Celebrating 110 years of The WI
In 2025 we are proud to be celebrating 110 years of the WI! As part of the celebrations, we are encouraging WIs and Federations to join in the celebrations through a few activities, from tree planting and having a ‘party in the Park’ to a free WI Webinar session on our Learning Hub. We hope you will be able to participate in as many activities as possible!
Please see below various ways that you can celebrate the anniversary. We would encourage you to share photographs and any videos with us to publish in WI Life or on the WI Webpage by emailing the Events Department – events@nfwi.org.uk. If uploading any pictures/videos to your own social media accounts, don’t forget to use the hashtag #WI110years.
We are also working hard to promote the WI on both National and local levels while trying to encourage new members to join their local WI.
Celebrating the environment - Tree Planting
As part of the celebrations, we are encouraging WI members to plant trees in their local areas to mark the occasion. This could be turned into an event within the community and WIs could invite other local community groups.
We have contacted The Woodland Trust regarding advice for planting trees and they have shared the link below, which you may find useful. It covers topics such as what to plant, when, where and how to do so: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/
If you are planning to plant trees on land that is not your own, please reach out to the local landowner. It is important to ensure you have the relevant landowner’s permission before undertaking any planting. Local councils can often be a good start if you are looking for a planting site, as they may well have some green spaces in need of further planting.
If a public space can be found to plant in, your WI would be welcome to apply for free trees to plant in your local area from The Woodland Trust. They send out sapling packs of various quantities twice a year. Applications for delivery in November are currently being accepted. Further details around eligibility and pack options can be found at: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/
Help with large-scale projects is also available for private landowners and farmers: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/trees-for-landowners-and-farmers/
Alternatively, if saplings are needed sooner, or in smaller quantities, they also sell UK species through their online shop (usually delivering within 10 working days): https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees
Party in the Park – invite a non-member
Focusing on fun and friendship, we are encouraging WIs to host a ‘Party in the Park’ as one of your meetings, this could be an ad hoc meeting to celebrate 110 years of The WI and a chance to celebrate the summer outdoors. This will be a great chance to invite a local non-member to try the WI meeting and learn more about the benefits of becoming a member. This could be a friend or family member – imagine if every WI member in your WI invited a non-member?
The History of the WI Webinar
WI day will be celebrated on 16th September 2025 and we will also be hosting an online webinar focussing on The History of The WI.
Please note that final details will be shared in the coming weeks. The event will be hosted on the WI Learning Hub and be open to WI Members and non-members.
The Future of the WI
As we look back and celebrate the past 110 years, it is also important to look ahead and ensure that we future proof the organisation for future generations. In the WI, we proudly stand on the shoulders of giants, the army of women who forged our path for 110 years but what of the women who will come after us, the WI members of the future?
What do you wish for those women? Maybe it’s safety on the streets and in their own home, a planet that sustains them, or the confidence to be everything they want to be…?
Whatever your wish, we want to hear it. In these challenging times, when women still face so many obstacles to achieving their dreams, we ask: what is YOUR message of hope? You can share your messages by submitting them via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/wk02DZTAcb
Please note that the responses collected will feature in the June issue of WI Life.
Document your occasion
If you take part in any of the above activities as an individual WI member or with your WI, please share a video or photo with us which could be shared in our promotional videos celebrating WI Day. You can send this to us at events@nfwi.org.uk