Lancashire Federation of Women's Institutes

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Your membership support team (wi advisers)

In brief, and according to MyWI,  advisers:

  • form new WIs and help grow existing groups
  • promote the WI at outside events
  • visit other WIs and attend meetings
  • plan and run training sessions - such as public speaking, training treasurers and helping secretaries and presidents in their role
  • support struggling WIs and suspend WIs when necessary
  • keep the Federation informed of WI activities and opinions


We would also  like you to know!

  • Just like you, your WI Adviser is  a WI member who is passionate about every member getting the best she can from her WI experience
  • Advisers have been trained by NFWI and work under the authority and guidance of the Federation Board of Trustees
  • Advisers are volunteers
  • Advisers aim to support, encourage, assist ,advise, share ideas and try to help you find the answers to queries and problems
  • Advisers are only a phone call or an email away

MEET THE MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT TEAM!

Ruth Grimley

  

I have been a WI Adviser since 2015. I so enjoyed visiting WIs to give my report after an NFWI Annual meeting that I wanted to do more with the Federation. 


I live in the Preston area but have WIs all over Lancashire. I really enjoy meeting the challenges of WI and supporting those who are having difficulties. It's also great to be involved in celebrations and the good things that WI offers.  


In my spare time I enjoy gardening - well pulling up weeds and cutting back brambles in a garden restoration I am involved in!


Jane Jackson

 I have been a member of Norden WI since February 2014 and am now also a dual member of Cherestanc WI.


I have been both a WI President and Secretary.


I am involved at Federation level as a member of the Leisure Activities Team and also an IFE. 


I trained as a WI Adviser in February 2021 which I enjoyed tremendously and which gave me even greater insight into how amazing the WI is.


I feel proud to be a member of such a fabulous organisation for women. 

Anne Neal

 I was born and grew up in Farnworth near Bolton. 


My Hobbies include crafting, genealogy and photography. 


Employment throughout my life has been varied with most being office based.  


Being a qualified counsellor has enabled me to work as a volunteer for various charities in the past.


I only joined the WI 7 years ago while living on Anglesey where the birth of the WI started in the UK. Up until that time I always thought the WI was just ‘jam and Jerusalem’. I was proved wrong.


I now live in Darwen and am a member of Hoddlesden WI 

Helen Aldcroft

Brought up in the Kent, University in Manchester brought me back to my Northern family roots.


I worked as a Primary School Teacher and Deputy Head for 23 years - a job I loved and felt very passionate about.  However, I was extremely fortunate to be able to have a 'life change' back in 2013 and began to explore other interests and challenges.


I live about as far east in Lancashire as you can get, and I have been a member of Milnrow and District WI since its formation in 2016. I have been President since 2019.  Being a member of the WI has brought so many wonderful things - laughter, friendships, new skills and so many experiences. I am known as the Jam Queen!


I have recently (July 2022) completed the 7 month training course to become a WI Adviser and am very much looking forward to getting to know many of the Lancashire WIs better and being of support to them.

Rosalind McEntee

I live  in Preston with my husband and feel extremely fortunate to have joined the WI; it has given me new friendships and encouraged me to try new things.


I joined Ashton-on-Ribble  WI in January 2016  and have since been President, Vice President, Secretary  and Treasurer.


I am training to be an Adviser and am enjoying the challenge of gaining as much experience as possible to help inform me of how I can assist other WIs.


** Congratulations to Rosalind for completing her training. The Board of Trustees have happily approved Rosalind's full adviser status and she is already out and about in her clusters supporting WIs. **

Downloads

See below for link to the Cluster Group Lists - see which other WIs are in your cluster, who is your named Board of Trustee member, named WI Adviser and allocated Financial adviser .

(All contact details are shown)

WI Cluster Groupings with contact (xlsx)

Download

Cluster Meeting Venues (xlsx)

Download

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

General email - if unsure who to contact: advisers@lfwi.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a general question, firstly check the Costitution and WI Handbook, then contact your named adviser or send an email to the above address.

Dual members can vote on matters to do with their second WI e.g. voting for committee members, Preident elections. Basically anything that effectes the running of that WI to which they pay the WI portion of the membership fees. They may only vote on Constitutional matters, resolutions etc at their Primary WI. This ensures that they only get their one alloted vote as a National WI member.

Handbook page 20 Para 3.4

Constitution Rule 15


The minimum number for a committee is 3, including the elected President.

There is no maximum number, unless your WI has formed a bye-law with regard to this issue.

It is great to have more committee members allowing you to share responsibilities and for more ideas. The more committee members you have, the longer your committee meetings are likely to be!

Handbook page 11 Para 2.5

Constitution Rule 18


No! Advisers are available to attend Annual Meetings if you feel there are likley to be any difficulties. We can also be contacted for advice on procedure and rulings prior to your annual meeting. We do try to ensure that, at least, every 3 years one of the team has been to attend each WI's AM. 

