News

Latest articles

ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING 2010

Factual Report of the 93rd Annual Council Meeting held at the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne on Wednesday 24 March 2010.

PRESENT: Federation Chairman, Shirley Kirby welcomed delegates, members of the Board of Trustees, guests and WI members making a total of approximately 950.

Guests included The Mayor of the Eastbourne, Councillor Greg Szanto and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Clare Szanto, Mrs Caroline Cole from Honey Barrett Limited, Mrs and Mr Williamson from East Sussex Country Markets Ltd, and representatives from the West Kent, West Sussex and Essex Federations, former County Chairmen, Trustees and Officers.  The meeting opened with the singing of ‘Jerusalem’ followed by a Civic Welcome from The Mayor of Eastbourne, where he particularly praised the WI’s campaigning.

The Standing Orders for the meeting were approved without alteration.

The Minutes of the previous Annual Council Meeting held at the Congress Theatre on Thursday 26 March 2009, having been circulated in the County Year Book, were taken as read, approved by the delegates and signed.

It was proposed by Mrs Rosemary Bawn, seconded by Uckfield WI, and approved that Honey Barrett Limited, Chartered Accountants of 53 Gildredge Road, Eastbourne, should be appointed auditors of the Federation’s Accounts for the year 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011.

Mrs Madeleine Harvey, Honorary Federation Treasurer proposed the adoption of the Board of Trustees Annual Report and Annual Accounts for the period 1 November 2008 to 31 October 2009 showing a deficit of £6,500 of expenditure over income including a depreciation charge of £8,000, which if discounted left in a small surplus. She reported that affiliation fees had actually increased due to a stabilisation in membership numbers and successful fundraising.  There had been a downturn in income from investments in the current economic climate. The Accounts were seconded by Preston Village WI and approved unanimously.

In her Chairman’s Address, Shirley Kirby gave a summing up of the previous year and the 90th Anniversary celebrations including the Federation Quiz, Michelham Priory and the Women Reaching Women event.  She commented on the new WI Logo pointing out the aptness of ‘Inspiring Women’ as the WI has been full of inspirational women, from Lady Denman to Ina Unsworth-White whose special presentation patch-work quilt was on display at the meeting. She hoped that WI members would inspire other women to join the WI. The Chairman then proposed the adoption of the Board of Trustees Annual Report as in the Year Book 2009/2010, which was approved unanimously.

There followed a talk from Heather Hyrapiet on the Let’s Cook Project. 19 WI members had trained as tutors and helped disadvantaged parents in the community learn to cook inexpensive and nutritious food for their families.  The tutors had found a shocking lack of cookery knowledge and even had to teach washing up skills.

Ann Zenka for Horam WI proposed a resolution for East Sussex:  ‘This meeting urges her Majesty’s  Government to rethink their policies on importing certain foods, enabling our own farmers and growers to trade fairly ‘at home’ supplying home grown produce to supermarkets, schools, hospitals and shops at competitive prices and greatly reducing our carbon footprint.’ 

She gave statistics that 95% of fruit and 50% of vegetables was imported and that UK farmers were going out of business daily.  Imported foodstuffs were transported thousands of miles adding to carbon emissions.  Members should support our own farmers who were often struggling.  Joy Read of Five Ashes WI seconded the resolution concentrating on the transport costs of distributing foods from long distances and felt that farming was under threat in the UK.  

Three members spoke from the floor: the delegate from Playden WI agreed with the resolution but was concerned that it would be difficult to implement due to the power of the large supermarkets.  The Ashdown WI delegate again supported the resolution but was concerned how it would stand against EU Economic regulations.  She urged members to make a difference by purchasing locally produced foods where possible.  Hailsham Nightingales Delegate recounted the difficulties faced by a local fruit grower who had tried to sell his produce independently from the big co-operatives who supply the supermarkets. 

Voting cards from the Delegates were then collected.

The guest speaker for the morning was Lynne Kerr, a Norfolk WI Adviser, who gave an amusing and respectful talk on her visits to the January meeting at Sandringham WI, where the Queen is the President. She was thanked by Dorothy Padgham, the First Vice Chair.

The morning session concluded with entertainment from The St Bede’s Jazz Choir, who performed five standard Jazz songs with beautiful harmonies.

