HOT OFF THE PRESS!
For instant news, look at our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NorthantsWI/
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The June 2025 News Sheet is OUT - click here or check with your Secretary
Look at our WIs in the Community Page - they have been busy!
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All hands to the deck! Every Monday at WI House, help put together our Yarnbombing work for Northampton in Bloom and the Womens World Rugby Cup to be held at "The Saints" Franklins Gardens, St James, Northampton. 2025 May Yarnbombing Newsletter is out - Check with your Secretary or click on link
We joined St George and his dragon on the Market Square Northampton to celebrate St George's Day. It was an ideal opportunity to showcase some of the yarnbombing we have prepared in readiness for the Womens World Rugby Cup matches to be held in August 2025. Carolyn was busy showing young girls how to crochet!
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This year’s AGM is being held on Saturday 11 October 2025
at Northampton High School, Hardingstone, Northampton NN4 6UU
Our Guest Speaker is Lucy Lewis, a woman of firsts! Lucy joined the Army on the spur of the moment and after training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (more on Looking Ahead page).
AGM Stewards Request
We still require stewards to help with the various roles during the evening including meeting and greeting guests and members, selling and folding raffle tickets, assisting stall holders, car parking and internal fire and safety stewards. The only thing we ask is that you be at the venue a little earlier than everyone else so we can brief you. In return you receive a free ticket to the day. If you would like to help please email jean.e.mcleish@btinternet.com by Tuesday 1July.
Congratulations to Silverstone WI on winning the County Quiz!
Well done to the runners up too - 2nd Great Houghton WI, 3rd Kilsby WI
It was a splendid evening and everyone enjoyed engaging their little grey cells!
- March 2025
A wonderful 4 day experience based in Torquay, visiting Britannia Royal Naval College and Dartmouth, including a trip on the foot ferry and steam train, time in Exeter, visit to Agatha Christie's holiday home Greenway, Buckfast Abbey and time with St Marychurch WI Torquay. On the way home, we visited STEAM in Swindon. All in all an excellent trip. Click here for more details.
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Something really different!
OPEN WATER SWIMMING
Would you like to try Open Water Swimming?
Fay Tennet, (Open Water Swimmer, Open Water Lifeguard, Swimming Coach and teacher), has offered to lead a 90 minute trial session. There are 2 possible locations; Castle Ashby and/or Silverstone. Interested? Register your interest to admin@ncfwi.org.uk. A kit list, instructions and an idea of cost will be supplied to those interested if there is sufficient numbers.
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We love our coffee mornings! The Spring coffee morning was a good excuse to catch up with friends, eat cake and generally enjoy all that is good about the WI.
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Networking at Towcester Evening WI’s Show the Love event is our County Chair Chris Carr with WNC Vice Chair Alison Eastwood and WNC Leader Adam Brown.
Northamptonshire WIs are active in the community. Take a look at our WI Community page. Recently Towcester Evening WI delivered 3 more blankets to Cynthia Spencer Hospice Northampton making a total of 57 blankets altogether. How colourful they are!
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."Show the Love" on Valentine's Day saw Towcester Evening WI at Towcester Farmers' Market. A heartily sung rendition of 
Jerusalem at 11am caught the attention of passers-by and helped spread the message on our concerns over climate change and promoting the campaigning side of our wonderful WI organisation.
Click here for more on our campaigns.
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HOW EXCITING IS THIS! - A Virtual WI in Northamptonshire
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 you are interested in joining a Virtual WI we would love to hear from you. We need you 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: admin@ncfwi.org.uk https://northamptonshire.thewi.org.uk
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POST BOX TOPPERS
The WWRC local organising committee have also asked if I could encourage members to do Women’s Rugby themed Post Box toppers around the county – Can you help? Please let me know if you can assist with either of the above. Chris Carr
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Join us on International Women’s Day Saturday 8th March at Guildhall, Northampton 11am – 3pm
Lots of local Women’s organisations to see and find out about and to celebrate with other women from around the County. We are also looking for stewards to help at the WI stand. Please contact Fay Tennet if you can spare an hour of your time.
‘THIS ENERGY NEVER STOPS’
The exciting update about Yarnbombing is here - click now!
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Members of Hunsbury Hill WI and Moulton Evening WI participated in the Reclaim the Night walk in Northampton. They joined women from across the town to raise the profile of sexual violence and harassment. Click for more info
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A great day networking at Franklins Gardens with some of our Yarnbombing on display tool
Congratulations to Chris Carr on being elected our Federation Chair. We know Chris will lead the Federation well and will continue the good work of the Board of Trustees to make our Federation the best it can be!
‘THIS ENERGY NEVER STOPS’
2024 September Yarnbombing Newsletter - click here
2024 October Yarnbombing Newsletter - click here
2025 January Yarnboming Newsletter - click here
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County Trip to Lincoln The sun shone. We had an enjoyable and educational day taking in all that Lincoln had to offer. The Cathedral and Bishop's Palace were the highpoints. There's always time for lunch and maybe a little shopping! Click for more info about our trips.
