This year the NFWI Annual Meeting was a virtual meeting.

Jeryl Stone, NFWI Chair, welcomed everyone. Jeryl talked about the past year and the challenges that the European Court of Human Rights ruling brought. She explained that all the trustees and the majority of federations wished to continue to allow transgender members in the WI. However, the ruling and legal advice doesn’t allow this.

The WI have never shirked challenges and change, and Sisterhoods are being started as a result. Sisterhood groups are a way to extend the support and welcome of the WI out to wider communities. (The first Sisterhood meeting in Hampshire is on Saturday 27th June from 12 – 2pm in Winchester).

Jeryl highlighted the great work that the WI do in the community, one such being a Million Acts of Hope.

Jeryl talked about the Denman Grant Scheme and VIA, the learning platform and all the opportunities that it gives members.

The Financial Report followed and was presented by Tracey Baker.

The first speaker was Mary Lewis from the Jane Goodall Institue who gave an enthralling account about how she got involved in the Institue and the work that do. Mary’s message was that small actions matter and every individual matters.

The second speaker was Professor Michele Dougherty who is a professor of Space Physics at Imperial College. Michelle has worked on space projects such as the Cassini space craft and JUICE, looking at Jupiter and its Moons. She quoted the ‘The most important thing that I did was say “yes” to things I wasn’t sure I could do.’ Something we should all remember when faced with new challenges!

The third speaker was Anne Boden, who started Starling Bank and talked about the challenges of being a woman in the banking industry. She y=told us how woman need to put themselves first and support one another, quoting ‘We need to stop trying to fix the women; there’s nothing wrong with us. We need to fix the system.’

Presentations were made for the two resolutions:

1. Accessible public toilet facilities to promote dignity, health, and social inclusion

This resolution is a call for accessible, clean, free public toilets which are fundamental to inclusion and wellbeing, especially for women, older people, disabled individuals, parents and carers. It invites WI branches to take meaningful action—through advocacy, partnership, and community engagement—to support local authorities and civil society in reversing the closure trend and ensuring dignity for all.

2. Action on women’s homelessness

The NFWI echoes the calls of homelessness charities and urges all levels of government to take action to reduce women’s homelessness, reduce the number of women at risk of homelessness, and improve the quality of temporary accommodation. We call on WI members to support homelessness organisations in their communities and campaign to ensure that all women have a place they can safely call home.

The results of the resolutions voting were as follows:

Accessible toilets – Passed with 95% in favour

Women’s Homelessness – passed with 92% in favour.

The Expert speakers were a gentleman from The British Toilet Association and a senior member of leadership at Crisis, both of whom gave very good reasons for supporting the respective resolutions.

Campaigns for both resolutions can be set up locally as the need for both starts at the local level so there is plenty for us to get our teeth into!

Next year’s Annual Meeting is an in-person meeting on 3rd June in Hull and Jeryl urged members to attend.

What an inspiring day!