Public Affairs

The WI has a history of campaigning and effecting change, often having an impact at National level such as ‘Keep Britain Tidy’, supporting the need for women’s refuges etc. Currently we have been supporting a previous national resolution on raising awareness on ending violence against women and girls. We’ve teamed up with IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services) and three times have taken toiletry packs, bedding and towels to the Refuge in Harrogate, sponsored a room at the Refuge, collectively walked over 1,300 miles to raise over £1,100 in funds for IDAS, and twice supported the White Ribbon Campaign by tying white ribbons around the trees in the middle of Malham with labels attached giving the national helpline number on it.

Our current campaign is on raising awareness about Ovarian Cancer and we will be having a speaker on that in 2022 and other awareness raising activities.

We supported the campaign for climate change too, in 2016, joining the largest climate change lobby in UK history. We knitted green love hearts as part of the Show the Love Campaign to give to our MP, who came to the village hall to discuss our concerns with us.  We also had speakers to the group to educate us, giving useful advice.

As part of our commitment to reducing waste/ recycling we have been collecting blister packs across the Dale and taking them to Terracycle where the funds raised go towards Marie Curie Cancer care.

Our History

Malham WI was formed in 1929 by a group of women from Malham, Kirkby Malham, Hanlith, Malham Moor, Bell Busk, Otterburn and Airton. They had their first meeting at The Cherries Farm, then Malham Café (now a private house opposite the Listers Arms), then St George’s Hall (no longer exists but was behind River House B&B) and finally settled in Malham Village Hall from the early sixties. We still meet there today. At one stage, Malham WI had 80 members, many of whom walked miles in the dark to get to and return from meetings. In the sixties, the group split and Airton WI was formed. We still meet with Airton twice a year which is lovely. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the women who went before us who had the foresight to know that forming a local WI was a good thing. We are proud to carry on their good work to this day.

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