The first Nottinghamshire WI was formed in Southwell on Thursday 14 June 1917, when 45 ladies met to hear a talk on wartime cookery…

Now, as the Nottinghamshire Federation celebrates its centenary, there are 118 WI groups across the county, with over 4000 members. And, although baking and other traditional skills are still popular topics at their meetings, things have changed a lot over the last 100 years. Even Jerusalem – the WI’s anthem – is available as an iTunes download these days!

On this week’s show, Federation chairman Jane Jefferson joins the Girls Around Town to talk about some of those changes. There’ll be details of how the WI is making a real difference through its involvement in major national campaigns, helping to raise awareness of key issues such as low staffing levels on labour wards, the gender pay gap and the health and social implications of loneliness.

She’ll have news too of some of the ways members have celebrated the centenary so far, what’s planned for the next few months and, with any luck, she might be persuaded to share a recipe or two from the Federation’s brand new cookery book, which was published at the end of September…

If you thought the WI was just jam and Jerusalem, think again! Tune in or listen online between 10am and 12 noon on Sunday, when June and Tina find out more about what the WI gets up to both locally and nationally – and how you can get involved by joining a group near you.