Campaigns and Concerns, with Media

Campaigning is at the heart of the WI and Media is all about promoting our wonderful organisation.
It makes sense for the two committees to work together. (click on photos for more news)

Update from Jean McLeish (Bugbrooke WI) Chair of Campaigns, Concerns and Media
July August 2025
It is probably no great surprise that this year’s Resolution “Bystanders can be Lifesavers” was adopted at the NFWI Annual Meeting on 4 June 2025. When Federation Trustees and Advisers visited WIs over the last few months there was strong support for the resolution which was obviously the case across all Federations. The resolution will form the basis of a WI Campaign and in the next few months National will develop a campaign plan for WIs to use. However, talking to many WIs in the Federation several have already started to plan their own campaigns. It could be arranging CPR training for the own members or the wider community, fundraising for a defibrillator in their areas or raising awareness of the disparity in the survival rate between women and men. If your WI is already planning some activities please let me know, it would be great to hear from you.

EARLIER CAMPAIGNS	CLIMATE CHANGE AND "SHOW THE LOVE"	CLEAN RIVERS

Update from Campaigns, Concerns and Media Chairman, Jean McLeish (Bugbrooke WI)
To support our Dental Health Matters Campaign, National Federation conducted a survey of WI members and issued a report which highlighted the lack of access to NHS dental care is hittingwomen the hardest and deepening a uniquely gendered health crisis. A copy of the report can be found on MyWI. https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/public-affairs-and- campaigns/news-and-action /dental-health- report-launch The report concludes with the areas the NFWI is asking the Government to address. WIs can support this by contacting their MPs to highlight the report and seeking their support.
The Yarnbombing project is attracting lots of publicity, which is raising our profile, and we hope will attract more women to the WI. Chris Carr and members of the Yarnbombing team were recently interviewed by Radio Northampton, Chris has also been interviewed on NLive and Greatest Hits Radio. We have featured in WI Life and a number of our members took part in Northampton’s St George’s Day event in Market Square teaching Children, and adults, how to knit and crochet. The team are also making cascades of roses which will form part of the Northampton in Bloom display, so more publicity to follow.

The monthly meeting at Barton Seagrave WI was a craft workshop to "Show the Love" where they made green hearts in various materials. They then  created a lovely display at Barton Seagrave Village Hall to increase the awareness of Climate Change.

Many thanks to member, Val Goldfinch, Towcester Evening WI, for lending her brilliant Green Heart artwork and to Gemma at Zap and Toes for displaying it so well in their shop window.
This will help the WI to promote the The Climate Coalition Show the Love event taking place in Towcester on 14 February.
The WI (National Federation of Women's Institutes)

Moulton Evening WI members walking at the Reclaim the Night event in Northampton. They took to the the streets with others to raise their collective voices against sexual violence and harassment. Well done ladies.  WI banners held high and you look as though you wrapped up warm for the night!

https://www.northamptonshirerapecrisis.co.uk/.../reclaim.../

Members of Hunsbury Hill WI also 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. They also touched base HHWIs charity of the year EVE who support women suffering from domestic abuse. Well done team on what was a very cold evening

.