Finding a new life after retirement can prove difficult. For Monica Winterburn, she had spent five years caring for elderly relatives before finding herself alone. But a trip to a local group proved to be a turning point and she now wants to trumpet its advantages.

MONICA KNOWS only too well the problems experienced by carers, many of them women.

After giving up full-time work and caring for her elderly father and aunt for five years, her life took her in a direction she had not foreseen.

She is now chairman of the Airedale and Wharfedale Federation of Townswomen's Guilds, part of a national organisation which not only offers a wide variety of activities, but also campaigns for carers.

Monica had always imagined her retirement to be a time of travel - something she had yearned for but had little opportunity to do.

But after her husband, Leonard, died and she had spent five busy years caring for elderly relatives, Monica was invited to a Townwomen's Guild by a neighbour.

She had never been a woman who was involved in arts and crafts - full-time work as a senior technician in the medical physics department at Bradford Royal Infirmary often involved long hours and undertaking on-call duties.

But the extent of what was on offer at TG surprised and pleased Monica, and although naturally a quiet person, she was soon asked to join the local committee and began to book speakers for the social studies group.

"When you have been a busy person you're looking for something else to do," she says. "A lot of women are in the situation of carer as I was and there's no back-up, it's difficult. TG has done a lot looking into this."

Monica, who is 63, now chairs the Airedale and Wharfedale Federation, which covers 17 separate guilds across the district from Allerton to Wyke and from Skipton to Shipley.

As well as being responsible for all the guilds in her area, Monica has enjoyed travelling all over the country, and even to Brussels to see the European Parliament.

The TG runs conferences on subjects as diverse as the future for Hong Kong and China, the criminal justice system and genetically-modified food.

But the guilds also have arts and crafts groups, with the Airedale and Wharfedale Federation taking third place in a nationwide contest, with their beautiful scale model of a bridal shop.

The Townwomen's Guilds have their roots in the Kensington Ladies Discussion Group, formed by radical-thinking women in 1865 and the movement came from the Suffragist Party.

When women achieved the same voting rights as men, in 1928, founders saw the need for an organisation for women living in towns and cities which would help them to manage their new-found freedom, and the first Guilds were formed in 1929.

It is intended as a group for women of all ages, and all are invited to join.

For more information about the Townswomen's Guilds in the area, contact Federation Secretary Mrs Mabel Whiteley on Bradford (01274) 879089, or TG direct on 0121 456 3435. The Airedale and Wharfedale Federation of Townswomen's Guilds will hold its annual carol service at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton's parish church, on Saturday, December 5 at 11 am. All are welcome to attend.

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