WMWI The National Federation of WIs campaign to improve women’s and family’s lives

Monthly Newsletter: September 2014: No109 www.womens-institute.org.uk/oxfordshire www.freewebs.com/wmwi

every Month at 8pmPresident Lyn Coleman - Tel: 557226

Secretary Sue Field - Tel: 557843

Next meetingSeptember 9th:

8pm

1421: the year China discovered

the worldThis was the year when 3500

junks are said to have left China and sailed the world.

This included the ‘discovery’ of America, 70yrs before

Columbus who, it is claimed, used a Chinese map. This is

a controversial theory, which has been challenged.

Roger ShawSue Mannifield has updated and re-organised our website. Do take a look. The Website

address is at the top of this page; just hold your ‘Control’ button and click on the address.

congratulations

to our member, Dr Cat Hayer, on being awarded her PhD degree. Last Meeting: July 8th

Lyn congratulated Cat on becoming Dr Cat Hayer; another first for WMWI. As there was to be no meeting in

Walton Manor WI Registered charity 1119651

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August, we were reminded of the OFWI choir practice session on September 28th, and the Cancer UK cake sale on September 15th, when they will be selling our cakes and biscuits; contributions required please.

She then introduced our speaker for the evening, John Caldicott. John is Hon. Secretary of the Foundling Museum; he introduced us to the origins and history of the Foundling Hospital, the oldest charity for children in the UK. Thomas Coram, its founder, was born in 1668 and, at the age of 12 years, was sent to sea.

He was very successful in trade between America and Britain, and retired very early. He was appalled at the sight of abandoned children on the streets of London and the level of drunkenness. He campaigned on behalf of the children and, after 12 years or so, gained the support of some aristocratic ladies. A petition was raised and, in 1735, George the second signed a charter for deserted children.

Of the £10K raised, £7K bought 56 acres of land in Bloomsbury. A competition to design the hospital was won by Theodore Jacobsen, and the foundlings housed in Hatton Garden while the building shown above was constructed.

From 1741, babies were admitted. They had to be less than 2 months of age and without disease. No

questions were asked, and they were baptised with a hospital name, but a token was left by the mother in order to identify the infant and meticulous records kept. In the first year, 156 babies were accepted but 56 died. Owing to its popularity, a ballot system was used to select infants for admission.

Thomas Coram died in 1751 so never saw the completed hospital. It had well-known supporters; Hogarth designed the crest and Handel performed to raise funds. The hospital was then given £10K a year but had to take every child. It always had financial problems and 70% of the children died. From the 19th century, it relied on public donations. The children were all without fathers and could be a mother’s first illegitimate child. They had a reasonable education but the girls were put into domestic service and the boys to the military or the land. There were low expectations of them.

In 1926, most of the Bloomsbury land was sold for property development, with only 9 acres being retained. The children moved to a new home in Berkhamsted. They were always well fed and educated but there was little individual attention or affection.

John Caldicott revealed that he had entered the Foundling Hospital as a baby and knew nothing of his history until recently. He was fostered by a family until he was 5 years of age,

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and then returned to the hospital. No adoption was allowed. He showed us a brown and red uniform which all the boys wore, and a tag with his identifying number. He recounted how a harsh routine was followed, with physical punishment, humiliation and no privacy. There was an expectation of obedience and no attachments. Although well-fed, they were not expected to progress; in fact, the children were stigmatised by their connection to the institution.

In 1947-8, the Education Acts opened the hospital to scrutiny. Government inspectors were appalled at the institutionalisation. A new head teacher was appointed, from Bedales, the uniforms were abandoned and the children were allowed out. They went wild as this was new to them. There was no more boarding, the children were found foster homes. In 1950, the building was sold to Herts County Council and became a school; there were no more foundling pupils after 1954. The Coram Foundation for Children still exists, helping a million children every year. It is the UK’s oldest charity for children. The Foundling Museum in Bloomsbury serves as a record of the hospital, its history and work. The site of the original hospital is now a play and activity centre for young people, called Coram Fields, where all visitors must be accompanied by child. This was a very moving presentation, reflecting another age but reminding us of the vulnerability of the young. Thank you, John.

