NFWI Resolutions Process

As you may be aware, the NFWI has been conducting a review to consider ways to improve the resolutions process. Feedback has been received from members, WIs and federations, and the NFWI has already made a number of changes to improve the process.

Much of the feedback received concerns the timings at shortlist stage, which for many WIs does not currently allow them enough time to consider the resolutions.

In response to these concerns, the NFWI has decided to pilot an alteration to the timings for shortlist stage for the 2017/18 process. This change will allow the most possible time for members to consider resolutions at shortlist stage and aims to allow more members to engage in this important stage of the process.

The changes to the process are explained in more detail below, but in brief they are:

• One organisation-wide deadline of 9^th February 2018 will be set by the NFWI for selections to arrive with federations;
• This deadline will be publicised in WI Life so that all members know when they must send their selections to their federation;
• Federations collate and count selections between 9^th and 16^th February, and must send in tallied results to the NFWI by close of play on 16^th February 2018
• The role of federations in counting selections will be simplified, offering federations a range of options to receive and count selections in the simplest way possible;
• The NFWI will extend its own internal deadlines to allow as much time as possible for members to consider their shortlist selections.

A full timetable for the 2017/18 resolutions process is at the bottom of this blog post.

Benefits of the change

• This system will allow all WIs the longest possible time to make their selections at shortlist stage, and will ensure that every WI has at least the whole of December and January to do this;
•  It directly addresses the most commonly raised concern about the process from members;
• It improves communication about the process as it allows this date to be printed in WI Life, ensuring that every WI member will know the deadline for their selections to be received by their federation.

The changes in detail

The NFWI has set an organisation-wide deadline for shortlist selections to be sent to federations. This date is 9^th February 2018.

This change has been made in response to concerns expressed by members who often say that they do not have enough time to consider the resolutions in their meetings. This change means that every WI will have, at a minimum, their December and January meetings to consider the resolutions.

Federations will then have a week (9^th-16^th February) to count selections and report their results to the NFWI. Please see below for guidance about the responsibilities of federations in counting selections.

The NFWI has been able to extend this timeline because the NFWI Board of Trustees have agreed to consider the selection results remotely, rather than at the February Board meeting, and by lengthening WI Life copy deadlines.

What is the role of federations in counting selections?

It is clear that federations are adopting a number of different approaches to counting selections. This guidance is designed to clarify this role to ensure that the process of counting selections is as smooth and easy as possible for federations to undertake.

Federations are not required to verify selections received from WIs by checking forms for signatures, or by only accepting the original forms from WI Life.

Selections can be accepted by federations in a variety of ways – this is not limited to the selection form in WI Life. Selections can be submitted:

• On the form included within WI Life, or a photocopy of the form;
• A representative from each WI (such as the Secretary) can provide the total selections for each resolution by phone, post or email.

By adopting this approach to receiving and counting selections, federations can reduce the time needed to undertake this task.

How can federations count selections as efficiently as possible?

We hope that by clarifying the role of federations at selection stage, the process for counting selections will be simpler and less time-consuming.

Federations may also wish to consider using an electronic tool such as SurveyMonkey which can also be a very quick and easy way to count selections as all the work is done for you. Each WI can submit their selection results online, and the system calculates the totals for you.

Any WIs that do not have online access can send their selections in the usual way, and the federation can input them into the survey tool quickly and easily. Once every WI has input their results, the totals can be viewed by the federation by logging in.

The NFWI Public Affairs Department can support any federations who wish to trial collecting shortlist selection results in this way by producing a standard template survey. If you would like to trial this system during 2017/18 please do let us know.

What is the role of WIs in the selection stage?

WIs should ensure each member has the opportunity to cast an individual selection, and can use a flexible approach to achieve this.

WIs can ensure members can submit their selections by offering a range of ways to do this:

• Completing the form from WI Life or a photocopy of the form during a meeting;
•  Allowing members to submit their selection direct to the WI secretary via post, email or telephone;
• Conducting a secret ballot at a WI meeting;
• Collecting selections using electronic tools, such as via email or using a survey tool like SurveyMonkey.

