Arts & Leisure covers events and workshops, including the theatre, photography, poetry, literary lunches, Christmas Carol concert/services. They organise our darts tournament, inter-WI quiz tournament, walks, relaxing and informative days out, and the occasional sporting activity. For more information click here.

Moyra Jackson, Elsenham WI    Team Leader  
Linda Allen, Bulphan and Wild at Heart WIs      
Lesley Crisp, Bulphan WI      
Karen Greaves, Manuden, Elsenham and Ugley WIs      
Sue MacEwen, Purleigh WI      
Penny Patman, Burnham on Crouch WI      

We organise day courses and demonstrations in all aspects of Cookery, Flower Arranging and a wide variety of Crafts, to appeal to as wide a cross section of members as possible, in line with the WI ethos to offer opportunities for enjoyable learning for life. For more information click here.

We welcome suggestions for future workshops from our members.

Fiona Cattermole, Hatfield Broad Oak WI Team Leader
Gill Hathaway, Elsenham WI  
Carrie Fisher, The WIGs WI  
Angela Flynn, Chignals & Mashbury WI  
Pat Trudgett, Burnham on Crouch WI  
Deb Dunning, Terling WI  

The Members Advisory Team or MAT as it’s often referred to, comprises the WI Advisers, (some of whom are Federation Trustees), Trainee WI Advisers and MAT helpers. WI Advisers are voluntary WI members who have undergone training provided by the NFWI, which enables them to help and support members in every aspect of their WI life. They provide the vital link between WIs, Federation and the National levels of the organisation. For more information click here.
MAT is a fully inclusive team offering flexible working for any member to train as an Adviser regardless of her work, family or care commitments.

WI Advisers

Jan Curtis, Bulphan WI Team Lead
Pamela Griffin, Epping WI  
Sandra O’Sullivan, Wickham St Pauls WI  

MAT Helpers

Kay Lodge, Sandon & Marconi Belles WIs (local)  
Sue MacEwen, Purleigh WI  
Jan Nash, Buttsbury WI  
Pat Pratley, Manuden WI (local)  
 

INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL EXAMINERS (IFE)

Led by Federation Treasurer, Verity Brome (Harold Wood WI) and Assistant Treasurer, Karen Powell (Doddinghurst WI), our team of Independent Financial Examiners (IFEs, pronounced “iffees”) are fully trained to conduct examinations of WI books after each year end. We are very grateful that our IFEs also make themselves available all year for advise and help if you have any questions about how WI book-keeping works. The current advice is that ideally an Independent Examiner should not be appointed for more than five years with the same Treasurer in post.  Subject to this you can select whichever IFE you choose, or request an IFE be allocated to you.  NB If you choose to use someone other than one of our IFEs to examine your WI accounts you should not use someone who is related to one of your Committee Members as this contravenes Charity Commission Regulations. 

Sandra Baker Rayne WI
Dora Bowes First Ladies Barking & Dagenham WI
Judith Bowland Blackmore WI – retiring
Verity Brome Harold Wood Evening WI
Carmela Claxton Hatfield Broad Oak WI
Karen Powell Doddinghurst WI
Pat Pratley Manuden WI
Marlene Shepherd East Hanningfield WI
Margaret Spencer Rayleigh Mill WI
Viv Stansfield Frinton-on-Sea WI
Sandra O’Sullivan Wickham St Pauls WI

RESOLUTIONS

The Resolution Coordinator can advise on the process to take your resolution forward across these levels. The Resolution Coordinator is also the go-to person for updates on NFWI campaigns and finding out how to become the Resolution Representative for your WI, please contact admin@essexwi.org.uk for more information or click here to visit their page.

Laura Pisaneschi, Chafford Hundred WI, Resolution Coordinator

CLIMATE AMBASSADORS

Essex are lucky to have several Climate Ambassadors who discuss and work on matters relating to Climate Change, our Lead Climate Ambassador coordinates meetings, contacting MPs and arranging events and welcomes members interested in this topic, email fedsec@essexwi.org.uk if you’d like to find out more about becoming a Climate Ambassador or click here to visit their page.

Jill Bruce

Chappel & Wakes Colne WI

Lead Climate Ambassador


MEDIA TEAM

The Media Team is made up of two sub Teams:

Digital Team (for the website and social media – Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube):

Jan Curtis (Bulphan WI) with Lisa Devlin (Great Notley WI), Sidney Macdonald (Terling WI), Angie Taylor (The WIGs) and Clare Wood (Terling WI)

Don’t forget to tag Federation into your social media posts and use #EssexWI.

Editorial Team (for the Essex WI News magazine):

Jan Curtis (Bulphan WI) with Lesley Crisp (Bulphan WI), Clare Wood (Terling WI), Gail Whitehurst (Gunfleet WI), Angie Taylor (The WIGs), Frances Kirby (Shenfield & Hutton Morning WI) and Carol Murray (Sunningwell and Bayworth WI, Oxfordshire Federation)

The Media Team’s aim is to facilitate better communication and marketing between the Federation and individual WIs, and their members, through the use of Essex WI News, the Federation website, and the Federation social media streams (Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube). They also aim to help educate, promote and encourage individual WI members to improve their own IT skills through education and support.  For more information please click here.

ARCHIVE TEAM

For more information click here.

Jan Curtis (Bulphan WI), Tina Holland (Paycockes WI), Gill Hathaway (Elsenham WI), Sue Cullen (Great & Little Warley WI) and Cathy Day (New City Girls WI)