Churchill PARTNERS Cancer Research UK

CAKE SALEMonday, September 15thWe have been approached by a representative of this cancer charity, with a view to raising funds which would be used by our local service. Other WIs have successfully used a cake sale at the Churchill Hospital to raise commendable amounts of money. We hope that some of you will feel able to contribute to this very worthy and local cause. Individual or large cakes for slicing are both welcome, the creamier the better! Please label if they contain nuts. Cakes can be delivered to Lyn during the previous weekend, or she is happy to collect. Please label your tins clearly with your name so they can be returned. We do not need to be involved in the selling but, if you would like to do so, Lyn can put you in touch with Beth Wordsworth, the organiser.

Group meetingThursday, October 30th

7.30pm

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Yarnton Village Hall

The autumn meeting of the Cherwell Group of WIs will be hosted by Yarnton WI. Three Pressed Men, a traditional English music group, will be playing.Tickets at £4 will be available at the September meeting.

Special occasionsWhen we have been made aware of members’ special birthdays, anniversaries or achievements, or of less than happy events such as illness, we have marked these with cards, flowers or whatever seems appropriate. If you know of any such occasion, please let us know but, of course, we need to be sure that marking the event would be welcome.

Book group

The next meeting will be on Thursday, November 6th at 7.30pm. This will be

held at Hilary’s home in Witney. There are two books to be read for this discussion: ‘The girl who fell from the sky’ by Simon Mawer and ‘Burying the typewriter: childhood under the eye of the secret police’ by Carmen Bugan. Any interested member who is not on the book group list should email Hilary Godfrey. hilary@godfrey.uk.net

KNITting group

Walton Manor Knitting Group continues to thrive. Knitting may be for charity or for family, or for self. Everyone is very welcome, including new members; just turn up. Other needlework crafts are also acceptable. If you want to learn to knit, then we can help you. Afternoon knitting has been suspended for the time being as so few people can attend.

The next date is:Tuesday, September 21st at 7pm

Please do let Lyn know if you are able to come. Her address is 33, Victoria Road in Summertown. 01865 557226 or 07836 687457. lyn.coleman@btopenworld.com

OFWI choirSt. Giles ChurchSunday, September 28th

4pm, with tea and cake

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Please come and support the Foxy Singers. These OFWI members, including our own Jane Finnerty, will be practising the songs they intend singing in the first heat of the "Singing for Joy" NFWI Centenary Choir Competition at the Dorking Halls, Surrey, on 18 October 2014.

£5 entrance will include tea and cake. If you need further information, contact Jane: jane@svarfair.co.uk

Wmwi 10th birthdayThe October meeting will mark our 10 year anniversary. We are proposing a social evening with a simple supper plus birthday cake, reminiscences, a raffle and a quiz. Guests from OFWI have been invited. This is an opportunity to celebrate a successful first decade, so please come along if you can. No contributions are required but we will need to know if you can join us because of the catering.

Fund-raisingIn order to continue with our activities and invite speakers, etc., we need to constantly raise funds. Subscriptions do not cover our expenses.

It was therefore suggested that we sell a small amount of home-made produce at the meetings. We have had donations of home-made bread, biscuits, chocolates, and marmalade, and some home-grown vegetables. This has raised welcome additional funds.

We know that many of you are talented cooks or gardeners. If you feel able to help with this initiative through your chutney, baking or excess veg from your garden, please let Lyn know.

From time to time, we have also been asked to provide teatime goods, such as cakes and biscuits, for events, particularly at the hospitals. These requests are often at short notice but have been met, much appreciated and given a boost to our funds.

SOS – help in an emergency Are you able to respond at short notice to give support to professional services in an emergency? This could mean care, comfort or catering, and is invaluable in events which occur without warning, such as the recent floods. You may never be called upon to help but, if you are willing to be included on the list, please let Lyn know.

Domestic abuse WMWI has, for some years, maintained links with Oxon’s domestic abuse co-ordinator, Michelle Plaisted-Kerr. We have recently received the following notice, asking for our support.

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Oxfordshire County Council is proposing to reduce funding for domestic abuse services in the county by 40% -- from £331k in 2014/15 to £199k in 2016/17.

