Malago WI March and April

Malago red roses, you sing like birds!

Your humble correspondent was off sick, but our president, Karen Bowers, sent this report:

March's meeting was a real gem. Everyone seemed to talk to someone new, everyone had a laugh. Selina of Intercre8 led us in a fantastic ice breaker that had us running madly across the room like children playing musical chairs at a party. Then we started to find our voices, and then we sang. We sounded great! I think we were all stunned. Working in groups meant we mixed and mingled, and then pairs exercises on tongue twister certainly removed any last remains of embarrassment or keeping up appearances. Even finishing off the evening, with the usual announcements, felt different and felt like we were all in it together. 

Sounds like I missed a good one. But, to bring me back from the brink of despair, April's meeting is set to be a corker too. Phew. With this dreary credit crunch showing no signs of abating, we need all the fun we can get. And penny-saving tips to boot! Which is just as well, as we have urban self sufficiency from one half of Bristol's own Good Life duo, Dave Hamilton, and a talk from Kath Kelly, best-selling author of ‘How I Lived a Year on Just a Pound a Day’. Put Wednesday 29 April in your diary.

And talking of environmental issues, Malago WI now has its very own environmental policy, detailing how we plan to minimise the impact our activities has on resources and do as much as we can to help save the planet. Have a look here:

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

Feel free to comment - we want your ideas on how to make Malago WI an exemplar group.

There's still time to don your smock and beret for the Art Trail. Whether you'd like to make work for the art exhibition, a cake/biscuits/treats for the cafe, or volunteer your services to help out over the weekend, just drop us a line at the usual address, jointhewi@googlemail.com. The more the merrier.

Malago W.I Go Pro on Flickr!

Until recently we have only had a lowly guest account on the photo-sharing site, Flickr. We are now very pleased to announce that we have upgraded to a Pro account. This means we can upload many more photos and document different aspects of our institute online. Perhaps you’ve tried out a new recipe and photographed the results or maybe you’ve knitted, gardened or campaigned. If you have an image you think might be at home on our Flickr page please send it to Alice at alicehendy at me.com

Pip pip,

MWI x

Malago WI Environmental Policy

Malago Women’s Institute Environmental Policy
Members of the committee have worked on developing this draft Environmental Policy, and welcome comments from members, either by leaving comments on the website or by email

Statement of Intent
Malago Women’s Institute recognises that our operations have an impact in the local and global environment.

This document sets out our intent to minimise this impact and lists a number of measures to be implemented in order to do so.

This policy is implemented from committee level. This document should be issued to all members to make them aware of their own personal responsibilities.

The process of implementing environmental improvements will be done in consultation with members, who will be invited to suggest ways we can minimise our environmental impact. This will ensure that all considerations are taken into account and that understanding and co-operation is optimised.

This document signals Malago WI’s intent to:
1. develop a sense of responsibility for the environment amongst all members.
2. set targets to improve the use of energy and raw materials and reduce the group’s environmental impact. Regularly review and report on progress each year.
3. work towards becoming a Carbon Neutral Organisation.
4. reduce wastage to a minimum and to recycle materials to the maximum. recognise that wasting energy causes avoidable pollution so endeavour to keep energy use to a practical minimum.
5. avoid/reduce pollution of air, land and water wherever possible.
6. promote sustainability in all its forms through our programme and fundraising efforts.
encourage members to use sustainable means of transport when travelling to and from meetings and events.
7. consider this environmental policy in future decision making processes.
8. celebrate and publicise Malago WI’s environmental successes to members and the wider community to be a role model of environmental performance for the community.


Malago WI Environmental Policy
Malago WI has made and continues to make a concerted effort to improve its environmental performance. The objectives of this process are to:

• minimise the environmental impact that Malago WI has on the local and global environment,

• minimise waste of money and resources, and

• set a good example of environmental performance to members

All members are encouraged to adhere to the procedures set out in this policy and to help Malago WI optimise its environmental performance in every possible way. Notes are included below in order to help members to do this.


Energy
Malago WI has a switch off policy for all lights and all electrical appliances, to encourage all members to take greater attention to minimise waste by turning off lights, electrical appliances and radiators when not needed.

