ABOUT US
Three sub-committees and one working group help to keep Surrey WI members busy:
- Events, Leisure and Fundraising Committee
- Home Economics, Craft and Gardening Committee
- Membership Committee
- Digital Working Group
EVENTS, LEISURE AND FUNDRAISING
Events, Leisure and Fundraising (ELF) is responsible for organising, promoting, and encouraging member participation in a wide range of activities covering; educational opportunities, introductions to various sports and pastimes, artistic pursuits, and social occasions such as coach outings, literary and other lunches or suppers which help raise funds for the Federation. The team organise and run the raffle at the ACM and AFM and arrange auditions for speakers who, if successful, are listed in the SFWI Yearbook.
HOME ECONOMICS, CRAFT AND GARDENING
The WI is known for its skill in home economics and crafts and this sub-committee has now added gardening to its brief. It holds classes in all types of cookery and craft work including floral art, talks, demonstrations and day schools. An important part of its work is to encourage members to take courses in nationally recognised certificates so they can pass on their knowledge. We train members to become judges at county and village shows. Under the Let’s Cook Local banner our volunteers run six-week cookery courses in schools and show young parents from disadvantaged backgrounds how to make economic, healthy family meals using locally produced fresh food.
MEMBERSHIP
This sub-committee is responsible for the welfare and development of WIs in the Federation. WI Advisers are trained by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and reappointed annually. Helping to set up new WIs is an enjoyable part of an Adviser’s work, and while some WIs inevitably close due to demographics or lack of volunteers to take on officer roles, new WIs keep springing up. We support new Presidents and Secretaries through workshops to help them understand and carry out their roles. Each WI in the Federation belongs to a Group based on their geographic area and sub-committee members are actively involved in Group committee meetings and social events.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
We are a small, growing group trying to ensure that all Surrey members relate to the campaigns and resolutions mandated by NFWI. It is our task to engage all Surrey WIs in acting upon the campaigns and also assist with the writing of clear and accurate resolutions before they are presented to NFWI for inclusion in their ‘long list’.
All new members are welcome.
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