The afternoon session began with Vicky Booth, the Federation Secretary, announcing the newly elected Board of Trustees for 2010 – 2012:  Rosemary Bawn - Eastbourne Cornfield and Langney WIs,   Grace Brady - Maresfield WI, Helen Bucksey – Hampden Park WI, Sue Davies – Westham Evening WI, Madeleine Harvey, Federation Treasurer – Rodmell & Southease WI, Brenda Horton, First Vice Chair – Crowborough Vale WI, Kathryn Hutson – Preston Village and Hove Actually WIs, Heather Hyrapiet – The Harbour and Sovereign WIs, Anita Jobling, Second Vice Chair – Cross in Hand and Buxted WIs, Shirley Kirby, Federation Chairman – Lewes Neville and Lewes Westgate WIs, Dorothy Padgham – Sovereign and Westham Evening WIs, Toni Whewell – Mayfield Evening, Chiddingly, and Waldron WIs.   

The Chairman thanked Pat Treen - Cross in Hand WI, Pauline Rosner - Little Common WI and Shelagh Gilliam from Ashdown WI, for their support and help during the previous year. 

There followed the Presentations: The County Cup 2009 for the ‘Design a Bookmark for a Friend’ competition, winner: Rosemary Muddle, Lewes Westgate WI, 2nd place: Sylvia Harper, Seaford Martello WI. 3rd place: Janet Scott – Mile Oak WI.

Judges Calendar Cup 2011, ‘Hidden Sussex’: Jean Rumary, Crowborough St John WI,  

The Lady Denman Cup Competition County heat 2009: Sheila King, Little Common WI, Runner up: Patricia Clark, Rushlake Green WI.

Scrabble Tournament 2009:  winner - June Garland of Peacehaven WI.

Golf Tournament 2009 Trophy:  Angie Lintott of Ovingdean WI.

South of England Show 2009 Winner’s: Classes 1 & 3: Herstmonceux WI, Pat Norman, Class 2: Little Common WI, Pam Waters, Class 7: Crowborough St John WI, Gladys Gray Class 12: Chailey Evening WI, Wendy Parsons, Class 13: Ringmer Evening WI, Pat Williams

English Speaking Board Exams Level 3: Val Attwood - Langney WI, Grace Brady - Maresfield WI, Anita Jobling - Cross in Hand and Buxted WIs, Liz King (who could not attend) - Westdene WI - Ali Miller, Meads WI, Eva Oliver - Micheldene WI,

Doreen Payne – Meads WI (collected by Ali Miller), Sue Whitehead – East Hoathly & Halland WI.

NFWI 25th Anniversary Certificate:    Eastbourne Cornfield – Kathie Claydon, Patcham Morning WI – Sylvia Baker, Landgate WI – Jean Pearson, Lewes Neville WI – Kathleen Reynolds, Wilbury Hove WI – Ann Muller, Preston Village WI – Jane Mills.

NFWI 50th Anniversary Certificate:  South Heighton WI – Peggy Cohen

NFWI 75th Anniversary Certificate:  Telscombe Cliffs WI – Jean Couture

ESFWI 90th Anniversary Certificate:  East Hoathly & Halland WI – Joan Sinden, Iford & Swanborough WI – Helen Dudley, High Hurstwood WI – Priscilla Copeland, Kingston WI – Mary Cattermole.

ESFWI Certificate for a New WI: Motcombe WI – Anne Davies, Bexhill Seagirls WI – Gill Cotterill.  Brighton Belles WI and Brighton University WI could not attend. 

The main speaker of the day was the well know TV and Radio personality, writer, actor and ex MP, Gyles Brandreth. He spoke, often hilariously, about a variety of topics including the beauty of the English language, his first day as an MP, legislation and the state of politics and politicians in Britain today as well as his meetings with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.  He was thanked by Shirley Kirby, the Chairman.  

The Chairman then thanked some of those who helped in the meeting: the pianist – Rosemary Gillet of Mayfield Evening WI, Pam Britton of Westham Evening WI and Ann Clegg of Catsfield WI for the flowers, Jenni Andrews, the Head Steward - Meads WI and her team of stewards from Meads WI, the raffle stewards from Langney and Eastbourne Cornfield WIs; Pauline Rosner for the Power Point Presenation; all the members who helped run the various stalls; St John Ambulance for providing first aid cover, and to the staff of the Congress for all their help, and to the sub-committee and WI members who helped set up on the day along with the Federation staff and fellow members of Board of Trustees and current WI Advisers.

