Meet The Teams
Board of Trustees
The Federation is run by an elected board of members known as the Board of Trustees and employed staff. Federations are the link between the WI in their area and the WI’s national office in London.
The Trustees also coordinate several events during the year. These include at Christmas time a Craft and Gift Fair where stalls are rented out not only to WIs but to other craft makers in the area.
Speakers Showcase days are held twice a year where speakers apply to audition in front of representative members of the WIs across Bedfordshire. If successful in their audition, they can be placed in our Directory of Speakers at a nominal cost which is then issued to all our WIs.
Shoe sales are also held for the members twice a year. A retailer brings along shoes and boots and often other merchandise at reasonable prices. Members can also purchase lunch if required.
Another event these last two years is a Proms Evening where we invite a local band and choir. This year Bedford Hospital Radio joined us in this celebration. Members join together to sing along and enjoy typical Proms music with much flag waving, and the singing of Jerusalem!!!
All events provide the necessary income to ensure that the Federation has the money to pay salaries and maintain WI House. We encourage members to come and visit WI House.
We have visited several musuems. Here we have pictured the John Bunyan Museum in Bedford and members visiting the Panacea Museum, also in Bedford.
Members enjoying a break at a Speaker Showcase day before listening to more exciting speakers.
Members enjoying the Grand Finale at our Proms Night held at Kings House, Bedford
Members and Trustees model clothes at a fashion show before members purchase items to be ready for their summer break. (Left)
In the summer we held a tutored tasting of South Africa wines with our sommelier Nigel Crofton. Here you can see the trustees have been busy preparing a meal to accompany the wine tasting. (Right)
Elizabeth Cochrane, Chair. Elizabeth Joined the WI in 2005 becoming a member with Bedford WI. Her interaction with Federation began with the MAC sub – committee ,leading to becoming a member of the Board of Trustees. This eventually led to being appointed as Chair of Bedfordshire Federation in 2023.
Dot Wigg, Vice Chair.
Dot is a member of Caldecote WI and has been a WI member since xxx. She has previously held the position of chair and brings xx years of WI experience to the role.
Diane Sanbrook, Treasurer.
Diane is a member of Ampthill WI and has been a member there since 1988. Diane is a past County Chairman and first Joined WI in the then County of Humberside in 1984.
Liz Potter
Liz has been a WI member for over 40 years and is currently a meber of Wilstead WI. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2009.
Hazel Wade
Hazel is a member of Wymington & Podington WI and has been on their committee since 2015. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2021 and is a member of the Craft Activities team. Hazel is also editor of our newsletter Bedfordshire WI News.
Rita Hutchinson
Rita is a member of Wymington & Podington WI. She was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2022.
Sally Ball
Sally has been a WI member in Bedfordshire for 41 years and is a member of Clapham Belles WI and a dual member of Keysoe WI. She is a WI Adviser and an IFE has been a member of various sub committees and Chairman of Lifestyle & Leisure Team (formerly Arts, Sport and Leisure) and Federation Chairman.
Sue Pestell
Sue joined the WI in 2009. She is a member and president of Westoning WI. She is also a WI Adviser.
Catherine Bentley, Federation Secretary.
Catherine’s role is to support the board of Trustees. She has been a member of Biggleswade Evening WI since 2019.
Member Support Team
Previously known as the Membership Advisory Committee, this team are here to support members in running WIs. They are made up of Membership Advisers who have received training in all things WI. They help to set up new WIs and assist in any issues members may have either in running their WI or something else. They try to attend as many Annual Meetings as they can. They are the link between the Federation and the WIs. They are also responsible for providing training to the officers (president, secretary and treasurer) and regularly run workshops to address any issues and provide networking opportunities. The member support team also assist in the organisation of an intercounty quiz with two local federations: Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Each year they organise a quiz in which WIs across Bedfordshire compete. The top 8 teams then go on to represent Bedfordshire at the intercounty quiz, which Bedfordshire are hosting this year.
Members of this team are: Dot Wigg (Chair), Sally Ball, Sue Pestell, Diane Sanbrook and Pam Plumb.
Lifestyle & Leisure Team
This team, previously known as the Art Sport and Leisure sub-committee, arrange various events and trips covering various topics. Their recent activities include trips to Fisher’s Gin Distillery and Winterbourne House and gardens and an evening playing indoor kurling. Members enjoy playing Crazy Bag Whist where they swap prizes as they play. We also arrange jigsaw challenges where teams of 4 compete to be the first to complete their jigsaw after enjoying jacket potato supper. The yearly trips to the Royal Albert Hall to see John Rutter’s Christmas Extravaganza and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Music at the Movies are very popular.
Members of this team are: Sally Ball (Chair), Rosemary Mitchell, Dot Wigg
Creative Activities Team
This team previously known as the Cookery, Craft and Gardening sub-committee, arranges events and trips related to anything creative. They have organised trips to Knitting and Stitching Shows, The Cheap Shop Haberdashery for members to stock up on inexpensive crafting items. They also run workshops for crochet and chicken scratch stitching and organise the Eve’s Trophy Competition where members can enter items they have made in various different categories to win a trophy.
Members of this team are: Liz Potter (Chair), Hazel Wade, Jennifer Abrahams and Rita Hutchinson.
Public Affairs Team
Visit to Hampton Court Palace where members and friends enjoyed a very informative guided tour.
Previously known as the Public & International Affairs with Science, this team look at events and trips to raise awareness of issues such as climate change and awareness of community issues. Their recent trips have included a faith tour visiting a Gurdwara, a Mosque and a Church within Bedford, tours around museums and historical palaces and a wine-tasting evening.
Members of this team are: Elizabeth Cochrane (Chair), Sue Kaye, Maria Hancox and Annie Palmer (Climate Ambassador)
Resolution Coordinator
Each year the WI votes on a resolution which will become a campaign. Any member can propose a resolution to be put forward for all members to vote on. Sue Pestell is our Resolution Coordinator and is responsible for supporting members in drafting resolutions and helping members to discuss proposed resolutions each year.
Climate Ambassador
Groups Coordinator
Several WIs in an area can choose to belong to a group. WIs within a group meet once or twice a year with the aim to network and share reports on their successes and achievements. Sally Ball, coordinates and supports these groups.