The Women’s Institute has moved with the times and these days it can be just as much about good causes, curry and karaoke as jam and Jerusalem
‘For Selina Prescott, friendship is the key to the Women’s Institute ethos, uniting people who may otherwise never meet – laughing, learning, and caring together’
Selina Prescott
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
There is a quiet revolution taking place in the villages and towns of Cheshire. Women are coming together to create more resilient communities and to campaign for a sustainable lifestyle.
They are the indomitable members of the Women’s Institute, which is as alive and kicking in the 21st century as it was in the last, and increasingly impacting multiple national and global concerns.
The vast and wide-ranging programme of events means members could be out every week taking part in activities from wild swimming to pub darts, community gardening to kind crochet and monthly meals out. Running alongside this are the WI campaigns seeking to inform government policy on a range of issues from climate change to equality and LGBTQ inclusivity.
There are now more than 180 WIs, with a total of 8,000-plus members in the Cheshire Federation, which includes Cheshire, Warrington, the Wirral and South Manchester, making it one of the largest federations in the country.
Selina Prescott of Lymm is the recently appointed Cheshire Federation chairman and she is expecting to have a busy term of service.
‘This year we are coming out of the pandemic and getting back up and running with all the activities,’ says Selina. ‘We have also just launched our first virtual WI, so people who can’t get out of the house, including carers and young mums, can be involved. We ran online activities throughout the pandemic to keep people together and we had some super speakers.’
For Selina, friendship is the key to the Women’s Institute ethos, uniting people who may otherwise never meet – laughing, learning, and caring together.
‘We are inclusive, and we encourage people to try out different WIs before they join, to see which one suits them best. We are all volunteers who put together a programme of inspirational speakers and activities according to what the members want,’ she says.
Selina first joined the WI after moving from Rainhill on Merseyside to Lymm and giving up her job to be a mum. She didn’t have her own car and didn’t know anyone and felt her confidence ebbing away, despite previously being a PA to a managing director. Becoming a member of the WI changed all that.
‘A neighbour invited me along, it was nice for me to go as ‘Selina’ rather than Matt’s mum or Brian’s wife. Once Matt went to school, I was asked to train as a WI advisor, and became a trustee of the Cheshire Federation before becoming vice chairman, and now president. It gave me back my confidence and I now stand up in front of hundreds of people to speak.
‘Any ladies looking to boost their self-worth and new opportunities for growth will find it through the WI, and will make many friends along the way,’ she says. ‘To quote our national chair: “Ask yourself, why are you not a member of the WI with its many benefits?”.’
The women of Cheshire WI
Cheshire Life asked six members of WI branches across the Cheshire Federation to explain why the institute is thriving and why it matters so much to them.
Charl Tinne
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Charl Tinne
‘When we lost one of our members, we stood outside at the funeral and hummed Jerusalem because we were not allowed to sing at the time during the pandemic. It showed our unity’
Charl who is in her 20s joined Cale Green Women’s Institute in 2019 after some of her friends had moved away after university.
Tell us about yourself
I am a student and carry out voluntary work. I am a single person, with no children, so I felt isolated.
What motivated you to join the WI?
I like editing videos and I saw some archive footage about the WI. It was from the 1950s and although it was the traditional image there was something about the energy of the women that drew me. Mentally, I was in a bad place at the time and I thought it would be something I would like to join.
What activities do you enjoy most?
The arts and crafts group and the monthly curry night. There are disco/bingo/quiz nights and a Christmas party. I like fundraising for our local charity and attending events where different groups come together.
What campaigns have you supported?
I took part, with North East Cheshire, in planting trees with the Woodland Trust. I am very interested in politics and I like how the WI chooses a resolution and takes it to parliament to help form a policy.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
When we lost one of our members, we stood outside at the funeral and hummed Jerusalem because we were not allowed to sing at the time during the pandemic. It showed our unity.
On World Kindness Day, we gave out homemade cakes and I have provided plants for our community garden on a piece of wasteland beside a busy main road, which brightens up the area.
What would you say to someone who might not think the WI is for them?
The WI is for everyone. Come along to a meeting before signing up. If you do not think it is for you, get involved and make it more you.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
It gives me goals to work towards and events to look forward to and every month I learn something from the interesting and varied speakers at our meetings. It has given me confidence – people remark on that. Since being in the WI, I have gone back into education, studying criminology and I am hoping to go into counter-terrorism.
