A new Women’s Institute group has been formed in Kirkby Overblow.
The group held its inaugural meeting in August and has already amassed over 30 members.
The group, known as the KO-Girls, will hold monthly meetings on the last Thursday of every month and endeavours to include speakers at some events, as well as establish a partnership with the All Saints’ Church and The Shoulder of Mutton pub.
Chairman Victoria Black decided to set up the group with two of her neighbours shortly after moving to the area as she “hardly knew anyone” in the village.
Ms Black, who moved from Baildon, had never been part of a WI before, but hopes it will “help people to get to know each other better”.
She added:
“I suggested it to two of my neighbours and they agreed it was a good idea.
“We welcome anyone aged 18 and upwards.
“We’re all about inclusion – women and anyone that identifies as a woman is welcome.”
The village has not had a Women’s Institute since the 1950s – which one current member in her 80s was a part of.
The KO-Girls will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 28 at 7pm.
It will take place at All Saints’ Church and will include a salsa dancing demonstration for guests to try their hands at.
The meeting is free to attend, but annual membership is £47 per year.
Attendance can be registered through the KO Girls Facebook page.
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New Women’s Institute could be set up in West Tanfield
A new branch of the Women’s Institute could be set up in West Tanfield if a meeting in the village pub proves popular.
The WI previously had a branch in the village which closed down – but a meeting is being held later this month to discuss setting up a new one.
Margaret Merrall, a WI advisor who helps communities to set up and run WIs, said the suggestion came from local women.
“Two ladies approached us about setting up a WI in West Tanfield. They had been in another WI locally but one of them lives in West Tanfield and thought there might be interest in a WI in the village.
“When we met a fortnight ago, they already had about 10 people interested before we had even announced the meeting.
“Now we’ve set a date, we’re hopeful of getting a good number of people there and having some volunteers for the committee to get things started.”
The initial meeting takes place at the Bruce Arms on Wednesday, August 24 at 7pm.
If there is enough support, a new WI will be formed and its members will choose when and where they meet each month, as well as what they do at the meetings.
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While the stereotypical image of WI meetings is of talks in dusty village halls, in reality many groups prefer a more active approach. Belly dancing, gin tasting and bushcraft skills have all been on the agenda for WIs in the Harrogate district in recent years.
When a new Wi is established, it becomes part of the national organisation, as well as a region – in this case, North Yorkshire West Federation of WIs. The federation will support it by paying for the costs of its first three meetings, before members’ fees – just £44 per person for a full year – are used to pay for hall hire, speakers and other expenses.
Margaret added:
Lockdown leads to a new lease of life for crafting teacher“I tend to stay quite close to a new WI for about a year. I’ll pop to a couple of committee meetings and make sure everything is going well.
“It has been a hard couple of years with covid in every walk of life. We’re pleased to be opening a new WI – our first since the pandemic – and we hope it’s something the community will really enjoy.”
A primary school teacher in Harrogate has turned her hobby into a new business after launching a project in the first lockdown.
After setting up online tutorials last year, keen crafter Felicity Jennings said interest in her work has soared – and she is now being invited to teach sessions around the world.
As president of Spa Sweethearts WI, Felicity said she was completely taken aback by how quickly everything changed in 2020.
“At our last WI meeting in March, I stood there saying, ‘People say we’re going to have to close down. I don’t think that’s going to happen!’
“That was on the Thursday, and we were locked down the following Monday, so it shows what I know! But I moved our craft sessions online straight away.”
Soon, word began to spread about Felicity’s online craft tutorials, both among local WIs and in Facebook groups for WI members around the country.
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Although her crafting abilities were proving popular, Felicity said her technical skills were not up to the same standard – but youngest son Frank, 15, soon stepped in. He helped to create a home studio where she could do all her filming, and set up cameras to show close-ups of the crafts she was demonstrating.
He also created a YouTube channel for all the videos, making it easier for people to find them and watch as many as they liked, all completely free.
Meanwhile, Felicity was leading live, interactive sessions for groups via Zoom. By September, demand was so high that, with advice from Spa Sweethearts treasurer Sam Pugmire, she set up a business, Felicity Crafts. She said:
“I totally didn’t expect to have a different carer at this age.
“My experience in the classroom has definitely helped. Because I’m a teacher, I’m used to things falling apart! The computer doesn’t work or the kids don’t understand what you think they will – you just adapt and keep going.
“One of the things that’s odd about teaching on Zoom is you’re teaching into the void. You’re just having to do it and hope they’re keeping up. You can keep flicking back and seeing what they’re doing and slow down if they’re all still working, but you don’t get that direct feedback as you go.”
The advantage, however, is that Felicity can teach almost anywhere. After the end of a school day last year, she found herself teaching a session for a WI on the Isle of Wight, while enquiries have come in from groups in Canada, New Zealand and Nicaragua.
Christmas workshops proved popular for Felicity, though were sometimes interrupted by her cats
In the run up to Christmas, Felicity was leading sessions almost every night of the week. She expected interest to tail off in January, but she’s now booked up two or three times a week for most of the year.
Meanwhile, she continues to post videos for people to follow in their own time, including a week-long course teaching crochet for beginners, which went live on Monday. The first session was seen by almost 700 people in just one day.
The secret behind her success, says Felicity, is that crafts can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what their personal circumstances.
“There are going to be some people who just want to carve out one hour to make something really simple. They’re trying to work at home with a small child and just want something to do that’s just for themselves.
“Others want something they can go mad with – they’re at home on their own or need to be occupied because they’re anxious or missing their grandchildren.”
Knowing her work is helping other people through lockdown also gives Felicity a sense of purpose. Even if lockdown restrictions are eased, Felicity intends to continue her online videos and workshops as long as possible. She added:
“I only started it to have something to do and show people how to do crafts. It’s amazing it has turned into a job and a career and a business.”