BEHIND THE HEADLINES: The WI - much more than just jam and Jerusalem

THE Women’s Institute has been behind some of the biggest social changes in British history since it first met in the UK in Anglesey on September 16, 1915.

Since then it has grown to become the largest women’s voluntary organisation in the UK with over 212,000 members across 6,600 Institutes.

Around a thousand members from across Gwent will join the centenary celebrations tomorrow by holding five simultaneous tea parties.

The Women’s Institute has long been associated as a place where older ladies go to make jam and sing Jerusalem but this could not be further from the truth.

The WI was established during the First World War to educate rural women, and to encourage countrywomen to get involved in growing and preserving food to help to increase the supply of food to the war-torn nation. Education and the sharing of skills have always been at the heart of the organisation, and this remains true today.

Originating in Canada in 1897, it was set up as a branch of the farmers’ institute to bring isolated women together.

Once the war was over in the 1920s the newly-formed WI’s, under chairwoman Lady Denman, began to concentrate on planning activities to suit their members. They were urged to stand for parish and district councils and for the committees dealing with health and housing. The hymn Jerusalem was first sung at the AGM in 1924, starting a tradition that continues to this day.

By the 1930s the movement had become firmly established in the countryside. Members took part in music festivals, country dancing, pageants and plays.

During the Second World War the WI’s felt it was important to maintain their meetings as normally as possible. The organisation contributed to the Home Front, co-operating with caring for evacuees and growing and preserving food. Between 1940 and 1945 over 5,300 tons of fruit was preserved, providing food for the nation. In 1948 the WI’s Denman College opened.

Once the war was over, the WI concentrated on getting back to normal as quickly as possible.

In 1952 a national craft exhibition was staged at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the centrepiece of which was a huge wall hanging depicting The Work of Women in War. The NFWI continued its campaigning work and the highlight of this decade was the setting up of Keep Britain Tidy Group.

They celebrated the Golden Jubilee in 1965 with a memorable garden party at Buckingham Palace and raised more than £185,000 for the Freedom from Hunger Campaign.

In 1974 the number of WI’s reached its highest ever. The 1980s brought a three-year campaign to raise the profile of the WI and a promotion bus toured the country and the WI made its first appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The 90’s saw the WI celebrate its 75th anniversary, with the Queen attending the AGM.

At the Triennial General Meeting at the Wembley Arena in 2000 they ‘slow handclapped’ Tony Blair to show they were a force to be reckoned with. The coverage they received in the media changed the general public’s image of the WI.

Whilst the meeting venues might have changed from the local village hall to local café, the ethos and reputation of the WI remains the same, and women join now to meet new friends, learn new skills and make a difference on matters that are important to them now as fellow members did in 1915.

Whilst the Institute admits there will always be jam making, members may find new-age petanque, crafts, creative writing, race nights and excursions on offer.

Today there are more than 6,000 new WI’s, with over 500 of those formed in the past six years.

The Gwent Federations has 1,450 members in more than 50 WI’s.

Marian Martin is the chairwoman and part of her role is to ensure new branches open and to strengthen the ones already established.

She said: “People think we are just a group that meets for tea but we are so much more than that.

“We are always exploring new things.

“The WI has evolved into something that is forward-thinking and makes good use of technology through newsletters and social media.

“The WI offers women the opportunity to discuss public affairs, learn new skills, crafts, sports and much more within a social, safe and relaxed environment with like-minded women.”

She explained that it began life as the Monmouthshire Federation on February 21, 1921, at a meeting in The Angel Hotel, Abergavenny, when there were 12 Institutes.

She added: “These were mainly in the Abergavenny area, with one in St Mellons, on the outskirts of Newport. Over the years there has been over 80 WIs in Gwent open at one time, but several small ones have closed in the more rural areas while new ones have opened in other areas.

“The number of members in each WI varies from about 12 to 80 and each one is run by its own committee who decides on their programme of events so they are all different.”

The first branch to open in Monmouthshire as it was then was Llantilio Crossenny, near Abergavenny, in February 1919, followed by Llantilio Pertholey.

Kath Powell is one of the longest-serving members, having joined Llantilio Crossenny in the late 1960’s.

“I remember joining the group with my friend Hazel when we heard they were looking for new members,” explained Mrs Powell.

“I served as the secretary for a time and also on the catering committee.

“There were around 20 of us who used to meet at The Hostry in one of the sitting rooms or in the hall if it was not too cold.

“Nowadays we meet at Llanvapley Village Hall. I’ve made lifelong friends through the WI. It’s been an important way of getting to know people and I’m thoroughly enjoying it”

Llantilio Crossenny’s president, Lin Morris, has followed in her mother’s footsteps by joining the group in 2009.

In September of last year the branch brought out its archives to find out about its early days.

“We have all the records which is wonderful,” Ms Morris said. “There are accounts of what they would do when they first opened in 1919 ranging from poultry-making to knitting.”

The youngest is Beechwood in Newport, which opened in January this year and already has over 50 members. The branch aims to be contemporary and lively and has its own page on the social networking site Facebook and is active on Twitter.

“The publicity the WI has received nationally over the year has been great and in Gwent we have opened a new WI branch at Beechwood, Newport, which is going from strength to strength,” explained the Gwent Federation’s chairwoman, Mrs Martin.

“Our membership in the Federation has increased by a hundred over the year with new enquiries coming in often.

“Hopefully the new members and potential new members are beginning to see past the old image of Jam and Jerusalem to see WI offers a lot more than that and it has developed and changed with the times, embracing new ideas and campaigning on issues that affect us all – such as calling for more mid wives, care not custody, elimination of violence against women, fair prices for milk for our dairy farmers and helping the bees and more.”

Usk WI member, Judith Meese, who also sits on the board of trustees said it is an exciting time for the federation.

“There have been twelve of us who have been involved in organising the centenary celebrations,” she said.

“Everyone is looking forward to it and many of those who attended the garden party at Buckingham Palace have been encouraged to wear their outfits and hats to the tea parties.”

“There is no better time for the Institute than now. Gwent is proud to be a part of the centenary and its lovely that the parties are being held at the same time.”

Centenary celebrations began last year when a specially-designed baton started its journey around the UK. The baton launched in Anglesey and has travelled through the 69 federations in England, Wales and the islands to celebrate the links of friendship and community developed through the WI. It visited Tredegar House, Newport, Monmouth, Raglan, Llandenny, Llangybi, Usk, Caerleon, Blaenavon, Newbridge, Earlswood, Gilwern and Llanfoist before reaching the annual meeting in June at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In May this year the federation visited an exhibition in Anglesey which had 13 panels created by the 13 federations of Wales. Each panel depicted a different time period showing what the WI was involved in at the time. The Gwent branches created panel eleven depicting the period between 2000-2009.

In June 70 members went to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the presence of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and a few days later members were at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen at our annual meeting.

Vice-chairwoman, Elaine Street, who has been a member of Little Mill WI for ten years, said they have had a ‘wonderful’ centenary year.

“Tomorrow we are holding five simultaneous centenary tea parties throughout the county tomorrow at Whiteheads Sports Club, Bassaleg, Green Meadow Golf Club, Cwmbran, Llanarth Village Hall, Caldicot Choir Hall and Llandogo,” Ms Street added.“We intend on ending the year with a special carol service at St Woolos Cathedral, Newport.”