Meet the committee

It's time for a cabinet re-shuffle, so if you're interested in getting more involved in Malago WI have a read about the committee and their roles.

All members of the committee are involved in recruitment. They also share the hosting and other responsibilities for the monthly committee meetings. The Malago committee all takes part in setting up the hall before each meeting. Committee members deliver information to the institute and organise fund raising activities. Other tasks include finding contacts for meetings, baking, and gathering materials for meetings.


President
Karen Bowers

Karen chairs the committee and member meetings. She oversees planning of all meetings and communicates with the local WI branches, and with the regional federation (so quite a bit of talking)! Banging the ceremonial rolling pin is also required.

Vice President

Lottie Storey

Lottie creates our newsletter and our website, sending regular updates to members. Other duties as vice president include chairing meetings and deputising in the absence of our President. Lottie helps with the programme, contributes to fundraising projects and events, such as Best of Bedminster and the Southbank Art Trail.

Treasurer

Jen Gill

Jen does the number stuff. This includes financial reporting and budgeting, and she reports on fundraising. She has links with regional & national branches and has a keen interest in WI campaigning.


Secretary

Kirstie Wright

Kirstie deals with regional and national business, reporting and bookings. She files the minutes, offers fundraising support and advice on applications, and helps manage the WI database with Jen.

New members/visitors

Emma Squire

Emma welcomes new members and guests. 
She organises the register, maintains the membership
database and is the smiley face that greets you on arrival.

Creative Director

Alice Hendy

Alice is responsible for the flowers and styling for our meetings and stalls, and sources materials for events. Alice is our official photographer, responsible for our Flickr page, as well as the design and visual identity of communications, the noticeboard and events. She also manages our official email inbox and helps provide images and information for the website.

Tea Hostess
Carrie Fletcher

Carrie leads on refreshments at meetings, co-ordinating the rota for tea-making, washing up, and cake-making. Carrie relies on members to help run the kitchen and pour the tea. Her role takes her away from the meeting at times to disappear into the kitchen and attend to the urn.

Programming Officer

Angie Last

Angie leads the programming of meetings as well as social events and workshops. Angie confirms the attendance of our speakers and arranges the fee. She hosts our speakers, ensuring they have all they need for a successful meeting.

Campaigns Officer

Odette McBride

Odette keeps up to date with national WI campaigns and also works on the campaigns we choose to do locally, leading meetings that require a member vote.

Press Officer
Jill Reakes

Jill prepares and issues our press releases. She is the first contact for press enquiries and leads on the filing of press coverage received. She keeps an eye on regional and national press & stories.

Press release: MALAGO WI BACKS BERATE

MALAGO WI BACKS BERATE

Malago Women’s Institute say no to Tesco.

Members of Malago WI last week voted overwhelmingly to support BERATE, the campaign opposing plans to build a Tesco superstore at Ashton Gate.

Malago WI vice-president, Lottie Storey, said:

“Malago WI, a group for all women of south Bristol, has huge concerns about the impact a superstore of this size will have on our community.

“There are countless examples of areas in which new supermarkets have effectively killed off the local, independent traders – those at the centre of our community that have been so essential in maintaining and stimulating economic growth in much of south Bristol.

“This cannot be allowed to happen in an area held up by many as a shining example of local high street regeneration, and one with plenty of supermarkets already.”

The potential impact of a superstore at Ashton Gate would have dire environmental consequences for south Bristol, increasing traffic and congestion in the surrounding communities, making the roads less safe for pedestrians, as well as worsening air quality.

The group would like to see a proposal for the site incorporating affordable housing, leisure or sport activities, all of which would benefit the community in significant ways.

Malago Women’s Institute is set to celebrate its first birthday in October, and has grown from a group of 10 founding members to a membership of over 50. Made up of women of all ages, the group includes those who have lived in the area all their lives, as well as members who are new to the city.

The WI has a particular interest in environmental sustainability, and Malago WI has developed an environmental policy and action plan setting out its vision for minimising its own environmental impact and exploring ways to support local, sustainable projects.

For the second year running, Malago WI will be providing refreshments for the Best of Bedminster Show, the local urban village fair taking place on North Street Green on Saturday 26 September 2009 (organised by Climate Action Bedminster).

Ends.

Notes to editors:

Malago Women’s Institute meets the last Wednesday of every month at 8pm,

Bedminster Methodist Church, British Road, Bristol BS3 3BW. All women welcome. Annual membership of the WI costs £29.

For more information, email jointhewi@googlemail.com or visit:

http://www.malagowi.co.uk

Malago WI’s environmental policy is available to view on the website:

http://malagowi.blogspot.com/2009/04/malago-wi-environmental-policy.html

Berate – Bedminster Residents Against Tesco’s Expansion into Ashton Gate - is the campaign group pulling together local opposition to the proposed superstore development at Ashton Gate. For more information visit: http://berate.co.uk/

The Best of Bedminster Show takes place on 26th September 2009, 10.30am - 3.30pm on North Street Green. For more information, visit: http://www.northstreetgreen.com/best-of-bedminster-2009

For more information on Climate Action Bedminster, organisers of the Best of Bedminster Show, visit: http://www.ecojam.org/directory/listing/climate-action-bedminster-1

Malago WI news - July

Hello petals...

