Scottish Women’s Institutes (SWI) is appealing to the Bank of Scotland for leniency in light of recent bank charges announced for clubs and societies which will impact its members around Scotland.
SWI’s Chief Executive Diane Cooper is calling for the charges to be scrapped for the charity which was set up in 1917 to offer a platform for women to get together, learn and share skills, and have fun. Now 8,600 members in more than 430 communities around Scotland enjoy brighter, happier, healthier lives with the SWI.
However, most local groups (called Institutes) have anywhere between four and 30 members and are run on a shoestring, so the new bank fees of £4.25 a month for any Institute using Bank of Scotland's 'Treasurer's Account' will hit groups at local level, and force many of them to close. This will leave a number of women socially isolated and lonely.
Many members are elderly and/or widowed, and many call the SWI a ‘lifeline’, ‘a necessity for the community’, and their ‘family’.* Many have been members for decades, forming lifelong friendships and support networks within the SWI. That is now at risk as they are wrongfully being classed as a ‘club or society’.
Diane Cooper said: “£4.50 a month may seem insignificant, but for small groups who eke out fundraising in their own communities, it’s a great deal. With financial pressures such as the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of winter heating bills, this cost could be the death knell for many Institutes around Scotland. Instead, that annual charge of £51 could give two members their highlight of the year – Christmas with SWI friends – a meal and afternoon to share with women they care about. Women who may be the only family they have.”
*Source: SWI Membership Consultation 2024 (November 2024)