on My WI: https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/.../show-the-love-2021-request...

This year’s #Showthelove

 

Last Zoom of January 2021!

 It was so lovely to see lots of people! What a great quiz from Mary C, really taxing! 

DFWI 300 club

 Recently our members have received an email about the DFWI 300 club. Some of you are new and possibly don’t know what on earth we are talking about!

Members buy numbered tickets which go into a regular draw, 300 tickets for the 300 club. When the draw is made a percentage of the profit is given as the prize, and the remainder goes to DFWI 

Scarf and hat project update!

 As we are nearing the end of January, our working together but apart project is drawing to a close.

Wendy Mackenzie

is planning to make a final delivery to Yes@The Edge in the first week of February (only a week away!).

Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation! Hasn’t it been great?

 

The Miracle of Morning

I thought I’d awaken to a world in mourning.

Heavy clouds crowding, a society storming.

But there’s something different on this golden morning.

Something magical in the sunlight, wide and warming.

I see a dad with a stroller taking a jog.

Across the street, a bright-eyed girl chases her dog.

A grandma on a porch fingers her rosaries.

She grins as her young neighbor brings her groceries.

While we might feel small, separate, and all alone,

Our people have never been more closely tethered.

The question isn’t if we will weather this unknown,

But how we will weather this unknown together.

So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.

Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.

As one, we will defeat both despair and disease.

We stand with healthcare heroes and all employees;

With families, libraries, schools, waiters, artists;

Businesses, restaurants, and hospitals hit hardest.

We ignite not in the light, but in lack thereof,

For it is in loss that we truly learn to love.

In this chaos, we will discover clarity.

In suffering, we must find solidarity.

For it’s our grief that gives us our gratitude,

Shows us how to find hope, if we ever lose it.

So ensure that this ache wasn’t endured in vain:

Do not ignore the pain. Give it purpose. Use it.

Read children’s books, dance alone to DJ music.

Know that this distance will make our hearts grow fonder.

From a wave of woes our world will emerge stronger.

We’ll observe how the burdens braved by humankind

Are also the moments that make us humans kind;

Let every dawn find us courageous, brought closer;

Heeding the light before the fight is over.

When this ends, we’ll smile sweetly, finally seeing

In testing times, we became the best of beings.

By Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman

Scarf and Hat project

 

This morning, Wendy delivered 18 scarves and 9 hats to Yes at the Edge in Brixham!  Wow! 

You lovely people! I already know of five more scarves and two hats in the pipeline! 

We are planning to put down the knitting needles and crochet hooks at the end of January! 

Crosslands Flower Nursery

 Our January WI meeting was a great success! We welcomed some guests from Galmpton and Stoke Gabriel, too. 

We went on a tour of Crosslands Flower Nursery in Chichester! All from the comfort of our own homes! It was very interesting, Ben Cross was so very knowledgeable and informative. We are all now resolved to always buy British grown flowers! Here are all of the contact details if you would like to buy a gorgeous bunch of alstroemerias for only £20! 

Ben stayed to answer questions at the end, lots from Barbara L who seemed  to think of more and more intriguing questions! Overall, an excellent way to spend the afternoon! 

Crosslands Flower Nursery

Barnham Lane | Walberton | Nr Arundel | West Sussex | BN180AX

M: 07712332241 | E: crosslandsflowernursery@gmail.com

Follow on Twitter @AlstroemeriaBen

Follow on Instagram @AlstroemeriaBen

Find Us on Facebook at Crosslands Flower Nursery

 

A new idea for one of our zoom meetings!

 Spotted on the UWI Facebook page... (which, to be honest, is where we find most of our good ideas!):-

An idea for a zoom meeting: https://gamesnight.macmillan.org.uk/?fbclid=IwAR3ynJhDb_4VRFWsF5XNKqsEXEtEdzT0TMYIUMF6TNGbm9bRetJbE03jJns

Macmillan Cancer have produced several games which can be played via zoom! They request that individuals make a donation to their charity for the pleasure of using this resource. Have a look and see what you think!shall we have a go? 

Yarn bombing, anyone?

 Did I overhear someone say they would like to learn to crochet? Make some knitted animals? Indulge in some Brixham yarn bombing? Do I feel another joint project coming on? 

Take some inspiration from Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos: 

This is a test - who reads it? I am posting gradually more and more outrageous suggestions to see if anyone sends me an email! 😆

What is it about the WI? I present to you a poem!

 

Here are a few comments which were made on Facebook, about this poem:

Zoom today!

 We welcomed Lots of people to our zoom today! It was a good trial of using the DFWI zoom license, which gave us longer, and we could say goodbye properly! Evan did a great quiz, and we all did well thanks to some men in the background! (They must be bored!) Mary C, as the winner, will be doing the quiz next week! Especially well done to Anita who had the host role thrust upon her! 

Pause for thought....

 April is approaching and some members are starting to think about whether or not they wish to join us again. Wondering ‘what have the WI given me for my money this year?’ ‘Why are they asking me to pay the full amount again for this year?’