Members are encouraged to ensure that lights are neither switched on when they are not needed or left on longer than they are needed. Members are also requested to encourage other members to do the same.

Electrical appliances should be switched off overnight and when not in use

All committee members should consider energy efficiency when purchasing all new equipment and to make regular PATs (portable appliance tests) on appliances.


Waste reduction and recycling
The following procedures for re-cycling and re-using waste should be followed as far as possible.

1. Reduction and Re-use
Envelopes should be opened carefully and reused as far as possible.
Paper printed on one side only should be re-used for printing draft copies.
Used paper should also be used for note pads and scraps of paper for messages etc.

2. Recycling
Paper, glass bottles, cans and cardboard should be collected outside the kitchen area and taken home by committee members for weekly black bin recycling.
Bubble wrap packaging will be reused.
All other items will be recycled through the Bristol Freecycle website group

3. Water conservation and pollution measures
Members should remember to conserve water where possible and ensure that taps are turned off after use.
Care should be taken to minimise the chemicals entering the drains. Non toxic cleaning products will be used whenever possible


Transport
Members are encouraged to consider walking, cycling, public transport or lift sharing to Malago WI activities, as far as possible.


General/ Purchasing
Our bank account is with ethical bank smile.

Any direct purchasing of food and drink should be GM-free, and members on the cake rota should be encouraged to use the following ingredients:
GM-free
Locally-sourced
Fairtrade
Organic
Unrefined wheat and sugar products, as far as possible

Malago WI should buy and use cleaning products which are not environmentally damaging (such as Ecover brand).
All paper and envelopes are made from recycled paper


Demonstrating achievements to members and the wider community
Malago WI will take the following steps to communicate with members and the wider community:

Information sent to speakers when they are booked will include statements outlining Malago WI’s environmental policy and requesting members to assist our efforts to optimise environmental performance.

The environmental policy statement of intent will be on display on the reading table and available on the website, a full copy of the document can be viewed on request

The education and activities programme will promote environmental sustainability wherever possible.

Malago WI’s commitment to environmental sustainability shall be clearly stated in marketing material.

March Malago Meeting

Ladies, all the ladies!
Clear your throats, please, in preparation for the March meeting of Malago WI!

Wednesday 25 March will have us projecting, booming, and commanding, as we take part in a voice workshop. Selina Keedwell, director of interCre8 (creatively learning through
drama), is a drama artist, performer and facilitator, specialising in teaching physical theatre and drama to students of all ages and abilities. Selina has performed in, devised, facilitated and managed creative projects in diverse settings, from taxi drivers in Indonesia and doctors in Torbay, to dancers in New York and young mothers in Devon. She firmly believes that learning through drama can have huge benefits for all, helping to gain confidence, develop positive self awareness, and the ability to work with others co-operatively by exploring and accepting ourselves as individuals.

The workshop allows us to explore our voices while discovering new ways of communicating confidently with an audience, at work or play. Using breathing, relaxation, diction, projection, rhythm & pace, use of pause, body language and delivery, we will develop a better understanding of ourselves as communicators, and of our voice as a useful tool. The voice workshop is a fun way of working together to explore our abilities in a supportive and creative way, and is designed for all levels - no experience required. We hope you enjoy it.

You may have noticed that www.malagowi.co.uk has had temporary makeover, in celebration of the forthcoming MWI exhibition as part of the Southbank Art Trail (9 and 10 May 2009). There will be a sign-up sheet at Wednesday's meeting - we'd like as many members as possible to take on an assignment (despite the onerous-sounding name, assignments are really very easy and straightforward, we promise!). The nature of the Learning To Love You More project means it's open to all - whether you consider yourself an artist or not (yet). It's an art project of a most democratic nature. And it's a whole lot of fun.

Don't forget: if this will be your third meeting and you're not yet a member, then it's time to cough up. Membership is £29 for the year - see Jen, our treasurer, at the meeting.

April Meeting
Malago WI hopes to provide a few tips and ideas for beating the credit crunch at our April meeting, with interesting information provided by not one, but two speakers. Kath Kelly author of 'How I Lived on Just One Pound a Day' will be talking about how she survived her self-imposed penury by revealing where to look for cheap clothing, food and toiletries, along with offering novel ideas for socialising and gift-giving.