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Yarnbombing - Planning Meetings
Womens World Rugby, Franklin’s Gardens, August and September 2025
10am Friday 30th August and/or 1.30pm Monday 2nd September
Exciting News!! The Federation are currently working with Women’s World Rugby, West Northants Council and Northampton Saints/ Loughborough Lightning in preparation for World Cup matches which will be played at Franklin’s Gardens in August and September next year.
One of the projects we have been asked to do is YARNBOMB certain areas of Northampton which will be seen, perhaps worldwide on national television, as well as by visitors to the town and Franklin’s Gardens. For those unsure as to what Yarnbombing is, it is the action or activity of covering objects or structures in public places with decorative knitted or crocheted material, as a form of street art.
This is a great opportunity to positively increase the profile of Northamptonshire WIs and its members. We are drawing up plans on how this can be achieved and are looking for members (and any willing friends) who can assist us by knitting, crocheting, or sewing items suitable for this event. More details will be available at the meetings, and we would welcome hearing of any ideas you may have too. If you are interested and able to come along to one of the meetings then email me (Chris@jcdmail.com) or Jackie (admin@ncfwi.org.uk) at WI House to confirm your attendance.
Bozeat WI was so concerned about the increase of knife crime that they raised funds for a Bleed Kit for their village, always hoping that it will never be needed. Click here for more news of this and other community initiatives.
Two groups visited Anglian Water's Water Treatment Centre at Billing, Northampton
in connection with the "Clean Rivers" campaign
The Great Big Green Week close to Towcester - a FREE event for the family!
which was a huge success
#TheGreatBigGreenWeek
#climatecoalition
#TheWomensInstitute
NFWI AGM June 2024 was a fabulous occasion. Those privileged to attend heard Ann Jones give an update on her three year's as Chair (see NFWI website). The theme was Violence Against Women, the three speakers were the best ever.for more. Click for more information
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Our Spring Coffee Morning highlighted the Campaign "Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife" when speakers from the Nene River Trust outlined their work. Click for more information
Promoting your WI : WI Website by MEDIA Chairman, Jean McLeish of Bugbrooke WI
Are you aware that every WI has an entry on the NFWI’s public site? Details of monthly meeting time and place for each WI is taken from MCS and displayed on the website. You can also put additional information onto this site, such as examples of your programme, pictures of events or special activities, in fact anything that may interest potential new members. Why is this important? We get many enquiries about joining the WI through the NFWI website, and these potential new members look at the information about individual WIs, so the more information you put on the more attractive your WI will be. I know some WIs have their own website, or use Facebook to promote their activities, and we don’t expect you to duplicate information, all you have to do is put in links to your website or Facebook page.
If you are interested in making more use of the website, drop me an email and one of the media team can help you get started. You can also have a look at the information in MY WI - Communications and PR. The link below will take you to the website: put the name of your WI in the search for a local group box and you can see the information for your WI. Check if the information is correct, and if it isn’t have your MCS Representative update the details in MCS. https://northamptonshire.thewi.org.uk/find-wi/
Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Busy times on the NCFWI stand at Kelmarsh Show. We enjoyed promoting membership and showing what a great organisation we are.
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PROFESSOR TURI KING – AGM GUEST SPEAKER NCFWI – Annual General Meeting Thursday 24 October 2024
Northampton High School, Hardingstone, Northampton NN4 6UU.
We are delighted and just a little bit excited to announce that we have managed to secure Turi King as our guest speaker at the AGM.
Turi is a scientist, presenter, speaker and author who is passionate about communicating science to the public. She has worked in the field of genetic genealogy since 2000, using genetics in the fields of forensics, history, and archaeology. She is perhaps best known her work “cracking one of the biggest forensic DNA cases in history” (Globe and Mail, February 2013), leading the genetic analysis for the identification of King Richard III. Named as one of the world’s ‘rockstar genealogists’, her work since has covered not only family history but the use of genetic genealogy in forensics and historical cases
WIN £500 FROM THE NEWLY LAUNCHED COUNTY RAFFLE
We hope you are as busy selling the County Raffle tickets as we are getting prizes! Our list of prizes continues to expand, and we look forward to making the draw at the Coffee morning on Friday 5th July at WI House. Please remember all ticket stubs, unsold tickets and monies received must be returned to WI House by Friday 21st June 2024.
Superb prizes including: afternoon tea at some great locations across the county, a family pass to Stowe Gardens, hampers, wine, vouchers and much more! Tickets are with your secretary or available from WI House. Good luck!
Other prizes…
Canons Ashby admission for a family of four
Cottesbrooke Hall – entrance for two to gardens and hall
Rushton Hall Afternoon Tea for two
Mercure Hotel Daventry – Afternoon Tea for two
Stowe Gardens Family Pass
Stowe Gardens Family Pass
Stowe Gardens – Cream Tea for two
Jeyes Earls Barton – Afternoon Tea
Chester House – Afternoon Tea for two
6 bottles of wine
Vineyard Tour and Cream Tea for a group
Bottle of Stoneyfield Wine
Chocolate Hamper
Sewing - Craft Hamper
Arts and Crafts Hamper
Knitting Hamper
Travel Hamper
Voucher for Fresh Meat
Country walk with Goats
Baylis and Harding, Signature Bathing by Candlelight set
International Womens Day 2024. We were at the Guildhall Northampton making new friends and spreading the word!