It is the responsibility of the WI to keep a record of the number of selections cast for each resolution.

What is the NFWI doing to ensure WIs can take part in the selection process?

In addition to this change, the NFWI has produced a wider range of supporting materials to enable WIs to consider shortlisted resolutions. These materials include:

• More engaging briefing notes;
• Powerpoint presentations that can be used to present each issue in your WI;
• Online and printable quizzes to test your knowledge;
• Resolution discussions guide;
• A frequently asked questions document.

All supporting materials for the 2016/17 shortlist selection process were published on the NFWI website during the first week of November, significantly in advance of the arrival of WI Life.

We aim to continue this commitment for the 2017/18 process, with a range of materials available from the first week of November. This means that WIs that meet in the middle or end of November can discuss the resolutions then if they wish.

These materials will continue to be promoted via the Public Affairs Digest e-newsletter, social media and in WI Life. Please do pass on details of these resources to WIs in your federation.

What other changes has the NFWI made to improve the resolutions process?

The NFWI has made the following changes to make it easier for members to get involved in the resolutions process:

• New submission materials including a clearer timetable document, updated resolution submission form and clearer explanatory notes to support WIs who wish to put together a resolution;
• More support and guidance offered to federation Resolutions Advisers and proposers prior to resolution submission;
• Promotional campaign to encourage WIs to submit resolutions, including infographics for social media and blogposts from resolution proposers of successful campaigns;
• Online submission option introduced;
•  Where possible the Public Affairs Department agreed revised wording for resolutions prior to the shortlist selection stage;
• Revised approach to the shortlist selection meeting to support federation representatives to make their decision;
•  Guidance note on potential next steps provided to all unsuccessful proposers, and detailed feedback provided to those who requested it;
• More engaging resolutions materials provided in a range of formats, including consistent format and structure, explanation about how the WI could work on the issue if it was passed;
• Online content to support resolution discussions including videos and social media Q&As to answer member questions.

Should you have any questions about this change, please contact the Public Affairs Department on 020 7371 9300 or pa@nfwi.org.uk.

NFWI Resolution timetable 2017/18

This timetable gives all of the major dates and deadlines for the 2017/18 resolutions process. Please use this to plan your meetings within your WI or federation. In addition, information will regularly be added to the NFWI website (www.TheWI.org.uk/resolutions) and the Moodle.

1 July 2017 Mailing	Resolution submission forms sent to federations and WIs.
15 September 2017	Closing date for resolutions to be submitted to the NFWI – federation deadlines may be earlier.
25 September 2017	Federation shortlisting representatives notified of details of resolution shortlist selection meeting. Resolutions longlist circulated.
2 October 2017	Federation representatives meet to compile shortlist of resolutions, supported by NFWI trustees and staff as appropriate.
1 Nov 2017	Shortlist resolution resources including videos and PowerPoint presentations published on NFWI website
17 Nov 2017 WI Life	Shortlisted resolutions, paragraphs of essential facts and points, and selection slip appear in November issue of WI Life.
December & January	Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the shortlisted resolutions. Members select the resolution they support the most.
9 Feb 2018	Deadline for resolution selection results to be returned to your Federation. (Check arrangements for this with your WI Secretary)
16 Feb 2018	Deadline for Federations to return tallied selection results to the NFWI
Late Feb 2018	NFWI Board of Trustees finalises resolution/s for 2018 Annual Meeting agenda, based on the number of selections from WI members.
1 April 2018 Mailing	Annual Meeting resolution/s briefings and wording sent to federations, WIs and WI Advisers.
April 2018 WI Life	Annual Meeting resolution/s published in WI Life.
April & May 2018	Federations and WIs hold meetings to discuss the AM resolution/s. WIs vote for or against each resolution.
4 May 2018	Deadline for resolution amendments and urgency resolutions sent to the NFWI.
June 2018	Vote on resolution/s held at the Annual Meeting.

If you would like to get up to date news and information about the resolutions process and WI campaigns in general, sign up to the NFWI public affairs digest through the website.

