This month saw our AGM. Our President Jane reviewed another successful year, praising the way members have shown great enterprise in setting up special interest sub-groups and thanking those who lead sessions for women interested in crafts, reading, cooking, skittles and walking among other things and, soon, walking netball.

Activities over the last year had ranged from running a tea tent at the Bath and West Show, putting together bags of useful items for the homeless at Christmas and taking part in the Wake Up Wells event. We had experienced a great programme of talks and enjoyed some brilliant social occasions. Our Treasurer Barbara reported that finances were healthy. Although we have 61 members paying subscriptions, rising costs of hall hire and speakers means it will be important to continue to spend sensibly. The committee were all re-elected to their current roles.

May is also the time to progress resolutions. Earlier this year each WI member voted for her favourite potential campaign from a short list of 6. The two that emerged top nationwide were: tackling the decline in local bus services and increasing take up of cervical cancer screening. Wells WI members supported these two causes going forward to further debate at the National Conference in June. Last year the group decided to support resolutions that, despite being popular, didn't make the final cut in the 2018 selection process. One of these was promoting positive body image in an age of digital enhancement and social media pressure. Our first fund raiser, a coffee morning kindly hosted by member Shirley, raised £70 for the Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association.

After all the business chat we enjoyed a swish, swapping clothes and books, with any unbagged at the end of the evening going to a local charity shop, whilst eating finger food we had brought to share. Arrangements were finalised for two outings: our visit to Carymoor Environmental Centre, following the popular talk from Carymoor's CEO last autumn; and a subsidised coach trip to the American Museum in Bath later in the summer. Members sponsored Zoe and Angela to take part in the London Moonwalk (it took them 9 hours and raised £2,000 for breast cancer).

We then sat back to listen to our member Tessa Munt who updated us about climate change developments in Somerset. Increasing public awareness and concern has united local authorities at all levels in declaring the situation an emergency.

It is hoped this will facilitate more joined up thinking and constructive dialogue between local councils and national government departments. Somerset Climate Action Network is looking at what can be done to mitigate the consequences of historic damage, assessing whether our defences are adequate for rising sea levels and how farmland can best be managed to accommodate flooding.

Improvements are planned to our kerbside recycling but, sadly, fly tipping remains a chronic problem in the Mendip area. Action we can take at an individual level includes giving more thought to what we eat and how we shop - supermarkets respond to public pressure, and demand for more sustainable and ethical food is increasing.

We could urge councils to make solar panels obligatory in planning applications to build schools and houses. In Wedmore a project is generating energy for the local community through a solar panel installation carefully designed to accommodate sheep and chickens underneath, achieving double land use. We agreed that even climate change deniers have to acknowledge the money saving benefits of improved energy management.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday 4 June at 7.30pm at the Mendip and Wells Museum, when we will have a talk and cookery demonstration from Adam Fellows of Goodfellows restaurant.

New women are always welcome at Wells WI and can attend as guests before deciding whether to join. More details are on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Wellssomersetwi/

Report by Veronica Howe

Photo of the American Museum: Don Cload