Women winning for planet earth (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Women winning for planet earth

3:26pm Wednesday 27th August 2008 in

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WOMEN Winning for Planet Earth is the theme of the HCFWI-ACWW European Area Conference in the Turner Sims at Southampton University from September 2 - 5.

Delegates from 25 European countries will be attending the ceremony which will be opened on Tuesday by Mrs Mary Fagan, Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire.

Also in the opening ceremony will be Fay Mansell, chair of NFWI, Pat Marshall chairman of HCFWI, May Kidd, deputy world president of ACWW and the chairman of the conference Merja Siltanen, ACWW area president.

The first keynote speaker will be Helen Browning giving a female perspective to "Farming for our Futures".

The afternoon session will include a workshop given by Women in Rural Enterprise.

The second day of the conference will hear from Hampshire WI member Dr Denise Smythe-Wright from the National Oceanographics Centre in Southampton talking about "Climate Change - the Facts".

The afternoon session includes a workshop by Veolia/Integra and delegates have been asked to bring examples of how their countries deal with the recycling issue.

On both days, the agenda will have comprehensive ACWW business as well.

Delegates will be resident at the university from registration on Monday until Friday September.

This event is being organised by a small committee of Hampshire WI members, backed by great support from the Hampshire Federation. It is the first time the event has been held in Hampshire and has not been held in England for many years.

More than 20 of the overseas delegates have been sponsored by the fundraising efforts of Hampshire members and those from other WI Federations. Hampshire members have also been instrumental in raising funds to offset some of the conference costs.