At last summer finally appears to be with us, and on Saturday 20th July 2024, Oasis celebrated with The Norfolk WI on a warm barmy evening. Our wonderful guests Kim and Lynn from The Norfolk WI told us the story of the group and its hopes and fears for the future.
The WI was created in Canada in 1897, with the first UK meeting held in Anglesey in 1915. Communications were a lot lot slower back then! Formed to revitalise rural communities, throughout the Great War the group blossomed when women were the backbone of the struggle on the home front. It was a time when the country relied on women coming together, and consequently WI groups quickly sprung up throughout the nation. The WI providing women with a safe space, one where women could unite to work for the common good, share knowledge, offer companionship and endeavour to educate and entertain. Fast forward to 2024, The WI is now the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK, with 119 groups active in Norfolk alone. With 4 groups thriving in Norwich and hundreds across the county. You can find out more about The WI here.
So why jam? Jam making has always been an important countryside skill, one that is vital to preserving the produce from orchards and gardens alike, and a skill in which the WI excels. During WW2, encouraged by The Ministry of Food, the WI produced two hundred thousand tons of jam! That is a lot of jam by anybody’s standards and in their spare time, the ever productive WI, produced tons of pies too.
Why Jerusalem? The early WI joined the campaign for women’s suffrage, assuming the white, green and purple colours of The Suffragettes and adopted their hymn Jerusalem to be sung at every meeting.
Today the WI remains a relevant and active campaigning group, having championed such causes as recycling, housing, HIV/Aids, Fairtrade, Metal Health issues through ‘Care Not Custody’, Women’s Rights, Equal Pay and from this years national conference, ‘Dental Health Matters’.
The WI and Oasis make an awesome combination, one that is committed to creating safe spaces, Yes, The WI is open to all women including Transgender Women, that is to say, anyone living as a woman is welcome to join the WI and take part in all WI activities. Many of you will know that our very own Petra W is an active member of the WI and has featured on the cover of the WI Life magazine. The WI is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Something we all can applaud.
The generosity of Oasis members always overwhelms me, as does their ability to raise to a challenge. The entry to our little baking competition had our trestle tables groaning under the weight of the fantastic delicacies produced in the Oasis kitchens. Kim and Lynn had the difficult job of choosing the winners of the sweet and savoury categories and after a tough deliberation, the wonderful Lauren C claimed the prize for her amazing savoury dishes (yes dishes plural) and the ever resourceful Andrea the sweet prize, for a very bountiful apple pie. Thank you both and please everybody give yourself a round of applause, to quote Hot Chocolate, everyone’s a winner! Of course we had no choice but to tuck in for firsts, seconds, thirds and even fourths. Then it was the turn of our scales to groan.
Thank you to everybody who held with the set-up and break-down of the meeting, our meetings wouldn’t happen with out you but a Gold Medal is awarded to Jaqui who somehow managed to rattle through the washing-up is a world record time! If break dancing can make it to the Olympic Games, why not washing up? Put your mortgage on Jaqui.
As I listened to Kim and Lynn’s talk, I was stuck by the synergy between our two organisations. Oasis and The WI are committed to provide safe and wonderful spaces for our members, we honour those giants who have gone before us, whilst striving to grow and evolve and in our own little way, endeavour to make the world a better, happier place. And oh yes you’d better believe it some fun along the way!! That’s an order.
See you in August, Much Love
Lilly xxx
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