Catalogue description GURNARD WOMEN'S INSTITUTE

Minutes, General and Committee, 1936 – 2006 ; Account books 1962 – 2000; Financial Statements 1937 – 2005; Budgets 1994 – 2000; Bank Account Books 1981- 2001; Correspondence, Receipts and invoices; Letter pads; Officers memo books; File containing material relating to various events held by Gurnard WI; Photographs of events, not dated; File on the building of the WI Hall and the sale of some of the accompanying land on which to build a scout hut; Charity Commission file; Other files uncatalogued

No original order was discernable as the archive was in a highly disorganised state when it was deposited at the record office; it is unclear whether it was ever kept as one whole collection at anytime during its active use. The archive has been arranged by function, divided into eight series classified by record type and activity represented. Within the administrative are the series; minutes, registers, correspondence (administrative and general) and events, and within the financial sub-fonds there are the series; account books, treasurer’s yearly/monthly books, financial statements, budgets, bank account books, receipts and invoices and correspondence (financial). Within each series the material is described down to file level, a file being one volume or a group of documents kept together in a file because they relate to the same subject, function or activity. An example of a file is that relating to the sale of land behind the WI Hall for the building of a scout hut.

Gurnard Women's Institute

Deposited by Carolyn Sibley, Secretary of Gurnard WI. Gurnard, Isle of Wight, 12th November 2007.

Catalogue available in Search Room

Gurnard WI was founded in September 1936, by Mrs R Westbrooke, supported by a vote in favour of establishing a new branch in Gurnard by members of the Northwood branch of the WI. The formation meeting was held on 15th of September 1936 where ten committee members were chosen, the officer positions being those of President, Vice-President(s), Secretary and Treasurer. In 1938 the WI Hall was opened having been built on land given to Gurnard WI by local builder Mr R Westbrooke. Gurnard WI was a member of the Isle of Wight WI, county federation which is in turn a member of the NFWI: National Federation of Women’s Institutes. Gurnard WI held annual, monthly meetings, often including talks by speakers on various subjects, and committee meetings. Social meetings including, whist drives, performances by the Solent Singers, amateur dramatic performances, dinner parties, scrabble competitions and a slimming group. It also took part in fundraising and charitable activities, such as jumble sales, bring and buy sales, bazaars, carol singing and organised trips and days out for its members and hired out the WI hall to other community groups.
With the Formation of the Gurnard Bay Evening WI in 1964, the Gurnard WI became known as the Gurnard Afternoon WI. By 2005 The Afternoon WI was faced with an increasingly ageing membership, and the knowledge that the WI Hall needed essential repairs, which the WI itself was unable to finance as their income and fundraising was only just able to manage the running costs. It was decided in 2006 to lease the hall to Gurnard Parish Council. The lease began in September 2007 and runs for 99 years. The Afternoon WI continued until November 2008 upon which it was disbanded and replaced by the Gurnard Bay WI.