We are based in the pretty village of Eckington, Worcestershire, just outside the AONB of the Cotswolds. The River Avon is just down the road with its famous Eckington Bridge and we have fabulous views of Bredon Hill as well as the Malvern Hills.
We meet once a month at the Village Hall where we have a speaker or demonstration, followed by a cup of tea and a chat. There is a wide diversity of topics ranging from music & film to local celebrities & people to environmental issues to fashions. We also link in with other WIs to help broaden and diversify our opportunities. The WI also has its own college based in Oxfordshire which offers day and residential courses in cookery, craft and lifestyle. We play a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.
DID YOU KNOW that Eckington WI are responsible for looking after the Parish Flowerboxes at the entrances to the village as well as the 'Book Exchange' at the telephone kiosk? We take pride in helping the village to look its best.
So whether you have just moved to the village or have been here for some years, and whether you just want somewhere to go & have a little chat or to take advantage of the opportunity the WI can provide, why not give us a try? We welcome women of all ages and interests and so look forward to seeing you!
DID YOU KNOW the WI has a long history of campaigning on a wide range of issues. WI campaigns are about changing things for the better and tackling the issues that matter to members. Members are at the heart of the WI and they play a central role in bringing issues onto the WI's national agenda through our public affairs and campaigning. From equal pay to climate change, from gaps in the midwifery workforce to the plight of the honey bee, WI members have embraced a diverse set of challenges and built a reputation for the WI as a practical and ambitious organisation that doesn't shy away from tricky issues. Our resolutions and mandates process means every campaign starts within our membership. There are 2 resolutions to be debated at the 2017 National Annual Meeting. They are: Alleviating loneliness : This meeting calls on every WI and the NFWI to work alongside health and social care providers and their local community to raise awareness of the causes and impacts of loneliness, thus ensuring better identification of lonely people in order to be able to offer them the appropriate assistance and support.
Plastic Soup: Keep microplastic fibres out of our ocean. Microplastic fibres are shed from synthetic clothing with every wash and are the main contributors to microplastic contamination of the oceans. The NFWI calls on Government and industry to research and develop innovative solutions to this problem in order to stop the accumulation of microplastic fibres in our oceans. (there is an excellent short video demonstrating this problem - https://youtu.be/BqkekY5t7KY)