The WI – Making a Difference

You may think that the WI involves just turning up at a meeting once a month, listening to a speaker, having a cup of tea and going home, but it is so much more than that. We encourage our members to identify and engage in the big issues that are important to them.

To do this there is a democratic resolutions process that allows your local WIs members to take issues that matter to them to a National level. Last year they elected to work on raising awareness of Autism and ADHD in women and girls and to take action to improve the diagnosis process. That work continues at local and national level.

Over the last 12months members have been working on a new resolution and in June this year members from across the country voted to get involved in the campaign to clean up our rivers. The new campaign will be encouraging members to make and support applications to create bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the cleanup of our precious waters.

Bathing water designation can play a key role in tackling pollution as it means that water must be tested for the bacteria that causes illness during the bathing season, and because water companies have an obligation to tackle pollution in these locations.

Here in Northamptonshire, we also created our own Campaign. Hackleton WI members expressed concerns over the potentially damaging effects to the environment of the global cut flower business and called for better labelling of country of origin to enable consumers to make a more informed choice about the flowers they buy.

The cut flower industry has a significant environmental impact and, therefore, an effect on climate change - yet the public have little information about the provenance of the cut flowers they purchase.

The members of Northamptonshire WIs have called on the government to work with the cut flower industry to increase public awareness and knowledge of the provenance of cut flowers by introducing more detailed labelling on the country of origin of flowers and the environmental credentials of the growers. You may notice that some supermarkets do have country of origin on their floral bouquets.

We are also working with local Flower from The Farm growers to increase our knowledge and understand the impact imported flowers have on the British Flower businesses.

So, if you think we are all jam and Jerusalem you couldn’t be further from the truth!

If you want to join the WI community email [email protected] or Tel WI House 01604 646055