It used to be a common misconception that the Women’s Institute was little more than a place where women congregated to share recipes for preserves and sing hymns. However, that is far from the truth.
Founded in 1915 with the aim of revitalising rural communities and encouraging women to become more involved in food production during World War I, the WI is now the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK. With 6,300 branches around England, Wales, and the Islands and more than 220,000 members nationally, the Carterton branch of the WI will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the members have much to celebrate.
Back in 1922, three pioneering women from the small rural community founded the Carterton Women’s Institute. When the vicar’s wife, Jessie Offley Shaw, Annie Clarke and Gladys Hammett founded the branch, Carterton was just a small hamlet with just 150 residents. Initially, the 62 ladies who were members met in a room above the then Co-op (now the Golden Eagle Public House).
Three years later, a parcel of land close to the village crossroads was purchased for £25; the land was to be used to build a hall for Members’ activities. For such a small and relatively poor community, this was a huge sum of money. Although members held various fundraising events to raise sufficient money to build the hall, sadly they could not raise enough. However, thanks to member Annie Clarke and her husband Ernest Christmas Clarke mortgaging their home, they were able to raise the £25.00 and the hall was finally financed. However, in the 1928 minutes, it was recorded ‘they were still working to pay off the debt’.
Although many of the Carterton WI’s records were lost during wartime, the 1927 minutes record “The WI’s influence in the home life of members was all for the good; tired housewives found rest, cheer and change from the laborious daily routine of domestic duties, younger members finding an outlet for over-flowing spirits in recreation, song and dance.”
Affiliated to the National Federation of WI’s based in London and the County Federation in Oxford, by 1927 the Carterton members were excelling when they attended the Oxfordshire WI Handicrafts Exhibition returning with sixteen certificates, three of which were first prizes.
Over the decades since its inception, the members have been using their time actively to fundraise for many local and national organisations. From the 1950s to the 1970s the Carterton members adopted patients at Bradwell Grove Hospital in Burford, ensuring patients received Christmas and birthday gifts. In more recent times, the Thursday morning WI Coffee Shop selling homemade cakes, tea, and coffee, has been one of the fundraising mainstays of financing the hall’s ongoing maintenance. Not only is the hall used by the WI but by other local community groups.
Members are not only involved in their local branch; all WI’s through their County and National Federation belong to the Associated Countrywomen of the World which has members in over 80 countries. Annually, the Carterton WI raises money for this international organisation. Part of the benefit of being a member of the WI is the friendship it affords, and the opportunities members have to meet members from other groups. Larger meetings are often held, bringing more than one WI group together for interesting talks and demonstrations.
The Carterton WI members play an integral part in the local community. The Annual Gift and Craft fair in November is a popular event, as is “Open Evening” for Carterton Celebrates week each July. Many of the bulbs that have been planted in the centre of Carterton have been planted thanks to local WI members. Every Remembrance Sunday, a wreath is laid on behalf of the WI at the War Memorial.
In 2018, the WI ladies joined forces with other ladies in the town to make poppies for a large canopy to cover the Town Hall balcony. Sadly, the hanging got damaged and during a lull in the Covid infections in 2021, the Carterton WI ladies spread the large net with all its poppies on the floor of the WI Hall taking several afternoons to repair it.
As the Covid restrictions ease and the WI members’ meetings can once again be held in the WI Hall, instead of via zoom, everyone is looking forward to laying the foundations for the next 100 years of WI membership in Carterton. The ideals of the Women’s Institute are Truth, Justice, Tolerance and Friendship and are as strong and important today as they were at the birth of the WI in 1915.
