| Main Performers | HM Queen Elizabeth II,
The Lord Mayor of London,
Lucy Worsley,
Helena Morrissey CBE,
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE,
Janice Langley (NFWI Chair),
Julia Roberts (Hon. Treasurer) - speakers |
| Secondary Performers | HRH The Princess Royal,
HRH The Countess of Wessex - prize-givers,
Three flower girls - three grandchildren of the NFWI board |
| Choirs | The Bleadon Belles (NFWI Centenary Choir Competition winners) |
| Set List | Welcome (Janice Langley),
Appontment of Returning Officers and Tellers,
Adoption of Standing Orders,
Chair's Address,
Hon. Treasuer's Statement,
Arrival of Royal Guests,
'God Save the Queen' (The National Anthem),
Live Broadcast Link Up - Anglesey Federation,
Procession and Presentation of the Centenary Link Baton with regional WI Brooches to HM The Queen (WI Members - Maggie Simons, Llanfairpwl WI, Balsall Heath WI),
Presentation of Trophies to Prize Winners:
Lady Denman Cup to Stephanie Gaunt (HM The Queen),
Makower Certificates to Gayney Jones and Maureen Levenson (for Sandi Jones (HRH Princess Royal),
Huxley Cup to Anne Evans (HRH Countess of Wessex),
'Jerusalem', lyr. W Blake, mus. Parry,
Speech (HM The Queen),
Presentation of posies to the Royal guests,
Thanks to the Royal Party and Address (Janice Langley),
Speech - History of the WI (Lucy Worsley),
Consitutional (Ordinary) Resolution - Federations to become incorporated,
Resolution on Pubic Affairs issues (Ordinary) Resolution - 'This meeting calls on HM government to removed the distinction between nursing care and personal care in the assessment of needs of individuals, in order to advance health and wellbeing.'
INTERVAL for Lunch
'Climb Every Mountain' (The Bleadon Belles),
'Seasons of Love' (The Bleadon Belles),
'Singing for Joy', Jonathan Willcocks (The Bleadon Belles),
Live Broadcast Link Up - Great Torrington WI, Devon Federation,
Announcement of the new NFWI Board of Trustees,
Speech (Baroness Grey-Thompson DBE),
Live Broadcast Link Up (The Social Lites WI, Cheshire Federation),
Speech (Helena Morrissey CBE),
Closing Remarks (Janice Langley),
Kingston Project Fashion Show,
'Jerusalem', Parry,
'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers)', trad.,
'God Save the Queen' (The National Anthem) |
| Royal Presence | HM Queen Elizabeth II,
HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal,
HRH Sophie, The Countess of Wessex |
| Performance Notes | The Women's Institute (WI) was formed in 1915 in Great Britain to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then the organisation's aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK. The WI will celebrate its centenary in 2015 and currently has 212,000 members in around 6,600 WIs.
The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. Following their AGM at the Hall in 2012, the NFWI will return to celebrate their centenary next year. This event will be open to members of the WI and tickets will be available to the public.
The event was streamed live via the internet in order that NFWI members could arrange their own celebrations to watch the proceedings. The online broadcast was available on YouTube and on a dedicated centenary website.
HM The Queen is President of Sandringham WI, HRH The Princess Royal is a long-standing NFWI Associate, and HRH The Countess of Wessex is a member of Bagshot WI. The Royal party were received by Mr Kenneth Olisa (Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London), Mrs Janice Langley (Chair) and Mrs Jana Osborne (General Secretary).
Her Majesty, accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses, received the Centenary Baton and viewed a film of its journey around the United Kingdom, before declaring the Meeting open. The WI's centenary baton was designed to celebrate the friendship and community between the organisation's 212,000 members.
Her Majesty, gave one of her most striking speeches about women and the progress in women's lives;
"In the century, since the first WI groups were formed in North Wales and Sussex, so much has changed for women in our society. There has been significant economic and social change since 1915. Women have been granted the vote, British women have climbed Everest for the first time, and the country has elected its first female Prime Minister."
Guests received a bite sized sample of the Centenary Fruit Cake competition's winning recipe on leaving the Hall. The cake had been ceremonially cut earlier in the day by HM The Queen in the West Porch (Porch 9).
The Royal Party were each individually presented with posies comprised of the WI Centenary rose 'Inspire'.
During the lunch break WI members congregated on the steps of the Albert Memorial and grass of Kensington Gardens to enjoy their free packed lunch packs. Entertaining the crowds were Brassy Tarts, a brass band formed of WI members from Huddersfield University who were assembled by second year Music student Kyle Blake in conjunction with the WI. Kyle asked the WI if any of the members wanted to learn to play a brass instrument, so that they could then take part in a "Military Wives" style brass project. Together, they came up with the name Brassy Tarts - Tea and Tarts Beginners Brass Band. To celebrate the WI's 100 year Anniversary, they set themselves the challenge of going from beginners to a coherent band, culminating in a mass performance at the AGM in June. In total they had 17 weeks to learn a brass instrument and to play in a brass band.
The WI has a proud history of communal singing and celebrated this heritage with a choir competition, Singing for Joy, at the heart of its centenary celebrations in 2015. The competition attracted singers of all abilities, with regional heats taking place across the country. The Bleadon Belles from Somerset were the winners of the Singing for Joy Centenary Choir competition, 2015 and were presented with the Singing for Joy trophy by NFWI Chair, Janice Langley. Jonathan Willcocks, composed the specially commissioned piece, 'Singing for Joy', for performance by the national finalists.
The Kingston Project Fashion Show was a project involving 21 WI members teaming up with 11 Kingston fashion knitwear students.
Historian and presenter, Lucy Worsely described this event as the best night of her life; "I spoke to the centenary meeting of the Women's Institute in the Albert Hall. It was amazing to hear 5,000 women laughing at once." (The Mail on Sunday, 18 December 2016). |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/2015/43),
Digital Photographs |