Branches are moving into the workplace.

TRACY RADCLIFFE was in the first of a new wave of workplace-based WI branches which acknowledged the demands on a working woman's time.

In 2005, Cheshire Fire and Rescue HQ branch, in Winsford, was launched, meeting once a month for a lunch hour, plus an hour given to them by their employers.

It has 22 members, aged between 20 and 60, mainly working on the support side and with some officers' wives.

Chair is the head of HR and vice chair the deputy chief fire officer, Kathryn Foreman.

Tracy, aged 39, is her PA.

She says: "When it started originally, I would never have considered joining. I thought it was all twin sets and jam making.

"In the first place, senior officers were a bit sceptical, too, and there was a bit of jealousy by our male colleagues when they thought we were just spending a general two hours gossiping and eating cucumber sandwiches - and then the film Calendar Girls reinforced that idea.

"But they've seen that we are a serious group. We've raised money for charities, including St Luke's Hospice and pounds 750 for the North West Air Ambulance."

She says she would never have time to attend meetings if they were outside work.

"We bend the rules slightly as we meet in the day, once a month. We take the one hour of our lunch break and we get given an hour by the company.

We try and get the business over with quickly at the start of the meeting or by email.

"We don't sing Jerusalem. I personally know Jerusalem, it's one of my favourite hymns, but I don't think many people do know it these days, and we wanted to be a bit more modern.

"Every month we try and have a speaker of some sort.

We had one on deaf awareness from a fire officer who does sign language and we've also had colour therapy and chocolate tasting."

CAPTION(S):

Members of the WI's Cheshire Fire and Rescue HQ branch, in Winsford