Membership subscriptions for 2021/2022

As you may have heard, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) recently announced a new initiative which allows WIs greater flexibility over their portion of the membership subscription. This was largely in response to the fact that many WIs have not been able to offer any form of meeting or activity to their members since March 2020. The initiative therefore gives WIs the option to charge the full amount of the WI portion (as set by the NFWI and National Council each year), reduce the WI portion of the subscription, or completely waive the WI portion of the subscription. The decision on which option to choose was given to each WI’s committee, so that the individual circumstances of each WI could be taken into account.

NFWI set the full subscription for the year April 2021 to March 2022 at £44, an increase of £1 from last year’s subscription of £43. The breakdown of this amount is as follows:


Unlike some WIs, Baildon Belles were able to continue with a monthly meeting, albeit via Zoom, and indeed offered two monthly meetings during the first lockdown and three extra meetings which were added to the 2020 membership year. Our committee also engaged with members in fundraising projects including our new recipe book, raffles, and a bake stall at Baildon Farmers Market, raising over £2,000 for Baildon Community Link. We sent Christmas cards to all our members and hosted an online Christmas party, plus our various offshoots have been keeping in touch.

We incurred meeting costs (including insurance, Zoom fees, pre-paid hall hire and speakers) of £1,440.00, with a subscription income (our share only) of £1,856.81. This left us with a difference of £416.81 which the committee decided to keep in reserve for this year’s activity, in the knowledge that membership renewals could be lower than usual given the current circumstances. 

We have a varied and engaging programme planned for the coming membership year, with many meetings which can be hosted face to face or via Zoom, with flexibility and contingencies so that we can continue to meet according to the current government guidance. Our estimated meeting costs for the 2021/22 year (including insurance, Zoom and speakers, but with hall hire carried over from last year) are £1,505. We currently have 89 members for the 2020 membership year, compared to previous years where we would usually expect membership numbers to exceed 100. Should we face a reduction in membership numbers to, for example, 50 members, our subscription income will amount to £1,080, meaning we will need to use our surplus from last year to break even. We do of course retain reserves (as per good practise, and to be detailed as part of our financial report at our Annual Meeting in March) which we may need to dip into should our membership fall lower. Furthermore, we are hopeful that our loyal members will continue to support our group, and indeed have received encouraging feedback from many members who intend to re-join in April.

The Baildon Belles Committee met on 16th February 2021 to discuss this matter and to debate the options given to us by NFWI. We considered various possibilities, weighing these up against the costs of continuing to offer a good programme of meetings and the potential that we may suffer a lower income this year. The committee voted unanimously to absorb the £1 increase to this year’s subscription, as set by NFWI. This means the cost to new members and renewing members for 2021/22 will remain at the 2020 rate of £43. We feel that we have provided good value to our members and will continue to do so for the coming membership year, but we acknowledge the current financial difficulties some members and potential members are suffering, and wished to offer this as a gesture to show this.

Renewals are now due for members who wish to re-join for the 2021/2022 year, and payment of £43 can be made to the following bank details using the reference ‘RENEWALS’:

Bank account name : Baildon Belles WI
Sort code : 40-41-44
Account code : 71684485

If you’d like to join for the first time we’ll need you to fill in a New Member form, so please email us to arrange that. We also have a hardship scheme for anyone who would like to join but for whom the subscription fee is an obstacle, and anyone is welcome to contact us in confidence for more information about this.

We hope that our members have found enjoyment and comfort in their membership over the past year, and that they will understand how we have come to make this decision. We look forward to welcoming new members and re-joining members alike, and thank you in advance for your continued support.

With warm regards,

Emily and the Baildon Belles Committee