Celebrity entrepreneurs address National WI Annual Meeting
The Women's Institute celebrated its 110th year with two celebrity entrepreneurs speaking at its National Annual Meeting; Emma Bridgewater and Angel Strawbridge - both being supporters of the WI. It was held online with thousands of members able to access proceedings.
Staffordshire Federation of Women's Institutes held a Watch Party at Philanthropy House in Stafford where the Annual Meeting was live-streamed from London. Delegates and Observers from across Staffordshire came together to hear the speakers and follow the debates - with delicious refreshments.
Tea - cups and the drink - wove through the speakers' stories with Emma Bridgewater telling how she wanted a pretty cup and saucer for her mother and found that there was a gap in the market which she eventually filled with her beautiful and practical designs. Emma has designed a mug to celebrate the WI's 110th anniversary using colours and images reflecting its history.
Over 40,000 pieces of pottery are produced in her premises in Stoke-on-Trent a week and the company has been awarded B Corp certification.
The Keynote Speaker was Angel Strawbridge, founder of the Vintage Patisserie, a glamorous hospitality company, author of the Vintage Tea Party Series, and perhaps most known and loved for being co-owner - alongside husband Dick - of the Château-de-la-Motte Husson; featured in the hugely popular Channel 4 series Escape to the Château.
Angel is a life-long fan and supporter of the WI, and personifies its ethos of passing on valuable skills and traditions to generations of women. She shared details of her life in France and how her family has become an integral part of the local community.
The Annual Meeting passed resolutions to modernise its governing documents to ensure a sustainable future and the Chair, Jeryl Stone, announced that 22,000 women joined as new members over the last 12 months. The WI remains the largest women's organisation in England, Wales and The Islands with 5,500 WIs. She was pleased to say that the new online Learning Hub takes over 5,000 bookings per month from members who can access the platform free of charge.
The WI has a proud history of campaigning for change. This year's Public Affairs Resolution proposal was passed in respect of increasing public confidence and training in using CPR and defibrillators - Bystanders can be Lifesavers.
The British Heart Foundation speaker urged people to spend 15 minutes to learn how to recognise a cardiac arrest, administer CPR and use a defibrillator by watching its free video online by searching RevivR, then encouraging friends and family to do the same. The public can make a positive difference to the survival rate of those who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest.
More information on the WI in general can be found at nfwi.org and for information on the Staffordshire Federation of Women's Institutes, visit sfwi.org where there is a link to their Facebook page.
