Former CFWI Chair and current Assistant Media Officer Sheila Goldsworthy writes a wonderful monthly WI column for The Cornishman. Here is Sheila’s November column
WI members like everyone else are brushing up leaves at the moment and, while it might be an irksome task, we’ve shown a passion for trees through the decades and have willingly planted trees when the opportunity arises. This year, Forest for Cornwall is offering free trees to WIs for planting in local areas across Cornwall. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 30 October, and trees and protection items will be delivered in time for National Tree Week, Saturday 23 November to Sunday 1 December. Species offered are alder, crab apple, downy birch, field maple, rowan, whitebeam and wild cherry. The offer is for one or two trees but if you have space for more, Forest for Cornwall may be able to supply more. Wherever the trees are planted there should be good public access to it and a commitment to water the trees for up to 15 years. By planting a tree we hope to create a community of celebratory WI trees across the length and breadth of our county and inspire others to do the same. This is such an admirable idea, and typical of the WI in Cornwall.
It seems quite a while since a resolution was accepted by the NFWI from the Cornwall Federation to be debated at the National Annual Meeting. However, the Environment and Public Affairs sub-committee along with the CFWI Resolutions Coordinator are organising a day looking at how your WI could develop a new NFWI resolution and also turn an existing national resolution into something meaningful for your community. The title of the day is Speak Out … For Issues You Care About. Members will be guided through all the stages of formulating an effective resolution, from the first idea to an effective powerfully and correctly worded resolution. The event will be held on Thursday14 November, 10am-3pm, at Chy Noweth an Conteth. The cost is £5 which includes a soup lunch.
We all have strong views on various issues and it must have taken a great deal of courage by WI members in 1933 to bring to the public’s attention the crisis and distress suffered by men and women through unemployment. Cornwall also submitted a resolution back in 1936 urging that building around our coastal areas should be curtailed, a subject that still matters in 2024. Cornwall received much praise in1961 with its resolution on the huge social problem of that time which supported the five-year Freedom from Hunger Campaign. It was a very justifiable debate in that era. Now in 2024 we have moved on to different topical issues, some of which are listed in the Campaigns Corner in each issue of County News.
The Christmas carol concert this year is being held at the enchanting St Hydroc Church, Lanhydrock, Bodmin on Friday 13 December at 3pm. This is a free event but is ticketed due to the size of the church. This event will be the ideal precursor to the Christmas celebrations. Could there be a better setting to our sing our carols?
Over 615 grassroots-led events took place to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight, and Fairtrade Communities were at the heart of most of these. Millions picked up Fairtrade products, and thousands asked MPs to sign the “Be the Change” pledge. We can all do a little to help the growers in poorer countries by buying just one extra Fairtrade item in our weekly shop. A bunch of Fairtrade flowers are just lovely and reasonable, and we all deserve a bar of yummy Fairtrade chocolate.
For further details of any of these events please contact the CFWI office on reception@cornwallwi.org.uk or 01872 272843.