Gwen Lewis
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Gwen Lewis
‘The WI has given me lifelong friendships. We do our best to support some of our elderly members and give the ones living alone a sense of belonging’
Gwen, who is in her 80s, is a member of Hale Barns WI and has just stepped down as president after six years. She has been secretary on several occasions.
Tell us about yourself
I have been a widow for 35 years and do not have any children.
What motivated you to join the WI?
I joined because I was retiring from my job and needed something to fill my time.
What activities do you enjoy most?
I enjoy organising trips such as days away for our WI, lunches and book clubs and I do my best to get members to take part.
What campaigns have you supported?
I have never been involved in national campaigns. My main objective is to keep our WI together and encourage new members.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
I am proud of the fact our WI members get on well and are so enthusiastic in the things they do. Our latest project is an allotment. Members have really worked hard in making it a workable plot as it was in such a bad state when first taken over.
What would you say to someone who might not think the WI is for them?
Give it a go. You will make many friends and find lots of activities to enjoy.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
The WI has given me lifelong friendships. We do our best to support some of our elderly members and give the ones living alone a sense of belonging.
Jenny Boswell
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Jenny Boswell
‘We asked members who used social media to help us raise awareness and soon we had more than doubled our membership’
Jenny, aged 36, is joint president of Cheadle and Gatley WI having joined in 2012.
Tell us about yourself
I work as a head of service for a social housing organisation where I manage several 24-hour services. I live with my husband Leon in Davenport.
What motivated you to join the WI?
Initially, my mum, Carol, and grandma, Joan, both joined because grandma had moved into the area and my mum offered to go to the WI with her. My mum was telling me about all the great things they’d been doing, and I said: ‘It sounds amazing – can I join in?’. I was 26 at the time.
What activities do you enjoy most?
My number one activity is our Big WI-Kender, which is a weekend of camping jam-packed with crafts, nature, outdoor adventures and most importantly laughter and friendship.
What campaigns have you supported?
The Alleviating Loneliness and Mental Health Matters WI campaigns struck a chord. Many of us found ways we could help and continue to do so.
From supporting the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness group, who make small items to leave in places where someone who may be feeling lonely or sad can find them and know they’re not alone, to having wellbeing ambassadors who keep in touch with members who might be going through a rough time.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
Our group made a commitment in 2014 to push forward on growing our membership. Many members helped to run stalls at local events and we got so many new members because they realised it wasn’t all just jam and Jerusalem. We asked members who used social media to help us raise awareness and soon we had more than doubled our membership.
What would you say to someone who might not think the WI is for them?
There is so much on offer at WI that there really is something for everyone to enjoy. It might be that you need to try several groups first but there’s a really good visitor process in place so you can do this.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
Being the president of my WI is extra special as it is testament to the faith our members have in me – to ensure the WI is well organised and offers a wide variety of activities to make every member feel welcome.
I feel so privileged to be given that responsibility and my position has also really helped me professionally because I’ve learnt so many skills that help me to be a better leader at work too.
Lorraine Rossiter
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Lorraine Rossiter
‘To be part of forming this WI and making it grow so that its foundations become strongly embedded in Wistaston for many years to come is something that gives me great pride’
Lorraine, aged 60, is the first president of Wistaston Swans, a new WI founded just a year ago, which has grown from 10 women getting together on Zoom to 90-plus members of all ages and backgrounds.
Tell us about yourself
I am a qualified accountant and have worked as a support service manager at Cheshire East Council. I am married to John who runs his own business. I also help manage his business accounts, with our 19-year-old daughter Hayley dealing with the marketing aspects of the business as well as working full time herself.
What motivated you to join the WI?
A new chapter began as Hayley started high school and gained her independence as she passed her driving test and I became slightly redundant, as most mums do at some point. But it was a good wake-up call to show it was time for me to find some new interests for myself to enjoy instead of focusing all of my time and energy on my family and work.
What activities do you enjoy most?
I have enjoyed our WI walks in Wistaston, making new friends and the amazing array of speakers. We have so many sub-committees set up including wild water swimming, rambling, theatre trips, quizzes and a book club.
What campaigns have you supported?
We are just finding our feet so this is something that will begin in the coming year.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
To have set up this WI while Covid was around and has brought 90 people together that may never have met, made friends, and shared experiences.
