Week 21 - Packington & Maxstoke

Introduce yourself

Hi, my name is Margaret Roper and I am member of the Packington and Maxstoke WI in Warwickshire. I am a recent addition to the Committee and serve as the Press and Publicity Officer. After working as a scientist in the Pharmaceutical industry in Australia for over 20 years I had a complete change of lifestyle and spent four years gaining my PhD is Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham where I met my husband. I currently work as a Library Assistant in the Special Collections library at the University of Birmingham surrounded by old and rare books and archives which is a delight.

Why did you become a member of the WI?

When I moved permanently from Australia to the UK last year I knew no one in the local area, except my husband and his family and I really wanted to settle in and feel that I was part of my local community. So I joined the WI and what a wonderful, warm and welcoming experience it has been.

How would you sum up your WI?

The Packington and Maxstoke WI is a dynamic and diverse group of women with boundless energy and enthusiasm and a great community spirit. There is also the advantage of meeting in a stately home, Packington Hall, surrounded by a beautiful garden and a deer park!

Why would you encourage other women to get involved in the WI?

Through the WI I met some amazing people, I have gained a fantastic group of friends, had much fun, and learnt a lot too from speakers and craft days and just speaking with the members. Now I not only feel part of the community but also feel I am contributing to it too. I would encourage anyone who eager to learn, make new friends and participate in their community to join the WI.

What are you most looking forward to as part of the WI centenary in 2015?

I am looking forward to the continuing celebrations of the Centenary year, I attended the baton handover luncheon in Warwickshire last year and am looking forward to a trip to Anglesey, home of the first WI meeting. I am particularly looking forward to the Centennial Fair in Harrogate in September which will be a great celebration of our wonderful and important organisation.

Week 20 - Charlbury

Introduce yourself

My name is Louise Cashman, I'm 51 and I’m the Secretary for Charlbury WI in West Oxfordshire and I also manage the marketing side of things.  Charlbury is part of a group of five local WIs (the Evenlode Group) and together we come under the Oxfordshire Federation.  I live with my husband & our Labradors & have one daughter who’s away at uni.  I work full-time for a publishing company in Oxford as a print-buyer (I‘m responsible for printing the Marketing team’s publicity).   

Why did you become a member of the WI?

I lived in a fairly remote rural spot at the time and wanted to feel more a part of the local community.  I also wanted something more varied that an evening sport or hobby class.

How would you sum up your WI?

Ours is a market town WI and as such, we have a real diversity of ages, backgrounds and characters. We're a good mix of both the traditional and modern face of the WI - we have fund-raising cake sales & recently started up a Yack & Yarn group,  but then also make full use of social media to attract new members and last summer took craft workshops (with a yarn bomb theme) at a trendy local music festival.

Why would you encourage other women to get involved in the WI?

You’ll have an instant group of friends, hear talks on subjects you’d never have looked into yourself & enjoy the opportunity to learn & use new skills (committee, Denman, community events).

What are you most looking forward to as part of the WI centenary in 2015?

Sharing the sense of pride and community that members have in the organisation.

Week 19 - Teddington

Introduce yourself

I'm Sarah Hallett and I'm the social media representative of the Teddington WI. I was asked to join our branch's committee in October 2014 and I am enjoying the role a lot. I'm a full time Mum to 2 children, Amy who is 11 and James who is 9. Before having my children I was a regional training manager for Monsoon.

Why did you become a member of the WI?

I was introduced to the WI by friends who were already members. I like the fact that you get to meet a wide range of people with different backgrounds.

How would you sum up your WI?

Teddington WI is a great group of characters, all keen to learn something new, make new friends and having a great time doing it.... we're a very social bunch!

Why would you encourage other women to get involved in the WI?

Getting involved in the WI brings you into contact with a lot of great likeminded people who live in the same area as you. The monthly meetings cover a wide range of different topics, so you're always learning new skills or nuggets of information, or just having a great night out once a month. It's great fun... you'll never regret joining!

What are you most looking forward to as part of the WI centenary in 2015?

I'm excited to be part of the WI in this centenary year. It's a great milestone and something I think we are all proud of in our local group. We are all looking forward to some great times ahead and having another successful year.