Obviously, the NFWI and DFWI have regular financial commitments as they own property which has ongoing costs which haven’t ceased during the pandemic, as well as paid staff. 

Maybe it is time to think about what you have done for the WI? It is your WI, and it is what you make of it. Here are the key messages, copied from My WI on  thewi.org.uk. 

You expect commitment from the WI - this is mutual! The WI needs your commitment now! 

Our key messages

We are a dynamic organisation with a diverse membership. Our three key messages bring together the WI’s defining characteristics and explain our vision.

The WI is here to inspire you

We are about inspiring women through experiences, knowledge and skills. These are passed down through generations and updated every day.

The WI is everything you want it to be

Whatever your reason for joining, we offer all kinds of opportunities to all kinds of women.

For some it’s a chance to meet people and catch up with friends. For others it’s a way to learn new skills and campaign on issues that affect the wider community.

The WI is what you make of it

WIs come in all shapes and sizes and our members can be involved in the way that suits them.

This can mean joining a local WI or setting up a new group with other like-minded women. Others may prefer to be Associate members with the opportunity for local WI involvement.

News from DFWI Advisers

 Membership Matters

from Devon’s WI Advisers No 7, 15 Jan 2021 to all its members

Happy New Year!

Let’s hope that with the rolling out of the vaccine we can look forward to returning to more familiar times when we can meet up with friends and family again.

No 3

  In the meantime, we totally understand the frustration and despair of WIs facing several more months of not being able to hold regular meetings and of those members without internet access. In these long days of lockdown it is important to keep in touch and to stay connected in any way possible; a phone call or even a postcard can mean so much.

Better days are ahead, stay positive and we will get through this!

Due to technical difficulties and theatrical gremlins at play, it is with great sadness that we have had to bring the curtain down on the Adviser’s pantomime, ‘Cinderella’, which was planned to be shown on YouTube. We do hope you won’t be too disappointed, we are so sorry. Oh yes, we are – really, really, sorry! Maybe next year.

On a more positive note, Jane Jury, has embarked on her formal Adviser Training. Good luck, Jane.

Evelyn Watson, Chairman Membership Support

  Let’s

 The current lockdown certainly presents challenges to us all, not least the sense of isolation and loneliness arising from the lack of regular social contact. If there’s a bright side it’s that we may have more time and inclination to get to grips with the technology that enables us to remain connected to our family and friends and, of course, to our WIs. Zoom in particular is fast becoming a popular means to keep in touch, albeit virtually rather than in person. Meetings can simply take the form of an informal coffee and a chat, or a craft demonstration, or a more structured meeting with a speaker. We know that many Devon WIs are already leading the way by offering Zoom meetings to their members, and we hope that those WIs may be happy to extend the invitation to members of other WIs who have not yet been fully able to embrace the

technology. If so, do please email roz.matterface@devonwi.org.uk if you are intending to host a suitable Zoom event and she will post it on the Devon Facebook page and spread the word. We fully appreciate the time, effort and energy that goes into planning and organising these meetings, and feel it would be great to share them with a wider audience if at all possible.

We also appreciate that not everyone will be able, or willing, to join in virtual meetings, so do please let us know of any other ways that you have been able to stay connected despite the challenges of the past year. We welcome your suggestions and stories which we are sure would serve as a source of inspiration for us all.

 Using   for the first time

In encouraging you to use Zoom we do realise that it is not necessarily that simple if you have no one on hand to help you into the unknown. (The writer may not yet have ventured that far herself had there been no one to help her.)

Please finish reading this article and be positive that you can do this: it’s not rocket science and your laptop or tablet cannot be broken or self-destruct! Help is at hand.

Thanks to WI Buckinghamshire, we have a library of excellent tutorials at our fingertips. These are available both as written documents to download and YouTube videos. Here is the link: https://www.bucksfwi.org.uk/library.html

Exeter Library also has videos available: Zoom for beginners laptop/PC: https://fb.watch/2Uglp1GI5c/ and Zoom for beginners iPad: https://fb.watch/2Ugkd4irTE/

Is there a Zoom user amongst our members who would be willing to offer support to others? If so, you would be welcomed with open arms. Please email wiadvisers@devonwi.org.uk for a chat. Thank you.

Adviser Zoom sessions with WI officers

Your Adviser will be contacting WI officers soon offering Zoom get-togethers with others in your Group. We’ll hope to answer your questions but please submit them when you book your place. There will be time to ‘socialise’ with a good opportunity to share what works well for your WI at this difficult time.

    A free Zoom event hosted by Sister Axe WI

Heather Penwarden’s talk on being a Dementia Friend

WEDNESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2021 at 2pm

To receive the Zoom link, please email

jenny.roberts@devonwi.org.uk

     Don’t forget that your Adviser has a Devon WI Zoom license that allows meeting duration beyond 40-minutes.

If your WI would like to make use of this, please approach your Adviser, or email wiadvisers@devonwi.org.uk, and we will sort something out for you.

