The history of Greenmount WI
In 1967 Mrs Beatrice Sellers, a farmer's wife with three grown up children, joined Hawkshaw WI. She came home full of enthusiasm saying it had opened a new world to her and was the best thing she had ever done!
By the early 1970s the hall in Hawkshaw Primary School was so full at the WI meetings that members could not move around or leave their seats to have a cup of tea!
As many members came from Greenmount (a village about a mile away) it was decided to open another group there. Mrs Moores, the Hawkshaw WI President, planned to start it but members from Greenmount agreed that that Mrs Sellers was the right choice to lead this new group.
So Greenmount WI was founded in September 1974 with Mrs Sellers as President and the meetings were held in Greenmount School.
When the primary school transferred to their new premises in 1982 some WI members thought that the rents would soar in the building that they were using (now known as the Old School) and they persuaded the WI group to move to Canon Lewis Hall on the outskirts of the village. Mrs Sellers was very much against this move away from the centre and the rents in the Old School did not go up and the old school building remained open.
Greenmount WI became well established in Canon Lewis Hall but there was also a need for an afternoon group in the village centre so Mrs Sellers opened a new Greenmount Village WI in the Old School in 1988.
Because of incidents of confusion in the names of the two Greenmount WIs the group which had transferred to Canon Lewis Hall agreed to change its name to Greenmount Evening WI in November of 1991.
Unfortunately, because nobody was able to take on the presidency Greenmount Village WI at the Old School was suspended in 2004. On suspension an Insititute's assets are held by the LFWI for up to five years and can be returned if the WI is reopened. Consequently in November 2009 Greenmount Evening WI at Canon Lewis Hall formally changed its name back to Greenmount WI.
Mrs Sellers was an enthusiastic LFWI Home Economics Convenor and arranged craft events at many venues across Lancashire which were open to all WI members. She remained a member of Greenmount WI until she died in 2011 at the age of 96.
Please click on the links in blue for more information or use the tabs at the side of the page.
By the early 1970s the hall in Hawkshaw Primary School was so full at the WI meetings that members could not move around or leave their seats to have a cup of tea!
As many members came from Greenmount (a village about a mile away) it was decided to open another group there. Mrs Moores, the Hawkshaw WI President, planned to start it but members from Greenmount agreed that that Mrs Sellers was the right choice to lead this new group.
So Greenmount WI was founded in September 1974 with Mrs Sellers as President and the meetings were held in Greenmount School.
When the primary school transferred to their new premises in 1982 some WI members thought that the rents would soar in the building that they were using (now known as the Old School) and they persuaded the WI group to move to Canon Lewis Hall on the outskirts of the village. Mrs Sellers was very much against this move away from the centre and the rents in the Old School did not go up and the old school building remained open.
Greenmount WI became well established in Canon Lewis Hall but there was also a need for an afternoon group in the village centre so Mrs Sellers opened a new Greenmount Village WI in the Old School in 1988.
Because of incidents of confusion in the names of the two Greenmount WIs the group which had transferred to Canon Lewis Hall agreed to change its name to Greenmount Evening WI in November of 1991.
Unfortunately, because nobody was able to take on the presidency Greenmount Village WI at the Old School was suspended in 2004. On suspension an Insititute's assets are held by the LFWI for up to five years and can be returned if the WI is reopened. Consequently in November 2009 Greenmount Evening WI at Canon Lewis Hall formally changed its name back to Greenmount WI.
Mrs Sellers was an enthusiastic LFWI Home Economics Convenor and arranged craft events at many venues across Lancashire which were open to all WI members. She remained a member of Greenmount WI until she died in 2011 at the age of 96.
Please click on the links in blue for more information or use the tabs at the side of the page.