Chair's Letter - July/August 2025

Welcome to this double edition of Oxfordshire Inspires – July and August. I have been asked to remind you please to come and visit us at the Tackley office on Tuesday 16 September and celebrate the WI being 110 years old! I feel we are in relatively good order for that number of years! Do take the opportunity to visit the Federation office, wander round the history displays, artefacts, textiles, and memorabilia and view the displays and information about our subcommittees. Meet Trustees and WI Advisers for a chat and, of course, have a cuppa and a piece of cake! 10.30am – 3.00pm. No need to book – just drop in when you can – my challenge to you is not to leave me on my own all day with cake! Otherwise, I will be an even more well-padded chair! How fortunate are we to belong to an organisation that can boast 110 years? Back at the beginning, did those wonderful women think we would still be standing strong 110 years later? We need to ensure that we continue being a force to be reckoned with and let’s hope that the women that come after us keep the strong traditions of the WI going. It is our bedrock, and we must ensure its longevity. I have also been asked that, as we work our way through the WI year, you keep MCS up to date so we have an accurate database of all Oxfordshire members.

Plans have started for the Annual Meeting next March – I have ordered sunshine as that always sets the day off nicely! Discussion on the content of the day and speakers is in the

planning stage, and I will hopefully have more information to share in my next letter. Any thoughts on the content of the day most welcome. Some of you will be taking a well-earned

break in August – we as a Board take the month off, but I am reliably informed that the office team have plans for the equivalent of a spring-clean! Whatever the next couple of months bring – enjoy.

And now to share a little secret! I hope this makes you smile – I was very brave on the OFWI holiday to Kent that took place recently. Not everyone was keen on all the wines at our

Vineyard tasting, but I managed them all as well as those not wanted by my fellow travellers. I thought it was an excellent afternoon!

Have a wonderful summer and come back ready to enjoy all the events OFWI has to offer.

With love and best wishes.

Tracy

Tracy Strain

OFWI Chair

01235 765285

tracy.strain@oxfordshirewi.co.uk