Services at risk include the local helpline, which provides

emotional support, practical information and access to support services for adults affected by domestic abuse.

the West Oxfordshire outreach worker, who provides support including safety planning, risk assessment and management.

local refuges, where women and children who are experiencing domestic violence can stay free from abuse.

As domestic abuse has long been a crucial issue for the WI, you may wish to comment on this proposal. OCC has a consultation page where we can have a say as part of the consultation process. www.reducingtherisk.org.uk/cms/content/planned-cuts-domestic-abuse-services-oxfordshire

Please could we have offers of help from 3-4 people, to assist with washing-up at the end of each meeting? If everyone lends a hand, this will only be an occasional duty. Also, please replace your own chair in the store; this makes tidying of the hall so much easier.There is also a rota for tea and cakes. We hope that many of you will feel able to contribute to this.

news and ViewsWe buy a copy for each member. Please collect yours as it will contain up-to-date information about OFWI. There are also a number of events advertised in each edition. Please take a little time to scan your copy and see if anything

is of interest to you. Take good note of the closing date or you might miss the boat.

Booking procedureThere will be booking forms available at the meetings, one for each event. If you are interested in attending any event, please inform the secretary who will enter your details on the form; you will be able to see who else will be going. You must also provide a cheque for Liz Jennings, made out to WMWI. We are not permitted to buy tickets until we have received your cheque. For this reason, it is easier if you bring your cheque book to meetings.

CAMPAIGNS Banana Price Wars

A low price for bananas is only achieved through poverty wages and living conditions for the farmers. Help to combat this trend by buying only Fair Trade bananas.

Food Security

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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Global and National Challenges of Food SecurityDuring 2013, WI members were invited to hold a nation-wide series of debates that will help get to the crux of some of the questions the global food system faces and build understanding about the role that we all can play. Current discussion appears to be heavily focussed around the concept of 'sustainable intensification' which is effectively using GM crops and large scale intensive farms to increase yields and productivity. Whilst this will necessarily inform part of the debate, what other issues should be explored? Considering ways to cut down on food waste, ensuring we have the right policy environment for agriculture to flourish and confronting consumer attitudes to food and sustainability are just a few of the issues that the NFWI believes warrant further exploration. If you would like to help get the debate underway then get in touch. Action packs are available.Jane.finnerty@ntlworld.com Telephone 01865 553304

End Violence against Women

The UK Government has a declared commitment to an integrated strategy for tackling violence against women (March 2011).

Over 1 million women experienced domestic abuse in the last year, and over 60,000 women are raped each year; it is important to ensure that the Government continues to prioritise this issue. Organ donation – make your wishes known

Following the over-whelming support for this year’s resolution, we are all urged to make others aware of our wishes regarding organ donation. No one should be left to guess. 7000 people are awaiting the gift of an organ, but this is a personal decision. We are also asked to encourage friends, family and members of our community to make their wishes known to others. It has been shown that donations increase with the raising of awareness.

Action against Plastic Bags

Plastic bag use in England is 6 times bigger than in Wales. A 5p charge instituted by the Welsh Government in 2011 has led to an 81% reduction. Voluntary agreements have had little effect and very few plastic bags are recycled. The NFWI is calling on members to contact their MP and ask them to push for a charge on plastic bags. An action pack and template letter is available from the public affairs dept. or at www.thewi.org.uk

Care not Custody

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Theresa May praised the WI’s Care not Custody campaign at an event in July to review progress on the government’s promise to develop appropriate services for the mentally ill or learning disabled persons who come into contact with police, courts or prisons. Up to 20% of police time is spent dealing with mental health issues; funds from the Dept. of Health have been allocated for the support of the most vulnerable people. Pilot services and early intervention have shown promising results.

‘Help for Bees’ Action Plan

Bees pollinate up to 75% of agricultural crops around the world. Last year, the WI joined forces with Friends of the Earth to call on the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs to follow Wales' lead and introduce a comprehensive bee action plan which would target all the varying causes of bee decline, catalysing stakeholders into taking a positive, proactive stance on bees. The WI responded to the government’s Bee Action Plan; the draft National Pollinator Strategy; thousands of postcards were presented to the Environment Minister. The WI was invited to give evidence to the inquiry, the final plan being delayed till autumn.

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