 

Speak Up Week of Action 1-9 July 2017

From the 1-9 July we are asking members to hold events in their local community and invite their newly elected MP along to start a conversation about climate change. The Week of Action is for everyone. You don’t need to have spoken to your MP before or even need to know all the facts and figures about climate change – all you need is love for the environment.

This blog features WI members who have had direct experience of engaging their local MP and successfully started a conversation about the climate. 

Pat Downes - Barry WI, Glamorgan Federation 

After reading a paragraph in our Glamorgan newsletter suggesting we make green hearts, our President requested an action pack from the NFWI. We decided to make small green hearts at our Tuesday afternoon meeting in February. She asked me if I would help our Vice President organise this. I spent the next few days cutting out over a hundred green felt hearts and searching local craft shops for beads, sequins, buttons and threads to decorate them.

About twenty of our members came to the heart making, many of them uttering "I can't sew!" At the end of the session everyone was pleased and proud of their efforts. We decided to wear our hearts at our Tuesday evening meeting in February.

After reading the article, 'Turn Valentine's Day green to tackle climate change' in the February issue of WI Life, I decided to send one of my hearts to our local MP, Secretary of State for Wales, Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP. I attached my heart to the postcard that was enclosed in the magazine, stating that it was for the love of our beautiful Vale. I placed it in an envelope and attached a first class stamp, hoping that he wouldn't have to pay any extra postage!

Imagine my surprise when a few days later I received a phone call from the NFWI asking permission for my phone number to be passed on to Alun Cairns. He wanted to thank me for my green heart. His PA then contacted me to say that he wanted to thank me in person and would it be convenient to call at my home that afternoon.

At 2.15pm two cars drew up on my drive and with great trepidation I opened the door to Alun Cairns and his PA Melanie. He immediately put me at my ease, asking many questions about the WI. He read the article in the WI Life and promised he would wear his heart on Valentine's Day to help promote discussion about climate change. I then had to present him with his heart so that Melanie could take our photograph. 

The whole experience has subsequently made me a very reluctant celebrity in Barry WI!

Earls Colne WI, Essex Federation

We wanted to convey our concerns about climate change directly to our MP, James Cleverley and felt that he would respond well to an invitation to a coffee morning with, of course, WI cake. We tweaked the timing a little with an earlier start to accommodate his schedule.

Our members responded really well with cakes, bunting and green hearts. Thirty to forty attended with three parish councillors and one county councillor also present. The event started informally with coffee and cake, and then our MP gave a short talk outlining his views and took questions. The questions were very diverse and produced quite a lively debate. He was left in no doubt about our concerns.

Looking back it was quite a simple event to organise. MPs always want to get out there and meet their constituents, even just after an election. Our members responded enthusiastically – so never underestimate your members. It allowed me as a Climate Ambassador to gauge the level of support for the issues and to start making plans for the next event!

Norfolk Federation

Here in Norfolk we have a healthy respect for climate change because of our geography, and we were involved in two memorable events this year.

Saturday 11 February saw a freezing easterly wind blowing down Sheringham High Street straight off the North Sea, resulting in a balmy 4 degrees feeling like minus 6. However, with 300 green hearts to give away Sheringham WI were undaunted and ready to raise awareness of the #showthelove campaign. Some say we discussed the issues so much with locals and holiday makers that we probably contributed to global warming! Our green hearts were, on the whole, received warmly and many were shared on Facebook and with friends. District Councillors came along with the Mayor to receive and share hearts as well as local celebrities.

Sheringham WI’s meeting was on 13th February and we invited Dr Clare Goodess from the University of East Anglia to come and present to us the real threat global warming poses to the world. It brought home how much we have to lose in East Anglia with rising sea levels.

The Norfolk Public Affairs committee ran a “Make a Green Heart” stall at the Forum in Norwich during February half term.  300 green hearts were on display for the visitors to the Form and over 250 children and adults decorated green hearts to share on social media with their families and friends. Glitter, sequins and glue were the order of the day!

The Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP attended the event and stressed how much he supported the WI campaign and how he hoped the 2015 Paris agreement would hold firm with the changes in global politics. He also said that in East Anglia there is a great need to keep global temperature rises to below 2 degrees, as rises above this would have profound implications for sea level rises and increased extreme weather occurrences. He received a heart which he then shared on Twitter. 

Please email s.page-publicaffairs@nfwi.org.uk for more information on how you can get involved.      

Find out more about the Food Waste Weekend of Action: Friday 19th to Sunday 21st May 2017

This weekend WIs up and down the country will be taking part in our Food Waste Action Weekend. This blog shines a light on some of the most striking findings our  research report into food waste, as well as giving some suggestions about creative ways for WIs to engage with their local supermarkets on this issue.

The Wasted Opportunities report is the first stage of the WI’s Food Matters campaign which was launched after a resolution on food waste and food poverty was passed at the 2016 Annual Meeting. While there has been much progress in recent years to tackle the issue of food waste, our report found that there is more that supermarkets can do to drive progress.

We found practices that can lead to overbuying, date labels that cause confusion, and wonky fruit and veg ranges that simply aren’t available on the supermarket shelves. The report highlights a number of areas where supermarkets can make positive improvements to help tackle food waste up and down the food supply chain.

With over 5000 WI members contributing to the two surveys on which the report is based, we developed a strong sense of the food waste landscape all the way from Durham to Dorset! Our aim was to establish whether supermarket practices were contributing to the millions of tonnes of food wasted every single year, and the results we received were startling.

WI members found that in the supermarkets they surveyed, 75% still offered multi-buys on fresh produce. These multi-buy offers could encourage customers to buy larger quantities of food than they might do otherwise, and can lead to food waste in the home. Members reported disparities in ‘once opened, use within’ guidance given on jars and packaging. They found that 25% of own-brand products had a shorter ‘once-opened use within’ life than equivalent branded products. It has been estimated that extending the life of a product by just one day could cut down on 250,000 tonnes of food waste.

Other key findings include:

• Members want to buy products in quantities convenient to them; 91% of members expressed a preference to a price reduction over a multi-buy offer. 84% of members said they would prefer to buy products loose than in a multipack.
• Members were confused about ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates. Only 45% of members understood that best before dates were a marker of food quality. 26% of respondents didn’t realise that use-by dates were a marker of food safety.  
• 90% of WI members said they’d be happy to buy fruit or veg which was blemished or misshapen, yet only 29% of stores had a  ‘wonky range’ and if they did have one, the vast majority (68%) only stocked one or two products.

Drawing on our findings, the NFWI has produced the ‘WI Supermarket Food Waste Manifesto’. This Manifesto outlines four commitments supermarkets can make to help cut the amount of food that is wasted up and down the food supply chain.

The Manifesto calls for action on the following areas;

• Overbuying
• Extending the product life of foods in the home
• Fully utilising the farm crop
• Supermarket transparency on food waste

How can you get involved in the campaign?
Many WIs will be visiting their local stores this weekend, and meeting with the supermarket manager. Do remember to take along the WIs Food Waste Manifesto to show how supermarkets can help reduce household and supply chain food waste by committing to the recommendations in the Manifesto.

Ideally we want  supermarket managers to pass on the Manifesto to their supermarket head offices so that we can really put the pressure on retailers to make positive change to help tackle food waste.  To get the most out of your meeting, the NFWI has produced a discussion guide for WIs to help steer the meeting. This can be found on our Food Matters campaign page here.

Once you’ve managed to set up a meeting with your local supermarket manager, you might want to think about ways of bringing some of the issue we’ve highlighted in our report to life with your supermarket manager.

You could think about: 

• Collating examples of confusing labelling, multi-packs and multi-buys offers with you, to take with you to the meeting to highlight there and then what needs to change
• You could get together as a WI ahead of the meeting to create Artivism, to draw attention to the campaign, drawing inspiration from artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s portraits made of vegetables. Small scale collages or huge Art Attack style pictures, perhaps putting to use those ‘wonky waste vegetables’ to create a piece. Take photos of the WI group with the supermarket manager or invite the local media to take the photos for you.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you take plenty of photos, share it on social media and let the local media know of your plans. The NFWI has produced a template press release which you can use with the media. The press release can be found on the Food Matters campaign pages.  Our discussion guide also explains how to find your local media contacts.

