Annual Meeting, Bournemouth

This was a very good meeting, not wildly exciting but interesting. Lynne Stubbings NFWI Chair started proceedings with a “state of the nation” type of resume of the past year. The Treasurer reported a good year financially: WI Enterprises had done well and Denman College had been dealing successfully with its deficit. The new system for claiming Gift Aid was explained. Ann Jones promoted the Climate Ambassador Scheme and appealed for volunteers to work locally for it.
The resolution against the decline of local bus services was well presented with experts speaking for and against the motion. Debate from the floor stressed the extent of the problem and the negative impact on living conditions in rural areas. It was carried by a huge majority as expected.
Lord Bradley Chairman of the Care not Custody Coalition spoke of the work of the Prison Reform Trust and 38 other organisations working within this coalition. He listed the action programme that it was carrying out with 92% coverage across the UK. This included diversion services, street triage, teams in schools and colleges, Pathways such as the one in Milton Keynes for women on remand or with short sentences and improved information sharing between hospitals, the police and social services. A united approach would save money in the NHS, reduce the crowding in prisons and cut re-offending figures and more importantly increase the chances of the offenders enjoying a better standard of life.
After lunch the resolution Don’t fear the Smear was presented. Rob Music from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust supported the motion and a member from NFWI Trustees spoke as the Devil’s advocate because no expert could be found. There were heart-rending examples quoted in the debate and the overall message was don’t stop at the age of seventy, encourage businesses to allow employees time for tests and increase awareness to stop the gap among younger women who had missed the new system of vaccination in secondary schools. This was passed by an even huger majority than the morning’s motion.
Maggie Philbin CEO of Teentech and previous presenter on Tomorrow’s World and Swapshop described her work with youngsters especially girls to encourage their skills in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and Maths). She stressed the need for nurturing talent and imagination from an early age even if it was difficult to fit into a rigid school curriculum.
This year I didn’t travel down with the BFWI coach nor stay with Bucks members in the same hotel but I am sure that worked out well as usual. I shared my hotel with Suffolk Federation which had arranged for the delegates to raid the breakfast bar to make up sandwiches and take fruit etc for their lunches at the conference to avoid crowding in the hall: foil and paper bags provided. This wasn’t repeated for their journey home! I couldn’t help thinking this was a good idea as there have been meeting halls with pretty ropey refreshments in the past.
I picked up leaflets encouraging the use of MYWI and the Climate Ambassador Scheme to bring home to Bucks but left all the promotion material for cruises---well, you know what I think about the pollution from ocean liners! Mind, if you look at the financial statement for NFWI you know why it insists on handing out their cruise lists and fills WI Life with their advertisements. Enough said…
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