  CORONAVIRUS UPDATE FROM THE GOVERNMENT: NATIONAL LOCKDOWN—STAY AT HOME

Check the government’s website with this link to find out all you need to know. Please keep checking this link for the latest update: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you -can-and-cant-do

IF YOU HAVE THE NHS COVID-19 APP on your mobile phone, you will find information specific to your own postcode area. This app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. It’s FREE, of course.

   

Pro-rata subscription rate eligibility

NFWI are delighted to announce a change to the pro-rata subscription rate ineligibility. IT HAS BEEN REDUCED from 10 years TO ONE YEAR.

The aim is to maintain the function of having an ineligibility period for former members so that WIs are not disrupted by individuals switching their membership on and off, while bringing in the most welcome and encouraging approach possible for

former WI members who wish to re-join. This will also support WIs wishing to reach out to their former members and invite them back – helping to retain as many members as possible.

This will come into action from 1st April 2021 so it can be active and applied throughout the next pro-rata year.

NB: this only applies from April 2021 going forward (no retrospective refunds or arrangements can be made for former members who re-joined before this date).

Try the WI

Has your WI used this National Federation leaflet with positive results? It’s available to download from My WI:

https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/running-your-wi/members-resources/leaflet-try-the-wi

There’s been a rush of interest in the WI via the NFWI website. If your WI has received such an enquiry and you feel you have little to offer at this time, please contact your Adviser, or email wiadvisers@devonwi.org.uk if you do not have her direct contact information. We wouldn’t want to turn away anyone who is keen to know more about the organisation.

There is also a WI Invitation to download on My WI: https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/running-your-wi/members-resources/wi-invitation Although we are not able to hold face-to-face meetings yet, there’s no reason why this invitation can’t be sent now to anyone interested, in readiness for when we can.

     Did you know . . .

That WIs may make block bookings on Denman courses? And if your WI has the funds and the members agree, your WI could pay everyone’s course fee. After all, it’s educational and that’s what the WI’s charity status is based on. It must be offered to all members, of course, and it must be a democratic decision by the members to spend the funds, NOT JUST THE COMMITTEE’s decision.

A plea for the accuracy of email addresses

MCS reps, will you please make sure your WI officers’ email addresses are correct. This is the single most time-efficient way the federation is able to keep in touch with them and picking up accurate information on the MCS is vital.

Also, will all members with an email address please check their Spam folder regularly as we are hearing from some members that our emails are not arriving. This means that either the email address is incorrectly recorded somewhere, or emails are being delivered to Spam.

The ability to communicate online is so relevant these days and, with the WI national database at our fingertips, we need to know that its content is up-to- date and accurate. Your help and co-operation is so very important. Thank you.

 Useful online links—there’s so much going on!

Denman at Home: Online Zoom courses for WI members and the public. https://www.denman.org.uk/whats-on/

WI Wanderers: A private Facebook Group with 6,000 members. Easy to join. Gives daily links to online events. https://www.facebook.com/groups/wiwanderers

Speakers and Demonstrators – Unofficial Women’s Institute: A public Facebook Group for members to share ideas for meetings and activities. Regularly updates an extensive Zoom Speaker List. https://www.facebook.com/Speakersanddemonstratorsuwi/

WI Social Media Admins: A private Facebook Group with over 500 members. Easy to join, whether or not you are an admin. https://www.facebook.com/groups/564462267662474

      The resumption of meetings

A beacon of light is beckoning ahead with the rollout of the Covid immunisations. Some members have already received theirs and the Government has promised that all of the most vulnerable groups will be vaccinated in the near future. We are looking forward to the WIs across Devon re-opening in the spring/early summer, as soon as the Government gives the go ahead. This could be a good time for Officers and members to start planning programmes, finalising accounts, organising tea rotas, etc., and preparing for the resumption of meetings.

  Annual Meetings and IFEs

How we will be able to conduct our Annual Meetings this year is uncertain at the moment; however, this uncertainty in no way affects the preparation and examination of the year-end financial documents as well as the WI Annual Report. If your WI has requested an Independent Financial Examiner (IFE), please be assured that you will soon hear who that person will be.

And on that note, the federation is in need of more IFEs. If you are a treasurer, past or present, and are willing to learn more of what’s involved, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please email m.hunter@devonwi.org.uk to arrange a chat.

 DEVON’S WI ADVISERS WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Angie Cynthia Evelyn Jenny Maureen Pat Sarah Sylvia Jane Jury Bache Somerfield Watson Roberts Hunter Kirby Shorthouse West trainee

Membership Matters is a newsletter produced by WI Advisers of the Membership Support Committee

Devon Federation of Women’s Institutes, The Firs, Blackhorse, Exeter, EX5 2FT : 01392 255386 : wiadvisers@devonwi.org.uk

           

This week...

 

The WI (National Federation of Women's Institutes)

This week is #CervicalCancerPreventionWeek. Cervical screening isn’t always easy, but it’s the best way to protect against cervical cancer.

If you have questions about cervical screening and Coronavirus, and how it works now, visit

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust

's website for information and support: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/information/coronavirus/faqs

Find out more about our 5 Minutes that Matter campaign on our website: https://www.thewi.org.uk/.../key.../5-minutes-that-matter