Thank you for supporting the Resolution below. If you would like to read the Executive Summary of Baroness Corston's Report, click here Click here (WORD doc 114KB).
"The WI urges HM Government to consider realistic alternatives to prison for women, with particular reference to the drastic effect on their children and families."
Following our very successful event at Trinity College last October, the Government's response to the Corston Report was published on 6 December 2007. It sets out the commitments made across departments to take forward the Corston Report's 43 recommendations for improving the approaches, services and interventions for women in the criminal justice system and women at risk of offending and can be found on the Ministry of Justice's website at www. justice.gov.uk/publications/gov-resp-corston-review.htm.
As a Federation we wrote to Jack Straw and Harriet Harman and to read the response, please Click here for page 1, and here for page 2.
We also had a response from the Government Equalities Office,
Click here to read this.
 |
There is a strong link between this campaign for women and prison sentencing and our NFWI campaign End Violence against Women (VAW) In the last decade the women's population has more than doubled and women in prison suffer from numerous mental health problems - two thirds of women show symptoms of at least one neurotic disorder and more than half are suffering from a personality disorder. |
A University of Oxford report on the health of 500 women prisoners, says that: 'women in custody are five times more likely to have a mental health concern than women in the general population, Over half the women in prison say they have suffered domestic violence and one in three has experienced sexual abuse.
Those of you that came to the Oxfordshire AGM will have heard Juliet Lyon from the Prison Reform Trust speak on our mental health and prison mandate. Juliet had spoken at the Trinity event held in Oxford last October that many of you attended. She is particularly interested in how Oxfordshire is going to take our campaigning forward. Several WI groups have registered their interest and we hope many more of you will on the NFWI website click here .
 |
The local public consultation on the Area Plan Proposal for Gloucstershire and Oxfordshire commenced on 5 February 2008 and local public consultation will last for six weeks and the closing date for feedback is 17 March 2008. If you want to submit a case for your local post office you can contact: Mark Partington, Network Development Manager, c/o National Consultation Team, FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM. Email: consultation@postoffice.co.uk; customer helpline 08457 22 33 44. |
To look at the area plan for post offices closing,
click here
and for the Branch Access Report, click here.
Sustainable communities
The role of the WI in our Communities after Post Office Closures
What are sustainable communities?
The Government even has a website especially dedicated to them. Essentially they are the places we would all like to live in. It doesn't take a lot to break or make a community and a local WI can make a difference. Living in a community with a thriving Women's Institute, busy charity shop and active church choir is good for the health. Research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council identified a strong link between voluntary activity and life satisfaction. So how is your WI faring and what is the secret to a thriving WI? Are you inclusive enough - how does your community view what you do? Do you know?
Without our Post Offices groups like the WI will become more important to keep community spirit alive by offering friendship, passing on valuable skills and looking out for each other.
Early Day Motions - Post Offices and the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (EDM 1066 -updated)
Early Day Motions are an excellent way to change political thought on issues and demonstrate the strength of feeling across the country. So please, write to your local MP(s) as a WI encouraging them to sign these EDMs, if they have not done so. The first EDM has been tabled by Tim Farron MP and is calling for a Moratorium on Post Office closures. The wording is as follows:
'That this house expresses continuing disappointment at the closure plans for the Post Office network and is deeply concerned that the closure office branches threatens the sustainability of many communities, notes that in Autumn 2008 the Sustainable Communities Act will come into force for the first time at which point local authorities will be asked by Central Government to identify support required to keep their communities viable and in the light of this calls on the Government to issue a moratorium on post office closures in order to allow the Sustainable Communities Act to operate as intended'
The NFWI Public Affairs Department recently launched a blog to help inform WI members and the public of its current work. The blog will be updated regularly by members of the NFWI Public Affairs Committee and Staff. This is a great way to keep up-to-date with what the NFWI Public Affairs Department is doing on a daily or weekly basis. To view the blog directly please click on the following link http://theWIpa.blogspot.com.
 |
Do you know how you should recycle your used energy saving light bulbs? You can't put them in the general purpose waste bin at home and need to put them carefully aside where they won't get broken. You can take them to your local Civic Amenity (CA) household waste disposal centre and put them in the special container that should be provided both for Lo-energy lamps and for tubes as well. They will be sent on to a recycling plant and do not pay anything to do this. |
As an alternative, especially if you are buying new energy saving lamps, some retailers will be able to take back the old lamps if you take them with you when visit their store. NFWI life has provided us with this guidance and has said they will be covering this issue in the October 2007 edition of WI Life
Here is a list of local companies who provide free of charge return facilities.