For a copy of the campaign action pack which has more information about the campaign and how you can get involved, please see here.

A copy of the report can be found on the WI website here.

Too late to take part this weekend?
Don’t worry! You can arrange to meet your local supermarket manager at any time, not just during the weekend of action. What’s most important is that supermarkets hear that their customers want them to take action.

For further information regarding the report findings or the NFWI’s Food Matters campaign, please contact the Public Affairs Department.

Welcome transparency about the gender pay gap

Today Section 78 of the Equality Act comes into force, which requires that all businesses with over 250 employees conduct and publish a gender pay audit. These changes are important because they mean that for the first time, large employers have to be transparent about their gender pay gap.

The WI has been campaigning for equal pay for equal work since 1943, so we welcome these changes which will bring more openness about the pay gap between women and men. The gender pay gap now stands at 9.4% for full time workers and 18.1% for all types of workers/contracts. This means that women will earn significantly less than men over their entire careers, so more openness about this important issues is long overdue.

Yesterday was the final date by which eligible employers had to take a snapshot of their pay data and they now have until 5 April 2018 to publish their gender pay gap figures.

Companies will have to report their pay gap in a number of ways, including average pay gaps and bonus pay gaps. All this information must be published on the employer’s website for at least three years.

The ultimate goal of these changes is to make employers aware of their gender pay gap, urge them to take action to close it, and shed light on rates of pay so that employees are better informed.

Throughout 2015 and 2016, the NFWI contributed to government consultations and participated in talks with the Government Equalities Office on how to best implement these changes. We used that opportunity to highlight issues affecting women in work, such as: maternity discrimination, up-skilling for older women, and the need for well-paid, part-time roles. 

For gender pay audits to be effective, employees need to understand what the data actually mean. We’ve had look over the finalised regulations to find out how you will be able to access data from your own employer (if they’re eligible) and how you should interpret the figures.

How to access the information

The rules mean that employers with more than 250 employees must publish their results on their own website in an easily accessible way and on a dedicated website (which has yet to go live). The information must be published on the employer’s website for at least 3 years. The government website hub will allow employees to compare their employers with equivalents in the field with greater ease and will shed light on which businesses are underperforming. 

How to interpret the information

According to government guidelines, employers will have to produce data in a range of ways that will allow a fair picture of pay practices across the board to emerge. It is crucial that employees understand how to unpick this data, so we’ve provided an explanation below. 

The two most important sets of data that employers will need to publish are:

1) The difference in mean pay between male and female employees and

2) The difference in median pay between male and female employees

Both figures will give an average of the difference in pay between male and female employees, however they will do this in very different ways:

The mean pay will use all female employees’ salaries added together and divided by the number of female employees, and all male employees’ salaries added together and divided by the number of male employees. This will calculate the average difference between pay for men and women.

The median pay will take all the salaries for women, list them from lowest to highest and take the salary that falls exactly in the middle, doing the same for male employees, and using the two figures to calculate the pay difference.

As a result of this, organisations will publish mean and median figures that are quite different from one another. For example, if an organisation employs 4 women earning £10 an hour and 1 woman earning £40 an hour, and also employs 5 men earning £12 an hour, the median pay for women will be £10 while the median pay for men will be £12. Using the same data, the mean pay for women will be £16, while the mean pay for men will be £12. Despite the fact that only one woman is earning more than 5 other men, the mean figure would suggest that women are being paid, on average, more than men, when in reality the majority of women are being paid less.

Being able to distinguish between these figures will be vital for continuing the campaign to close the wage gap for all women.

Employers will also need to publish the difference between mean bonus pay paid to male and female employees, the proportion of male and female staff that were paid bonuses, and proportions of male and female employees in quartile pay bands. 

