As WI subscriptions for the 2026/27 year are now due, some of you may have regretfully decided not to rejoin your WI for any number of reasons. Perhaps you no longer like to drive or perhaps you are just too exhausted at the end of your day to attend a WI meeting. Did you know that Cornwall has its own thriving Virtual WI? They are CyberCats Virtual WI and they meet just as any face-to-face WI does, but everything is online and you can attend from the comfort of your own sofa!
CyberCats VWI holds monthly meetings with guest speakers, has a book group, a public affairs discussion group and lots of other social drop-ins every month, all held on Zoom.
If you’d like to find out more or perhaps come along as a guest to a CyberCats meeting, just drop them a line on cybercats@cornwallwi.org.uk.
I think you’ll find that the majority of ladies leaving the WI is due to the way NFWI has handled the issue of transgender women. I fully appreciate that we need to obey the law but they do not seem to have made any representations to the government (unlike other groups that have been affected by this ruling, eg the Girl Guides).
I have always enjoyed the way the WI has fully encompassed ALL women and am very sad that I can no longer say that. Although I am ‘fully female’ I feel that I need to support our transgender sisters so that is why I will not be renewing my membership. I have enjoyed my time with the WI – as a member, secretary and President and I know I will miss it but ‘to thine own self be true’
I will be interested to know how member members are lost due to this issue.