If a WIA is in attendance, they will support with the procedure for President nominations and any possible voting. If there is no WIA, the WI will require 2 independent "tellers" to support. This is best organised through a reciprocal agreement with a neighbouring WI.

Handbook pages 22 - 24  Para  4.3

Constitution Rules 33 - 40


Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: interesting, very helpful, lots of ideas, friendly encouragement, informative

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Workshop feedback: enjoyable, relevant, loads of info to take away, fun!

Training and workshops 2024

These are the upcoming workshops for 2024. All will be run at Croston House or via Zoom

Further details for each workshop will be published nearer to the dates via Secretary mailings

19/02/2025

President Workshop

6:30pm

-

9pm

via Zoom

Event Details

19/02/2025

President Workshop

Join us on Zoom for some specific guidance relevant to the role of  being a WI President. A great chance to network with other Presidents, a...

Event Details

6:30pm

-

9pm

via Zoom

22/02/2025

President Workshop

10:00

-

12:30

Croston House

Event Details

22/02/2025

President Workshop

Join us f2f for some specific guidance relevant to the role of  being a WI President. A great chance to network with other Presidents, ask q...

Event Details

10:00

-

12:30

Croston House

12/03/2025

Secretary Workshop

6:30pm

-

9pm

via Zoom

Event Details

12/03/2025

Secretary Workshop

Join us on Zoom for some specific guidance relevant to the role of  being a WI Secretary. A great chance to network with other Secretaries, ...

Event Details

6:30pm

-

9pm

via Zoom

15/03/2025

Secretary Workshop

10:00

-

12:30

Croston House

Event Details

15/03/2025

Secretary Workshop

Join us f2f for some specific guidance relevant to the role of  being a WI Secretary. A great chance to network with other Secretaries, ask ...

Event Details

10:00

-

12:30

Croston House

Keen to know more about the history of tHE WI?

Suggested reading list:

A Force to be Reckoned With – Jane Robinson

Bows of Burning Gold – Helen Carey

Jam and Jerusalem – Simon Goodenough

The WI A Century In The Making – Mavis Curtis 

Downloads

Annual meetings rough guide (pdf)Download
Facebook top tips (pdf)Download
Examples to help understand Gift Aid Issues (pdf)Download
Promotional Tools and Methods for your WI (pdf)Download
Trustee-Eligibility-Declaration-for-Fit-and-Proper-Persons-Individual (docx)Download
Trustee-Eligibility-Declaration-FORM-for-Fit-and-Proper- group (docx)Download
NFWI-Access-of-Carers-to-Members-with-Disabilities-to-Meetings-and-Events (pdf)Download

Ever considered training to be a w.I. adviser?

Helen Aldcroft's experience - 2022

Federations are always looking out for women who are enthusiastic about ensuring that all members can access a full and rewarding WI experience and who can offer some extra time to supporting this. That was me, 12 months ago when, having seen an advert on the NFWI Facebook page, I sent Heather Williams a message asking her “so, what’s the ‘craic’ with this WI Adviser malarkey?”


Very soon I found myself welcomed to attend Membership Support team meetings at Croston House as an observer and encouraged to get involved in Federation activities. Getting to know more about the role and getting to know the other advisers was hugely important before committing myself to a 7 month course. Equally, it was right that the team and LF board of Trustees felt that I was a worthwhile investment! Adviser training is funded jointly by your own Federation and by National.


My application went in before Christmas 2021 and training started with a Zoom introductory webinar in January. On that first zoom call I met the other 16 trainees in my cohort and our 2 tutors from the National Training Team. The training leads to a recognised level 3 Leadership qualification and has been a blended learning programme of Zoom webinars, residentials and lots of assignments! The course covers 4 modules: Communication Skills; Understanding the WI; Money Matters and WI Activities. At the same time, I have also tried to gain as much other experience as possible through LF Adviser led activities.


It has been great! What have I gained? So much - a feeling of reward and achievement; new learning and understanding; new challenges and skills; new opportunities; the chance to help and support others; and even better, 16 new friends who came with me on the journey from Federations stretching from Kent to the Isle of Mann and Tyne and Wear. And come September, after our cohort’s success has officially been ratified by National Board of Trustees, I will get a certificate and a shiny new badge!


I am truly looking forward to meeting, getting to know and supporting more of our wonderful WIs and their members.


If anyone is considering this role, I am always happy to chat about my experiences!


(with kind permission from all, the photo shows my cohort of trainees at the end of our second residential weekend with our two national trainers, Tracy Baker and Sharon Anthony)


2024 UPDATE

ADVISER TRAINING HAS RECENTLY SEEN SOME QUITE DRAMATIC CHANGES WITH MUCH BEING ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AND WITH FLEXIBILITY TO ACCOMMODATE BUSY LIVES. 


LANCASHIRE NEEDS MORE ADVISERS TO JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT TEAM WHO WILL ALSO OFFER MENTORING, SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND THIS INCREDIBLY REWARDING ROLE.


GET IN TOUCH:  advisers@lfwi.org.uk




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