Margaret Williams was Pant’s delegate for the Shropshire Federation’s Annual Meeting which was held at Theatre Severn on 15 May. As well as an opportunity to meet people from other WIs in the county and hear reports from the various officers and trustees, there are always interesting keynote speakers. This year was no different and delegates enjoyed two vastly different talks. The first was by Dr Mark Spencer, a forensic botanist, writer and TV presenter: ‘Murder Most Florid’. Dr Spencer originally trained as a horticulturalist and spent twelve years at the Natural History Museum, gaining a reputation for excellence in the field of botany. It was there that he was first contacted by the police to see if he could help at a crime scene where a body had been found and to confirm – from the surrounding vegetation – how long it had been at the location. His career in this sphere then developed and he is one of only two such forensic botanists in the UK.
The second keynote speaker was Dawn Ball, area fundraiser for Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith whose homes are for children with life-threatening conditions who are not expected to reach adulthood. Aside from fundraising, Dawn’s role also raises awareness of what support is available to families – for example: respite; end-of-life care; crisis care; bereavement counselling; and antenatal and neonatal support. The charity needs £9.6 million per year to run the two hospices.
Members Kelly Kraus and Gaynor Watmough attended the Green Dot Day held by Shropshire Federation’s Climate Team on 5 April. The event was a chance for WI members to learn about climate action, share ideas and engage in hands-on activities. They reported on the programme of the day, which included making organic skin products, and talks on climate change and upcycling.
The meeting concluded with a talk from Edward Tate, a tenant farmer from just outside Shrewsbury: ‘Climate Change and Our Daily Bread – the Future Sustainability of Water, Food and Farming’. Edward gave an impassioned presentation about his mission to care for the environment, farm sustainably, and tackle climate change, as well as explaining the challenges that our country faces to ensure food security. Without what he called ‘green’ security, there is no water security, and therefore no food security. And there is no ‘planet B’.
In a whistle-stop tour of the history of farming from the Byzantine and Roman times right up to the present day, members learned about the Enclosures Act, crop rotation, nitrogen fixing, the effect that chemical fertilisers have on the soil, and how modern agricultural methods are depleting the top soil which is crucial for supporting the growth of crops.
The competition was ‘A photo of bygone years’ and was won by Joan Jones. Jane Thompson was second and Janet Jones third.
Pant WI meets on the first Thursday of every month at 7.15pm at Pant Memorial Institute. New members or anyone who is interested in coming along and finding out more, please get in touch at pantwi1931@gmail.com.
At their June meeting, West Mercia Police will talk about cybercrime.