Suffragists and sanctuary

Fighting for our rights

Congleton NWR has been celebrating the life of local women’s rights campaigner Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy.

Elizabeth lived in Congleton for much of her life. Her remarkable work was instrumental in the development of women’s rights. She battled for women to be allowed to own property in their own name, to vote, hold office and to keep the money they earned, and she worked tirelessly for girls’ education. Elizabeth believed in lobbying—she took part in marches, gave speeches, created over 1,600 petitions and wrote over 7,000 letters. Emmeline Pankhurst dubbed her “the brains of the suffragist movement” and her name is listed on the plinth of Millicent Fawcett statue in Parliament Square in London.

A group of local volunteers, Elizabeth’s Group, has been raising awareness of this remarkable woman, and commissioned renowned sculptor Hazel Reeves to create a statue of Elizabeth in Congleton. It was unveiled by Baroness Hale of Richmond in March this year with a procession and very lively speeches by Lady Hale and others.

As you can see in our photo, Elizabeth was a diminutive lady. The statue is set at street level in the high street, accessible to all, and is a very animated likeness for people to engage with as they pass through. Many posies of flowers have been placed in her hands during her first few months with us! You will also see that we are honoured to have Congleton Town Mayor in our local NWR group, indeed as a long-established member, striving tirelessly to enhance the lives of the town’s residents.

You can find out more about Elizabeth’s amazing achievements by watching this video, produced by Elizabeth’s Group: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uudxEVSM7d8

Judy Campbell Congleton NWR A total of 812 trees were purchased by 430 NWR groups and individual members to commemorate NWR’s 60th anniversary in 2020. The pandemic caused some delays but the trees have now been planted at a new National Forest site, Minorca Woods, between the villages of Swepstone and Measham in North West Leicestershire.

This 150-hectare area was once the site of a deep mine and, more recently, an open cast mine, before being restored to grassland. It is now owned by the National Forest and used as a home for trees and areas of young woodland which will contribute to research and demonstration of best practice as they grow.

The trees purchased by NWR members are part of 23,000 trees that the National Forest have planted this year through dedications. They are planted in large swathes, surrounded by rabbit proof fencing, and will grow to form a rich, mixed species woodland.

Over the next five years, the site will continue to be restored with woodland, wood pasture and natural colonisation, connecting wildlife habitats, helping protect and improve water quality in the nearby, internationally important River Mease Special Area of Conservation, and providing new public access for local communities. https://www.nationalforest.org/

From Ukraine to UK

My husband Terry and I decided to sign up for the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. Little did we know the hurdles we would have to overcome and how bureaucratic the system is. Thankfully, Terry does not give in easily and after six weeks of chasing visas, Yuliia and her daughter arrived in the UK. This was our second attempt at helping a family as the first decided to stay in Ukraine. Our present visitors made the perilous journey from Kiev to Warsaw, where a kindly lady put them up temporarily in her small flat. After building a relationship over Viber, their equivalent to WhatsApp, and committing to sponsoring them, the formal process started.

It is very difficult to imagine how it would feel to grab your most precious belongings, leave your family behind, and try to find someone to help you in a strange country whose language you do not speak. However, for the sake of her 13-year-old daughter, this is what Yuliia has done. She has achieved safety, and is so positive: building a new life, learning English, coming to terms with our cultural differences, and she has a great sense of humour!

My two children are boys so a teenage girl is a new experience. Dasha is a lovely girl, tall with waist length hair, and already looks like a model. She has a passion for nail art and hairdressing, so I get a new pattern twice a week. My nails have never looked so good!

Their first NWR meeting, our US evening, was a success and although Dasha has now started school, I am hopeful that Yuliia will join us again and make more English friends. You have to be very committed to join the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and have time on your hands to sort out all the problems that arise, but we have found it well worth the effort. If you are thinking of it, please feel free to contact me and I will help if I can. Alison Brown Grimsby Cleethorpes NWR