MEMBERS of The Swindon WI celebrated their fifth anniversary on Tuesday night and marked the auspicious occasion by changing their name.

From now on, the group of 60, who identify themselves as a “new wave WI”, will be known as Old Town Belles. Members decided they wanted a name that better reflected their location and who they are as a group.

President Kim Missen, who has been a member since day one, said: “I think it’s really nice to have a slightly more unusual name; we are always quite envious of other WIs that have fun names.

“Being called the WI, people had a certain perception of what we do. But now they are more likely to think that we are something a little bit different.”

Like all good birthday parties there was cake and candles, and as it was Shrove Tuesday the group also tucked into freshly cooked pancakes. Staff from Lush gave members hand massage demonstrations and showed them how to make bubble bath bars.

Old Town Belle Ali Stump said: “We’ll still be doing the same great stuff at our meetings: A varied mixture of crafts, activities and talks – something which seems to be working as we are currently fully subscribed and have a waiting list due to the continuing popularity of the Women’s Institute.

“Community and Campaigning is still a huge part of what we do and for our first event under our new name we are having a stall at the International Women’s Day celebrations at the Central Library this Saturday.”

The womnen are asking people to donate sanitary products to their ongoing campaign to help women in crisis as well contribute mottos, slogans and positive affirmations that they plan to embroider on to a quilt based around the question ‘What does modern feminism mean to you?’