We are also joined by Dave Hamilton, co-founder of www.selfsufficientish.com and author of 'The Urban Guide to Self Sufficiency'. Dave is an expert in all things organic and will demonstrating how to make environmentally friendly cleaning products at home as well as supplying us with tips on how to garden, totally organically and on a budget. He also has a wealth of knowledge on the type of vegetables that can be grown in space-strapped gardens.

Ooh, it's all shaping up nicely.

Until Wednesday, adieu,
MWI

A Spring update

February's meeting was fantastic. With more members than ever coming through the doors, there was a real sense that our humble group is becoming properly established.

Steve Humphries from Testimony Films spoke to us with passion and conviction about his 25 year career in oral history documentary-making. We were treated to clips of his world-changing programmes, with women speaking candidly about their experiences of orgasms, sex before marriage, and unconsummated marriages in the twentieth century. Without Steve and his team, much of this wonderful material would have been lost in the mists of time. We're very glad Testimony exists.

Alice and Lottie spoke about the Southbank Art Trail project, for which Malago WI members will make assignments from the Learning To Love You More project. If art's not your thing, we're also looking for donations of cake and a few hours over the weekend, to help run the fundraising cafe. Email jointhewi@gmail.com for more information, and we'll have a sign-up sheet at the March meeting too.

Talking of which, the programme for March will be a voice workshop, presented by Selina Keedwell of interCre8. The workshop is about having fun exploring our voices whilst discovering new ways of communicating confidently with an audience, at work or play. By exploring breathing, relaxation, diction, projection, rhythm and pace, use of pause, body language and delivery, we will develop a better understanding of ourselves as communicators, and of our voice as a useful tool. We're sure the voice workshop will be a fun way of working together to explore our abilities in a supportive and creative way.

See you in March,
MWI

February meeting

Roll up, roll up, ladies of south Bristol, it's that time of the month again. The fourth Malago Women's Institute meeting will take place on Wednesday 25 February at 8pm.

Much anticipated, this month's speaker is Steve Humphries of Testimony Films. Postponed from last month, Steve is the king of oral history and his talk celebrates women's experiences of love, sex and relationships from the last century. Illustrated with video clips, Steve has selected the best from his vast archives for what will be a fascinating and insightful meeting - not to be missed.

And the rest of our programme is shaping up nicely too... There's now a link on the right which should take you straight to details of all meetings, both archive and forthcoming. Some is yet to be confirmed, and contributions or suggestions would be most welcome. We hope you feel that we've listened to what our members want - it's your WI so let us know.

Also coming up is the Bristol Women's Show for which we need 4 volunteers to help spread the WI word. The Show celebrates all things female, including fashion, fitness, careers advice, health, finances, safety and more. Speak to Jen at the meeting if you can spare a couple of hours on Sunday 29 March between 10am and 4pm, or email jointhewi@gmail.com with your name, contact details and availability. Entry is £5, volunteers get free entry.

Likewise, WI groups across the land will be sending representatives to the Million Women Rise march to end male violence against women. Women's right to live free from violence has not been achieved, and women continue to be attacked and violated in many different ways. The march aims to show our mass dissatisfaction and campaign for change for all women and children. The 2008 march went down in history as the largest demonstration of women in UK - this year's march is set to be bigger and better. This thoroughly worthwhile event takes place on Saturday 7 March in London, beginning at midday. If you'd like to attend, Jen's your woman - same details as above. If we get enough interest, we'll try to organise discounted train fares.

On a lighter note, May heralds blossom, asparagus, and the Southbank Art Trail. This year, we'd love to have an exhibition of work made by Malago WI (as well as a cafe), not only to show our artistic side, but also to spread the word, raise crucial funds, and recruit new members. Based around the Learning To Love You More assignments, the exhibition is open to anyone from MWI - Alice will explain more on Wednesday, but here are a few examples to keep you guessing.

Many of you will have seen Malago WI in the local press and on the local news. Exciting times indeed. We'd like to thank you for making MWI what it is today, and for sharing our vision for a supportive, educational and fun meeting place in this great community of south Bristol.

Here's to more of the same.

Over and out,

MWI