The June meeting of the Malago Women's Institute saw us going back to our roots and embracing all that is good and great about that traditional WI pastime - flower arranging. But you know us well enough by now to realise we do things a little differently south of the river... instead of stuffy church-style chrysanthemum displays, we learnt how to make the most of what's in the shops combined with plants from our own gardens and, ahem, environs. Move over Constance Spry, Malago WI put together some exquisite and unusual arrangements in the most unlikely vessels including jam jars, jugs and milk bottles. Nothing was impossible with the help of Bristol florist, lovely Clare from Les Fleurs - thank you, Clare!

(If you want to combine your love of flowers with the equally esteemed art of cake-baking, here are a few ideas:
:: A list outlining which flowers can be eaten
:: A book or two
:: Recipes for cooking with roses, nasturtiums, and, my personal favourite, violets)

So, we've tended to your horticultural and nutritional needs, now onto the physical. July's meeting is guaranteed to get your stomach muscles twitching with a spot of Pilates. Developed in the early 20th century, Pilates teaches awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aims to strengthen the deep torso muscles. Wear comfortable, loose clothing, and bring a mat or towel to lie on.

We'll also be hearing from Barbara, our local link to what's happening in the WI nationally, about the recent AGM and the resolution that was passed by an overwhelming majority - SOS for Honey Bees. And on a more local level, we'll hear from one of the campaigners involved in Berate, Bedminster Residents Against Tesco's Expansion into Ashton Gate.

Coming up: Hold your breath - August's meeting is a carefully guarded secret for the moment, but looking ahead to September and it's Ways with Wool, as well as the ever-popular Best of Bedminster Show on Saturday 26 September (for which Malago WI is official tea and cake provider). The BoB show is a great way for Malago WI to spread the word and pick up new recruits, and for members to enter lots of lovely village green-style contests - for entry forms visit the BoB website, or raid the noticeboard (also for blank posters for kids to design and display).

And October sees our first birthday party, hooray! There will be a change of venue to allow for us to raise a glass to a remarkable year - details tbc... And October's party is also the time and the place to establish who will make up the committee in 2010. If you think you might be up to the job, have a chat to current committee members over the next couple of meetings, and/or browse the noticeboard for more about who does what. Roles vary, but the committee commitment isn't huge - one evening a month for a committee meeting plus some additional bits and pieces depending on the role. Have a think, we'd love to have you.

Oh, and we're moving with the times - for all the latest news as and when it breaks, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Don't forget our first social evening - Wednesday 22 July, 8pm, Tobacco Factory - and our July meeting, Wednesday 29 July.
So long...
MWI x

STOP PRESS!

Malago WI were featured in the Bristol Evening Post on Thursday 2 July.

If you missed it, catch up with the online article

Extra, extra...

May's meeting and June information

Bonjour Malago WI!

May's meeting was one of the most important yet, with national campaign votes cast for the SOS for Honey Bees resolution. Before this serious business took place, Daphne gave us a potted history of WI campaigns, and then we heard from local beekeeper and something of an expert (being ex president of the British Beekeepers’ Association), Dr Ivor Davis. Many thanks to Ivor, who talked us through the basics around why bees need saving. We were convinced: Malago WI unanimously voted in favour of the resolution 23/0. Our vote was cast on our behalf by our 'link member' President of Knowle WI, Barbara McInerney. The resolution was debated and passed with an overwhelming majority of 99.4% at the AGM:
"SOS for Honey Bees – honey bees play a vital role in the pollination of food crops and in our environment. In view of concerns about the accelerating decline in the UK honey bee population, this meeting urges HM Government to increase funding for research into bee health."

For more information on the campaign and how to get involved go to:
http://www.thewi.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=15584

We also spent time discussing the issues close to our hearts with a view to drawing up a list of possible future MWI campaigns. View long-list here:
http://malagowi.blogspot.com/2009/06/campaign-ideas-from-mays-meeting.html

And onto June's meeting, a WI classic done in a new Malago WI way - flower arranging. Clare from Les Fleurs florists - http://www.lesfleurs.org.uk - will be showing us the ropes, with a workshop designed to give everyone the confidence to tie a bouquet and produce a show-stopping arrangment using containers from around the house, and foliage from around the garden. This is where you lot come in - Don't forget to bring vases, gravy boats and jam jars for your arrangements, as well as any flowers, greenery, leaves or anything else from the garden to add to your finished article (we will provide flowers but there may not be many to go round. We'll learn the tricks of how to make a few flowers go a long way...).

Also new for this month, we've introduced three new ways for meetings to run to time and for us all to get to know each other better:
1. a noticeboard, for the latest information about upcoming meetings, fundraising, social events, and those all important tea and cake rotas;
2. a recommendations file, to allow members to share information about great traders, local shops or fantastic deals that we can all benefit from;
and... drum roll...
3. a social evening! It's been a long time coming. Join your fellow Malago WI members on Wednesday 22 July, 8pm, in the main bar of the Tobacco Factory.

Chocolate workshop
On Saturday 18 July, some of us will be at a hand-made chocolate workshop. Join us for the bargain price of £20 – give your name and a cheques to Jen at the June meeting. All others who have put their name down need to pay at the meeting – also to Jen.

See you with your secateurs on Wednesday 24 June, same time, same place.

Constance Spry, eat your heart out.
MWI x