The lightbulb Company - Address: Unit 53 Steventon Storage Facility, Hanney Road, Steventon, Oxford, OX13 6DJ Telephone: 01865 794500 Contact Name: David Bradbury
The lightbulb Company - Address: Thomas Edison House, 74-77 Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE Telephone: 01865 794500 Contact Name: David Bradbury
Eco-St - Address: The Chinnor Garden Centre, Thame Road, Chinnor OXON, OX39 4QS Telephone: N/A Contact Name: Neil Morgan
Electric Centre - Address: Unit 25 Botley Works, North Hinksey Lane, Botley, OX2 0LX Telephone: 01865 726661 Contact Name: Mark Sullivan
Cherwell - Oxford - Address: Unit 3 Wildmere Close, Wildmere Ind Est, Banbury, Oxford, OX16 3TL Telephone: 01295 258822 Contact Name: William Gibson
Eco St - Oxford - Address: The Chinnor Garden Centre, Thame Road, Chinnor, Oxford, OX39 4QS Telephone: 07974 144664 Contact Name: Neil Morgan
The Lightbulb 2 - Address: Thomas Edison House, 74-77 Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RE Telephone: 01865 794500 Contact Name: David Bradbury
 |
OFWI joined forces with Oxfordshire's Community Action Groups (CAGs) for a Day of Action in June 2007. All round the county, at various supermarkets, local WI groups and CAGs challenged shoppers to reduce the amount of packaging they take home. These photos show Bucknell WI braving the elements to set up a stall outside Marks & Spencer in Bicester. The event was supported by the store who provided fifty Bags for Life to give away and the aim was to keep packaging issues at the top of the agenda by providing information to shoppers and asking them to complete a survey about the main 'weekly shop' experience. |
Twelve months ago the WI and CAGS held similar events throughout Oxfordshire and the major supermarkets agreed to set targets for reducing packaging over time. The feedback gained from the completed surveys will enable the progress to be assessed and the targets to be made more challenging. It was pleasing to note that an enthusiastic response was received from the shopping public in Bicester, many of whom are already doing their bit but are keen to do more and many who were pleased to be given some new ideas about shopping with packaging impacts in mind. |  |
For anyone interested in further information and who have access to the internet please go to www.theWI.org.uk and www.cagoxfordshire.org.uk
Do you do enough in your WI to share journeys shopping or travelling to events? Do you think we could all do more? Following the sustainable transport workshop held in Tackley we have a 'Tool Kit' that could help your WI think more about this - Please contact the Office if you would like a 'Tool Kit' or to speak with someone about ideas to promote car sharing in your WI.
We now have a large range of promotional materials from NFWI for any local debates or talks that WIs are hosting. Please contact the office for further information.
Did you know?
Anyone widowed after April 2001 is no longer entitled to the Widow’s pension - it was replaced by lower benefits. The most remarkable point about this is the fact that so many people do not know that the Widow's pension has been abolished. We can do something to raise the awareness of this issue that may affect many WI members.
Do you want to know more or get involved in campaigning?
Contact OFWI at Tackley for more information or Jane Finnerty 01865 553304
In March 2006, representatives from some 25 WI Federations assembled at Denman College for a seminar hosted by Nirex UK Ltd, on the subject of "Managing Nuclear Waste". Pat Clark, our Science Co-ordinator represented OFWI at what proved to be an extremely interesting and informative day. For the full report Click here (WORD doc 28K)