There followed the results of the draw for the 300 Club.  The winners were £250

Brenda Clarke - Saxonwood WII, £100 -  Mrs J Mitchell - Sedlescombe Green WI.

The Lady Castle Stewart Bursary was won by Carol Audsley of Mayfield Evening WI,

The (Reserve:  Maureen Moll of Crowborough Vale WI.)

The winners of the East Sussex Federation Bursaries for 2010 were as follows:

Bursary ‘A’: Doris Hammersley -Eastbourne Cornfield WI, Hazel Craven - Kingston WI. (Reserve: Vi Robinson of Sovereign WI)

Bursary ‘B’: Barbara Fox  - Staplecross & Ewhurst Green WI and Mary Jones of Ashburnham & Penhurst WI.   (Reserve: June Reeves of Meridian Evening WI.)

The Hylda Thomas Bursary:  Terry Conby – Crowborough Vale WI (Reserve: Betty Simmonds of Mile Oak WI)

‘The Blanche O’Reilly Art Bursary’: Pamela Rihal – Cross in Hand WI (Reserve: Evelyn Smith, Buxted WI)

The Denman College Bursary Raffle was won by Marcia Allan of Seaford Martello WI (Reserve: Janet Marsdon – Langney WI).

Then followed the draw for the Raffle and finally the Chairman announced the results of the voting for the East Sussex Resolution:  For: 84 votes, Against: 10 votes.  The Chairman reminded WIs that as the resolution had been accepted WIs would be expected to take action.

The afternoon ended with the singing of the National Anthem

Women Reaching Women on Cliffe Bridge, Lewes

More than 60 women, joined by the Mayor of Lewes, met on Cliffe Bridge on Monday March 8th. They were members of the East Sussex Federation of Women’s Institutes taking part in a national campaign to raise awareness of how women are affected by world poverty, inequality and climate change.

They displayed posters listed the Millennium Development Goals and how time is running out to achieve them. From the the bridge they walked up to the Town Hall to watch the Oxfam DVD ‘Sisters of the Planet’. Following this historian Sybil Oldfield talked about ‘Some inspiring forerunners; woman who reached women before us’ and Abigail Petit from Sussex firm Gossypium Textiles explained how they worked with to join women’s skills across the world.

Many of those taking part were wearing specially designed T shirts produced by Gossypium.

BBC reports on new Brighton WI

Brighton University WI is one of three new WI's that have opened in East Sussex and has already had early success. Local press coverage in the Argus and a news story with the BBC will hopefully encourage more members.

Here come the girls

In Brighton and Hove, we like to do things differently. In mid-September, some 50 women packed out The Prince Albert pub on Trafalgar Street for the first meeting of the Brighton Belles WI, setting a new record for first meeting attendee numbers. Read the full story ...

WI Scrapbooks

East Sussex Record Office has an extensive collection of WI records covering around 150 local branches, and the federation headquarters. Find out more ...

Relaunch of website

Initially I have concentrated on the WIs section, ensuring that every WI in the East Sussex Federation has its own page with as much information as I have available. I felt that this was the most important part of the site being the first area where a prospective member would look to find details of her nearest WI.

If your WI has not yet sent through their programme and any other information, please let me have this either electronically to webeditor@esfwi.org.uk or else by post and you will find details through our Contact Us page and I will be pleased to include the information.

Similarly, I am hoping to receive reports of the events you hold throughout the year with photographs (digital please) and this applies to Group and Federation events as well. Don't just send them in for the Newsletter; send them for the Website too.

The website will be updated monthly and the cut off date for submitting information for inclusion the next month will by the 20th of the month.

Please note that under the ESFWI New Website Policy and Terms of Reference, as agreed by the Board of Trustees, " No personal contact details i.e. addresses, phone numbers or personal email addresses can by displayed anywhere on the website". However, there are contact details for Headquarters shown on every main page so that contact will be able to be made through this route.

Please use the Feedback Form for any comments you may have about the site.

Kathryn Hutson
Web Editor