Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

2008 is the 25th anniversary of the East Riding Federation and Shirley joined the group shortly after its inception. As an arts and crafts' tutor she was invited to attend a meeting to give a talk on the subject. She found the experience a fun one and shortly afterwards decided to join the WI in Bridlington.

These days, Shirley is the press and publicity officer for her local federation which keeps her extremely busy. The fifty two institutes in the area are interested with the health, safety and well being of their families and the local communities.

They invite speakers to come along to their meetings both locally and nationally. The local federation recently heard from Jeremy Spake from the TV series Airport. He received a warm welcome and described some of the offbeat and amusing things he deals with in his daily working life.

Belonging to a national organisation is important for members as it gives them an opportunity to meet and discuss where the WI is going in terms of what it tries to achieve. The WI also has a dedicated residential college. Denman College based in Marcham in Oxfordshire has recently been refurbished after a massive fundraising venture. It gives women an opportunity to learn new skills, including food and drink, drama and theatre, gardening and fitness.

The WI is a progressive organisation whose members are willing to try new things, which is how Shirley's 'pole-dancing' experience came about. Some of the members from Shirley's federation expressed an interest in doing it. Not having any experience in these matters, Shirley put a notice in a local newspaper asking if anyone had the facilities to give it a try.

The newspaper picked up the story and arranged for Shirley to visit a nightclub, something which she'd never done before. They took a photo of her twirling around the pole. The subsequent article attracted a lot of attention including the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Look North programme which took Shirley to meet a pole dancing instructor to try a few moves.

Twenty ladies for the WI took up the offer of a pole-dancing tuition class and enthusiastically grappled with the challenge. They enjoyed it tremendously. One supple participant of a certain age proved she could do the splits. Shirley says it was fun and also helped raised awareness of the WI.

Not all the ladies' endeavours are quite so energetic, but they are involved in many community activities. Recently they hosted a flower and crafts festival at Howden Minster and in October they're holding a band concert at Hedon Church to be given by the Driffield Silver Band.

The organisation also has a wider agenda other than the traditional, 'jam and Jerusalem' image. They are working with organisations to help prevent violence against women. They're also looking to ensure the Government shows compassion to people with mental illness to provide treatment where appropriate instead of imprisonment.