At the October Adviser Team meeting we discussed the initiative from National to join a pilot project to look at forming a Virtual WI in Hampshire. Advisers, Annette Bradshaw, Sue Crump and I agreed to take this forward and held a Meet and Greet Zoom meeting on Friday 27 November 2020 at 8.00pm, following a successful campaign on social media.
Forty eight ladies joined us on the evening from Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset and Warwickshire, with a mixture of both new ladies to the WI and current members. The aim of the event was to provide ladies with information on what a Virtual WI is, how it would operate and why this type of WI would suit certain ladies. Participants were then placed into seven breakout rooms with the remit to discuss with each other what they would like to see from a Virtual WI, with a spokesperson nominated to summarize the team’s discussions with the full audience.
Following feedback, the participants were asked if they would be interested in moving forward and supporting the pilot to participate in three Virtual WI meetings, commencing January 2021. There was an overwhelming majority of hands to support this and the next step was agreed to hold a Virtual WI meeting on 15 January 2021 at 8.00pm. The meeting will follow the steps of any potential new WI wishing to form and ladies will consider becoming committee members and taking up the Officer roles. A speaker will join the meeting to talk about a topic of interest, whilst ladies sit back in the comfort of their own homes.
It is not too late to join us, please send an email to virtualwi@hampshirewi.org.uk and joining instructions will be sent to you. Please encourage members of your family or friends who are not already WI members who may find this new way of joining the WI interesting and accessible.
Janet Reid – WI Adviser