100th Annual Conference of the WI in Wales set to take place in Llanelli, marking key milestone in WI history

Over 500 WI members will be gathering at the Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli on 16 April to celebrate a key milestone in the history of the WI – the 100^th Annual Conference of the WI in Wales – and the many achievements of the WI over this period.

Over the last 100 years, and since the formation of the first WI in Britain in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey 110 years ago, the WI and its members have made a significant contribution to improving the lives of our communities and fighting for women’s equality.

Back in 1923, the year of the first Wales Conference, issues at the forefront for WI members at that time included improving housing conditions, and calls for secret balloting at parish council elections and stronger sentencing for those guilty of child abuse. Since then, WI members have added their voice to issues ranging from keeping Wales free of GM crops, ending violence against women, climate change and food poverty.

In her Chair’s address, NFWI-Wales Chair Jill Rundle will shine a light on some of the achievements of the WI. Head of NFWI-Wales Rhian Connick will present a report of work over the last year and NFWI Chair Jeryl Stone will look ahead towards the next 5 years.

Jill Rundle, Chair of NFWI-Wales said:

“Women do lots of things well and they do them without thinking about it, but rarely do we see our members celebrating their achievements. It is timely therefore that the theme for the Wales Conference this year is “Celebration”, particularly as we come together to mark the 100^th Wales Annual Conference. This is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge/reflect on how much we have achieved in that time and the impact we have made on the lives of women and girls in Wales.

“It will not only be a Conference celebrating our achievements but looking forward to using the power of the WI to influence, encourage and ensure positive change in the future. I am looking forward to a Conference filled with enthusiasm, camaraderie and most importantly – fun.”

The WI in Wales has many milestones to celebrate. 1949 saw the establishment of the Federations of Wales Committee and in 1980 the NFWI-Wales office opened in Cardiff. In the 1990s, the Pathway Project was launched engaging WI members across the country in developing sustainable projects in their local communities culminating in over 500 projects over a 3 year period. 

The influence of the WI continues and today it is the largest women’s organisation in the UK with an army of 180,000 members across over 5,500 WIs. The WI in Wales continues to have a strong presence with 500 WIs located at the heart of urban and rural communities across Wales connecting, supporting and empowering women.

Guest speakers at the Conference include Steve Ormerod, Professor of Ecology at Cardiff University; Mari Thomas, Contemporary Jeweller, Goldsmith and Artist; and Melanie Johnson, Deputy Health Director of UK-Med and the UK Emergency Medical Team. The Conference will end with a performance by Rock Choir.