22/08/2026
EDP WI Week w/e Saturdayy 22nd August 2026 Di Abraham
How well do you react to change? It doesn’t have to arrive with trumpets or a theatrical flourish. More often it tiptoes in quietly – a small shift in a familiar rhythm that almost slips by unnoticed unless you are paying attention.
WIs are a prime example of groups with a rhythm all of their own. You can practically set your watch by the way members prepare for their monthly WI meeting, like a familiar tune everyone knows by heart. The chairs appear in neat lines as if by magic; the urn splutters into life in preparation for the refreshments and someone – no one ever quite knows who – remembers to bring the raffle tickets without ever being asked. It is a comfortable rhythm – steady and reassuring, built from years of shared habits and the occasional well-timed biscuit.
Change, when it occurs, is often associated with new members walking through the door; as has happened recently in my WI at Ingoldisthorpe. It’s subtle – nothing dramatic takes place – but the room lifts a little in response to the fresh energy these ladies bring with them.
It is human nature to feel a flicker of unease at the unknown – how will they fit in, will there be an enormous shift in the dynamics of our WI? Good questions, but there should be no cause for concern. WIs welcome change. Fresh eyes notice things and often new strengths appear – a skill, an idea, a different way of approaching a familiar task. Sometimes new members fill a gap we didn’t realise was there and gradually a slightly different rhythm is created that still feels like it belongs to us.
One of my grandchildren recently asked me how I felt about change. They are due to start a new school and are preparing for big adventures. I thought about the areas where my life has changed recently and, as the WI features highly in my world, I considered the changes there too. Our new members have brought an energy that is wonderfully contagious, and I am delighted by how quickly they have settled in, it’s as though they have always been part of our WI
Illustration picture supplied and designed by Di Abraham (with assistance from AI)
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