One of my biggest bugbears is litter.

I find it totally unacceptable that people think they can just drop their litter and flytip anywhere they please in the belief that there will always be someone to clear up after them.

I have visited various countries throughout the world and have been so impressed by the cleanliness of the Scandinavian countries, China, Cuba and Singapore to name a few.

I can only assume that some people in this country take no pride in their surroundings and are quite happy to pay higher taxes so that the authorities can employ more people to deal with this increasing problem.

When I was a youngster there must have been an issue with litter because the Keep Britain Tidy campaign was started.

You might be surprised to learn that it was the British Women's Institute who passed a resolution in 1954 to start a national anti-litter campaign which led to the Keep Britain Tidy campaign being set up in 1955. The WI have been the instigators of many campaigns over the years, including equal pay in 1942, breast cancer screening in 1975, Aids in 1986, hazardous chemicals in everyday products in 2006, up to current campaigns being fought to end violence against women and issues concerning climate change and food waste.

Next month, the WI are being asked to vote on two more resolutions concerning the imprisonment of the mentally ill and bottom trawling, which refers to a type of fishing.

If these resolutions are passed at our annual meeting then they will become mandates and form the basis of future campaigns.

It shows the WI is not just an organisation of women who meet monthly, go on outings, learn new crafts, make new friends and generally have fun.

We are a force to be reckoned with and we can change things and hopefully make improvements to people's lives.

JEANETE RIDDEX