WOMEN'S Institute branches across South Lakeland are preparing to display scrapbooks documenting celebrations during last year's centenary of the organisation.

The Cumbria and Westmorland Federation of the WI is planning to put on a showcase of scrapbooks at Kendal Town Hall on Friday February 26.

Federation secretary Celia Cleobury said: "There's going to be a day-long display and coffee morning with refreshments, and it's free entry.

"The scrapbooks are absolutely wonderful – they're recording what each women's institute has got up to during the centenary year, some of them are just amazing with embroidery and they are all different."

Last year the WI celebrated its 100th anniversary in the UK since its formation in 1915 when it was set up to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Over the last century its aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women's organisation in the UK.

Mrs Cleobury added: "We had all sorts of different events. Quite a few members went to the annual general meeting in London that the Queen went to and there was a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

"There was a lot of getting together and celebrating."

The first WI in the UK was formed in Llanfairpwll in Anglesey, Wales, while there are now more than 6,300 WIs with over 200,000 members – the WI has a much winder attraction now than when it first started.

Mrs Cleobury said: "It caught the imagination country wide. We got so much interest from people of all ages.

"There was even a cake stall at Glastonbury music festival last year which shows the broad appeal of the Women's Institute with younger and older people interested."

February's scrapbook display takes place between 9.30am and 3pm with more than 50 of the federation's 71 institute's showing off their collections.