HOW TO USE OUR DOCUMENT LIBRARY
Use the tabs down below to select the types of document you are looking for. To open the document please click on the ‘View Document’ button against the description. You can then print it off or download as required.
Online documents for the NFWI and SFWI Annual Meetings are available here on the Federation and NFWI Meetings page.
The following are for information for Committee members.
The WI Handbook
The document produced by NFWI. It explains everything related to the running of a WI for officers and members.
The WI Constitution
The Governing document for the WI.
The SFWI Constitution
The Governing document for SFWI.
The NFWI Constitution
The Governing document for NFWI.
New Members Pack
Welcome to our new Members Pack. Please share this with those who have recently joined your WI and any future members as an introduction to being a member of your WI, Surrey Federation and the NFWI.
Keeping Records
This document advises which documents need to be kept usually by the WI Secretary or Treasurer and for how long. Documents such as past minutes and old scrapbooks can be lodged with the Surrey History Centre where they can be viewed when required. Contact the Federation Archivist for advice.
The WI Year
This document for the WI Year is a list of the various items that occur on a WI committee’s agenda at regular times during the year.
Guidance Notes for Tellers
This document informs Tellers, who are invited to another WI’s annual meeting, what is expected of them as the role of Teller.
Teller Voting Record
This chart should be used to inform the outcome of any vote.
NFWI AGM Linking List
This chart should be used to inform the outcome of any vote.
Pubic Liability Insurance Certificate
The current Public Liability Insurance Certificate may need to be presented when planning an event. The insurance is arranged through the federation and therefore any claim on the insurance must be passed to the Federation Treasurer for processing. This is a federation insurance and therefore all hall bookings whether made in the name of the WI, Group or federation and will be covered by the insurance. The insurance certificate is only valid for a year and is automatically renewed in April when a new certificate will be uploaded as soon as possible.
Risk Assessment Form
Please use this form to assess the risk of the outing or activity that you are going to organise.
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The following forms should be completed and returned as indicated so that the Federation is kept up to date with your information and requirements.
Expense Form
On completion of this expense form it should be passed to your WI Treasurer along with original supporting invoices or receipts to enable payment to be made.
New WI Member Registration Form
On completion of this form it should be passed to your MCS rep to log any new member to your WI.
SWIN Application Form
This is currently not available due to an administrative error
Application For WI Adviser To Attend WI Annual Meeting
If your committee would like a WI Adviser to attend your annual meeting (usually in November) you should complete this form. You should be aware that if you are likely to suspend the WI at the annual meeting then you must complete this form, since only a WI Adviser can suspend a WI. The completed form should be returned to the Federation office before the Friday 29 August 2025.
WI Information Form
These are required after a WI’s annual meeting so that the Federation is advised of details of the new committee. This is then checked against the MCS before the data is used to compile the President and Secretary lists for all WIs. This form should be returned to the Federation office at the beginning of December.
Trustee Eligibility Declaration Form
Members of the NFWI Board, Surrey Federation Board or WI Committee are all charity trustees. Please refer to the Charity Commission’s ‘The Essential Trustee’ booklet for more information on the basic duties of a charity trustee. This form is used to declare that you are willing to act as a Trustee of the named organisation.
WI Resolutions Selection Voting Form
This form is to be used to report how many members voted for each of the NFWI Resolutions on the short list.
Stationery Order Form
Please use this form if you need to order any new NFWI stationery for your WI such as an Account book, or Subscription receipt book.
In order to encourage WI members to meet and mix with those from other WIs, the concept of Groups was started. WIs are identified in areas to form a Group, which is run by a Co-ordinator, an Assistant Co-ordinator (Secretary) and Treasurer, all of whom are elected by the members at the Group annual meeting in March/April. The Group holds at least one meeting a year where the Presidents of all the WIs in the Group get together with the Group WI Adviser to be briefed and updated on Federation news and information. Apart from the annual meeting, some Groups organise other social occasions with speakers or entertainers and outings. All Groups are run in the same way as a WI and produce an annual report and financial statement. Not all WIs are members of a Group but they are affiliated to a Group and their President usually attends the Presidents’ meeting.
