I have been a member of Caverswall and Cookshill WI since 1979 and have been a committee member and held all officer positions for most of that. I am now also a member of Tean WI.
In 2014 I became a WI Adviser and in 2015 a member of the SFWI Board of Trustees. In January 2023 I became Chairman for the Federation. I am also Chairman for the Member Support Committee and sit on Education and Public Affairs Committee. I sat on The Membership Development Committee of NFWI as member representative for 3 years from 2017.
I love being involved with WIs and being part of our small Member Support team, whose remit is to provide support and advice. I feel passionate about the WI and the opportunities that it provides for women.
I have had many, many superb opportunities from being a WI Member. My top favourite was when I won a competition run by NFWI and Taylors of Harrogate; my prize being to visit Ethiopia to observe tree planting projects run by Taylors and Oxfam.
I am a recently retired Nurse and a farmer. My husband and I have native Breed Red Poll cattle and Primitive Hebridean Sheep. This is in my blood having been brought up on a farm. I have four grandchildren too!
I love anything that incudes wool to work with; my love being felting now for a few years in any form, and I also love spinning.
Helen Mancey
31.1.2023