The NFWI will be monitoring the introduction of these rules, and will continue to push for more action to tackle the gender pay gap so that women are paid fairly.

Spotlight on Plastic Soup

Two resolutions will be going forward to the Annual Meeting in Liverpool on 7^th June, so it is now time for WIs to consider how they wish their delegate to vote.

Each WI should now consider each resolution individually, not voting for one over the other. You can instruct your delegate to vote ‘FOR’, ‘AGAINST’ or you can give her ‘DISCRETION’ to decide on the day of the Annual Meeting. If both resolutions are passed, the NFWI will work on both issues.

Yesterday we considered the resolution focusing on loneliness, so today it is the turn of Plastic Soup.

The resolution focuses on the problem of microplastic fibres entering the oceans. These fibres can be shed from synthetic clothes when they are washed.

You can find out more about the problem by reading our short briefing notes.

Here’s a video from Plymouth University that explains how microfibres are shed through the washing process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs8a5A2w_N8&feature=youtu.be

As these fibres are synthetic, they don’t biodegrade, and can be mistaken by marine life for food. Here’s a video showing a plastic microfibre entering plankton: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39217985

You may also wish to watch the trailer for A Plastic Ocean, a documentary that shows the scale of microplastic pollution in the ocean: http://www.plasticoceans.org/watch-trailer/

Prevention could be key to tackling this problem at source. There is also a need for further research to identify the scale of the problem and consider solutions. This video calls on clothing manufacturers to take action to tackle the problem: http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-microfibers/

Once you have read the notes and watched the films, you can test your knowledge by taking our quiz.

If you are holding discussions in your WI or Federation, you could use our presentation to discuss the issue.

Spotlight on Alleviating Loneliness

It’s that time of year again to start thinking about Annual Meeting resolutions! 

Over 91,000 members selected their preferred resolution to move forward to the Annual Meeting, and two resolutions will be going forward to the Annual Meeting. 

They are:

Alleviating loneliness

This meeting calls on every WI and the NFWI to work alongside health and social care providers and their local community to raise awareness of the causes and impacts of loneliness, thus ensuring better identification of lonely people in order to be able to offer them the appropriate assistance and support.

Plastic Soup: Keep microplastic fibres out of our ocean  

Microplastic fibres are shed from synthetic clothing with every wash and are the main contributors to microplastic contamination of the oceans. The NFWI calls on Government and industry to research and develop innovative solutions to this problem in order to stop the accumulation of microplastic fibres in our oceans.

Now it’s up to you and your WI to take time over the next two months to consider how you would like your delegate to vote on each resolution. You can instruct her to vote ‘FOR’, ‘AGAINST’, or you can give her ‘DISCRETION’ to decide on the day of the Annual Meeting. 

You don’t need to vote for one over the other – you must consider each individually.

In this blogpost we shine a spotlight on loneliness, to help you find out more about the subject and consider how you wish your delegate to vote.

To help you decide, we have put together some resources in a variety of formats for you and your fellow members to learn about the topic, test your knowledge, and share your findings at your next meeting. 

To learn the basics about what loneliness is, who it impacts, and its personal, societal, and economic costs, consult our short briefing paper.

It’s a good idea to print copies of the briefing paper out and hand out at your next meeting if you’re going to be discussing resolutions.

Once you think you’ve learned about loneliness, take our short quiz to test your knowledge. 

If you think loneliness just impacts older people think again. Many different groups of people are vulnerable to feeling chronically lonely. Watch this short Channel 4 video about new mums grappling with loneliness: https://www.channel4.com/news/the-loneliness-of-becoming-a-new-mum 

If you would like to present this topic to your WI and you’re having trouble finding a speaker, why not do it yourself? You can use this presentation. 

We hope these resources help your WI arrive at a consensus about whether or not you would like to support this resolution. If you have any queries about this resolution, or the resolutions process in general, please contact the NFWI Public Affairs department at pa@nfwi.org.uk or 020 7371 9300 ext. 212.  

Next we will be focusing on Plastic Soup so watch this space for tomorrow’s blogpost.