COMMUNITY AND CAMPAIGNING GROUP

The Com/Cam (as we affectionately call it) Committee's role is to ensure all Members are up-to-date with our latest campaigning efforts and our involvement in the local community.

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Campaigning is an important part of the WI and over the years Members from across the country have come together to speak out about difficult issues and take action to change things for the better. 

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Here is a snapshot of what the WI has been involved with:

• In 1943, almost 30 years before the law changed, a resolution from Bures WI in West Suffolk demanded equal pay for equal work was passed at the AGM.

• In 1954 a resolution against litter was passed which eventually led to the formation of Keep Britain Tidy.

• In 1964 Hellesdon WI in Norfolk won the support of the AGM on a resolution against smoking in public places.

• During the 1970s the WI lobbied for the introduction of breast screening clinics - this resulted in the government introducing a number of mobile screening clinics followed by a national screening programme for all women aged 50 - 64, the first of its kind in the EU.

• The 80s saw the WI call for public facing information campaigns on HIV and AIDs.

 

More recently, campaigns have focused on issues such as library closures, food labelling, mental health care and the justice system, Legal Aid, honeybees, excess packaging and violence against women. Ar our Christmas party in 2016 we collected sanitary products from our members & all items were distributed in time for Christmas between Christmas care and the Swindon food bank.

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So, you can see that the WI covers a lot of important topics and works hard to bring about change, by lobbying MPs, working with national and international organisations and raising awareness in our own communities.