Gwent Panel

Description

As the WI entered the new millennium members were busy updating their skills with an IT
Outreach project with members able to access a range of courses in their communities, the inter connected computers on the top right of the panel representing the project have been completed in appliqué, machine embroidery and fabric painting. Members continue to update their skills learning about social media, digital photography and the online resources that the WI provides such as the Moodle.

Building on the work around sustainability, the Pathway to the 21st Century project, recorded a
total of 814 community projects throughout Wales in 2001. The project was an opportunity to put
Local Agenda 21 into practice and aimed to raise awareness amongst WIs in Wales of the importance of the environment and the invaluable contribution they could make towards achieving a sustainable environment. To this end, every WI was encouraged to undertake a practical project to improve the quality of life for women, their families and communities. Later in the decade members were being taught about the threat posed by climate change and what actions they could take to reduce their energy use and thus their impact on the environment.

One such project was the Eco Teams which provided practical hints and tips for members to follow. This work is represented by the map of the world which is encircled by a symbolic representation of recycling, ecosystems, historic progress and the laws, made in felting, appliqué, stitchwork, fabric painting and beadwork and reminds us of the importance of protecting our planet.

The lady in the bath outside the Houses of Parliament in stumpwork, appliqué, blackwork, computer imaging and quilting represents the

Great Milk Debate of 2007, which involved WI members organising over a 100 debates in their communities to highlight the critical situation facing British dairy farmers. They also emphasised to the public the importance of the dairy farming industry in relation to diverse issues such as the environment, food supplies, tourism, the wider rural and the countryside.

The woman being silenced in the middle of the panel highlights the campaign to end violence against women and has been worked using computer imaging, fabric painting and shadow appliqué and machine freestyle quilting. Three million women across the UK experience rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and other forms of violence and abuse each year. The NFWI has been campaigning on violence against women since 2008; raising awareness of the nature, extent and impact of all forms of violence against women. The candle also symbolises the work that the WI in Wales has done to highlight the prevalence of violence against women, and Gwent Federation have held several Light a Candle services to show their solidarity for women who are victims of violence.

During this decade the WI magazine Home & Country changed its name to WI Life, the front cover
of the magazine on the panel is in fabric printing, computer imaging and quilting.

In 2005 the Gardening with Schools project was launched to give children an opportunity to gain
practical experience of creating vegetable and wildlife areas and to take part in activities such as
planting and garden maintenance. The project was a great success with over 100 gardens developed.
It also helped to develop stronger communities and established intergenerational links which still
continue today.

The scene on the bottom left of the panel of a school and its garden is done in beadwork, quilting, hand embroidery and fabric painting. On the right of the panel is another successful project during this decade, the Walking your Way to Health project which saw over 70 members train as Walk Leaders, to encourage WI members to walk and remain active. The walks continue to be popular with members and many walks are led throughout Wales each year. The machine embroidery, fabric painting and hand embroidered scene at the bottom of the panel makes you want to pull on your walking shoes and follow the path into the distance.

The timeline working its way across the panel is in ribbonwork and the Gwent Federation badge
in hand embroidery and fabric painting depicts a vessel called a Llandogo Trow which was originally found on the Seal of the Borough of Monmouth in the 1920s. This ship was used to transport stone from quarries in Chepstow and Bristol up the River Wye north as far as Brockweir.