Group Structure And Terms of Reference
This document provides the information about how the Groups are be organised by the Co-ordinator.
Group Financial Statement Proforma
The Group financial year usually ends at the end of December. This proforma is supplied for the Group Treasurer to complete as the Financial Statement for the Group.
Group Annual Review Form
This form should be completed after the Group Annual Meeting and returned to the Federation Secretary. This form reports on the activities of the Group in the last year.
Group Information Form
This form should be completed after the Group Annual meeting and returned to the Federation Secretary so that the Federation has a record of the new committee.
For anyone new to being the Membership Communication System (MCS) representative, the following documents will help.
To access MCS you need to go to National’s website at www.theWI.org.uk
At the bottom of the home page is a link to MCS so click on that. To log on your old MCS rep must have added you as the new rep to the system first via the Positions option and your email address MUST be on your details on the database.
Should your email address not be on the database you will need to contact the SFWI Office to add this to your details before you can log on.
MCS Email Basic Details
This document shows you how to log on and use the system.
Changing Positions In Your WI
This document shows you how to change positions of members that are on your committee.
How to Add a Dual Member
This document shows you how to add a dual member to the system.
The following are for information with reference to booking and paying speakers.
Confidential Report on Speakers Form
This form should be completed and returned to SFWI for every speaker who has attended a WI meeting to provide feedback about speakers. Even if the speaker is not on the Speakers List a report should be sent, because it may be decided that good outside speakers need to be on the list. These reports also enable us to review the list so that it includes a good selection of satisfactory speakers.
2025 Speaker Listing
The yearbook is now an online only document, to get to the speaker details please click the on the speaker’s name in the index and it will jump to their details.
Speakers Invoice
This invoice should be used if the Speaker does not provide one for your Treasurer to pay against. It is in Word format so that you can personalise it for your WI.
Confirmation of Booking Form
This form should be sent to Speakers to confirm the booking for one of your meetings. It is in Word format so that you can personalise it for your WI.
Speakers Booking Form
This form should be sent to Speakers you are requiring to book for one of your meetings. It is in Word format so that you can personalise it for your WI.
The following are for information for Treasurers.
Treasurer Handbook
This document is intended to assist the Treasurer in carrying out her task.
Notes for Treasurers
A selection of items aimed at helping Treasurers produce a better set of financial statements.
Accounts Spreadsheet
This SFWI spreadsheet should be used by all Surrey WI Treasurers for writing up WI accounts. For WIs who have a lot of receipts or more than one bank account please contact the office for an adapted spreadsheet.
Financial Statement
Members using hard copies for maintaining their accounts should use the SFWI Financial statement. There are two versions:
- a PDF version for printing off and filling in by hand; or
- an Excel version for completing electronically
Instructions for Paying Subscriptions
Membership Subscriptions Information
This is a copy of the letter sent out by NFWI informing Federations about the fees for the following year with the breakdown and pro rata rates. This letter is usually sent out in October but does not come into effect until April. The WI membership year changed in 2021 to 1 April to 31 March.
Membership Subscriptions Payment Form
This form is to be used to pay the SFWI and NFWI portion of the membership subscriptions for all full members. Payment of pooling of fares, insurance and accommodation etc is also included in the payment form. Any pro rata subscriptions received in the last quarter of the year should also be covered on this form.
Additional Subscriptions Payment Form
This additional membership subscription form for 2025/26 is to be used to pay the SFWI and NFWI portion of the membership subscriptions for all members for whom you have not already made a payment in April. Payments should be made as soon as possible after the end of each quarter. The quarter end dates are 30 June, 30 September, 31 December and 31 March. Two formats supplied, Excel for completing electronically and pdf to print off and complete.
Application For A Federation Trained IFEx
All WIs should have their accounts examined and signed off to present to their members at the Annual Meeting, usually held in November. WI Treasurers are encouraged to use a Federation trained IFEx to do this work but need to apply by the Friday 6 June 2025.
Gift Aid Declaration Form
This form should be completed by all members for whom the WI is claiming Gift Aid. Two formats are supplied, Excel for completing electronically and pdf to print off and complete.
RESOURCES