What would you say to someone who might not think the WI is for them?
We have chosen to make our new WI as friendly as possible by having a dedicated welcoming team who ensure any new members are not on their own when they come through the door.
Any ideas and interests are welcomed, and we want to make this a WI that all our members have made happen.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
To be part of forming this WI and making it grow so that its foundations become strongly embedded in Wistaston for many years to come is something that gives me great pride and represents what the WI has aspired to achieve within so many locations throughout the country.
Edwina Oldham
– Credit: Kirsty Thompson
Edwina Oldham
‘What a journey – something I had never dreamt of but thoroughly enjoyed. I have made such wonderful friends along the way and been to places I would never have known about’
Edwina, aged 87, is a former federation chairman and member of Lower Peover WI.
Tell us about yourself
I am a widow with three adult children and seven grandchildren.
What motivated you to join the WI?
My mother-in-law and sister-in-law were already members and I wanted to get to know more people in my village.
What activities do you enjoy most?
Anything to do with craft.
What campaigns have you supported and been especially interested in?
Raising awareness of chlorofluorocarbons, endometriosis, and overdosing with paracetamol. There are so many to list.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
We are very much part of the village, supporting and taking part in events and festivals.
What would you say to someone considering becoming a member but who thinks it might not be for them?
Try it. You can attend three meetings to see if you like it before having to become a member.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
I trained to be a national federation craft judge and a judge of interpretation and staging. This meant I judged at WI and village shows in Cheshire and also county shows all over the country, including the Royal Show and the Royal Welsh Show.
I was a vice chairman of Cheshire Federation of Women’s Institutes and then treasurer of CFWI for four years, before becoming chairman in 1995.
What a journey – something I had never dreamt of but thoroughly enjoyed. I have made such wonderful friends along the way and been to places I would never have known about.
I urge anyone to join the WI, you do not know where it will lead. One of my friends once said that being a WI member is a way of life.
Yamin Limbert
– Credit: Jade Wright
Yasmin Limbert
‘I never cease to be amazed at the rich and diverse collection of women it attracts and now these women are my friends’
Yasmin Limbert, aged 54, joined the Wirral Belles in 2008 and was part of the committee. In 2019, with two friends, she formed a new WI in her hometown of West Kirby, which now has 120 members.
Tell us about yourself
I work as a community learning co-ordinator delivering workshops to adults needing support with health and wellbeing. I have been married to Sean for 22 years and we have three children: Archie 21, Henry 18 and Kei 15. I am originally from London but have lived on the Wirral for 18 years.
What motivated you to join the WI?
I love being part of a community. I had friends from the school gate but wanted something that was about me, separate from family life.
Katrina Hartley, the local WI adviser told me there was a new, younger group just starting. They would not be all jam and Jerusalem and Victoria sponges – although I did want a bit of that. Katrina has now been one of my very good friends for 14 years and was also the adviser who helped us set up West Kirby WI.
What activities do you enjoy most?
I’m part of a supper group that meets once a month and has dinner parties at each other’s homes and this has extended to weekends away. I’m also on a darts team, which by nature meets in the pub; even our committee meetings take place in the pub.
What have you and fellow members achieved that you are proud of?
In 2010 I entered the WI’s national competition searching for the Cook of The Year. I got through to the final held at the Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham.
We had to cook live in front of an audience and were judged by Brian Turner. My WI friends were there to cheer me on and I’m very pleased to say that I won. This gave me the confidence to enter The Great British Bake Off in 2011, where I managed to reach the quarter-final.
How does being a member of the WI enrich your life?
Sean and I decided to renew our wedding vows in 2014 in a barn on a local farm. The women of the WI really came together, and we produced the most perfect community wedding.
Miles of bunting was sewn, floral table centres were arranged, and my bouquet was made from paper flowers. I even had a WI friend acting as the celebrant. I would never have been able to pull it off without them.
In 2017 along with my very good friend Lorraine Anderson, with whom I formed West Kirby WI, I cycled across Cuba to raise money for Genesis Research Trust. Lorraine and I raised £7000 through fundraising events and sponsorship. This again was achieved with the support of WI friends who turned up at every fundraiser.
The WI is so much more than the monthly meeting. I never cease to be amazed at the rich and diverse collection of women it attracts and now these women are my friends – friends who have made a positive impact on my life through their love, support, good sense of humour. And cake.
cheshirewi.org.uk
