A new year and a new reality for Northamptonshire WIs
Are you a woman over 18 years of age and would like to be part of the largest women’s organisation in the UK but are not able to attend face-to-face meetings?
Virtual WIs provide an opportunity to become part of this unique organisation, without having to leave your home. You would make new friends, hear talks on a variety of subjects, learn new skills and make a difference in your community.
Northampton County Federation of WIs is looking to provide more women with the opportunity to experience all the benefits of the WI as part of a Virtual WI (VWI). The development of Virtual WIs really taps into the resourcefulness of the WI, providing instant access to all women.
Virtual WIs are springing up around the UK. The WI movement is all about opportunities for women and life in a VWI is no different. There are many women who could be interested in joining a WI but for various reasons are unable to attend a conventional meeting. Maybe their busy home life, work commitments, child-care issues or caring responsibilities make it impossible. Some may have travel constraints or disabilities or even live abroad – we want the WI to be an organisation with inclusive options for all. Virtual WIs can make provision for those who are neurodiverse – a word covering a range of conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and some learning disabilities – the virtual world can support their needs by controlling the amount of sound or visual information, for example.
Membership of a Virtual WI gives all the benefits of WI membership including full voting rights on WI resolutions, the ability to attend the National Annual Meeting, either physically or virtually, and access to training, offers and discounts. A member of a Virtual WI can also access all that is offered at Federation level, the opportunities are endless with organised ‘in-person’ trips, walks, crafting workshops, talks etc being available to all. WI members still love to get-together in person and that will never change, but there’s more than one way to be a member. We need to ensure that the WI is an organisation for all women with options for all.
If anyone is interested in joining a Virtual WI we would love to hear from them. We need women to help us meet the needs of our rapidly changing world and ensure that WIs can provide opportunities for all women to benefit from and enjoy into the next Century.
Northamptonshire County Federation of WIs (NCFWI)
Tel: 01604 646055
Email: [email protected]