A baton was transported on a tractor for the Sheppey leg of its journey as it is handed around Women’s Institutes across England and Wales.

Holm and Danley WI accepted the symbolic item, linking the organisation’s 220,000 members, at St Peter’s church hall, St Peter’s Close, Halfway, on Wednesday.

Children from the playgroup which meets at the building and representatives of Holm and Danley, Abbey, Minster and Warden with Leysdown WIs were there to wave it off as it departed for other groups in Iwade and Bobbing.

It was carried on a cushion and taken via a tractor driven by Sheppey farmer John Lewis and his wife Cathie who is the club president.

Mrs Lewis said: “It all went very smoothly.”

At Bobbing, the baton was received by Marion Rose, head of the East Kent Federation of the WI, and Mayor of Swale, Cllr George Bobbin.

The handover is being held to mark the centenary of the national Federation of Women’s Institutes in 2015.