The island’s Women’s Institutes, which are part of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, are organisations of women set up to provide community, inspiration, advocacy, and new skills for members.
‘Our WIs get together once a month, which is an opportunity to meet other women and enjoy listening to speakers, having a go at an activity or watching a demonstration,’ said Corrina Walker, chairwoman of Guernsey’s Women’s Institutes.
‘We felt that the north of the island didn’t have an evening WI meeting and wanted to offer something in the area which working women and those busy in the day could attend.’
The new North WI’s first meeting will take place at the Vale Douzaine room, and will feature making floral lanterns. It is intended as a taster session for women who may be interested in joining the group, before it is officially established and named in April. Further taster sessions are scheduled to be held in February and March.
‘The WI has an incredible history of supporting communities and has done for over 110 years,’ said Ms Walker.
‘I think the biggest impact is that women have a safe space to talk and learn about issues that affect women. Meeting new women in a friendly environment can alleviate loneliness and offer a group where self esteem and confidence can build over time.’
The founding of the Vale group marks the 11th WI in Guernsey. Ms Walker said that the Federation would be open to launching more groups in the future.
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.