My W.I Life

I have been a member of the Women’s Institute (WI) since 2013 and I am currently a member of 2 WI’s in the Lancashire Federation. I have been a member of both since they were founded one in 2015 and one in 2019. They are very different in terms of leadership and how they communicate with members. Both have been holding meetings over Zoom since the pandemic started which has been enjoyable and a way of keeping in touch with other members. I know there are a lot of WI’s that have not done anything since the physical meetings had to be cancelled which is such a shame for the members. A lot of the members of the two WI’s I am a member of do not join in the Zoom meeting either because they do not have the technology, they do not know how to use it or simply have decided not to participate.

I decided to join the WI as I had more free time as the kids were older and Craig had been a member of the Freemasons for a while and I wanted something just for me. I also wanted to join to make some new friends as I had lost touch with a lot of my friends for various reasons. I also went for the crafting and the cake which are synonymous with the WI. The first one I joined I found was a bit to cliquey for me, most of the ladies just kept to their own little groups and didn’t bother with anyone new. I am no longer a member of that one. Luckily, I had joined the Book Club and the ladies there felt the same way, so they decided to set up their own WI in late 2014. They had their first meeting in January 2015, the centenary year for the WI. Around 40 people turned up at that meeting and joined so that was a good start. The second one I found out through a Facebook group I was a member of. The second one is within walking distance of where I live which is why I decided to join that one as well.

Both groups had active sub groups so I was able to get more involved with them. Both have craft groups which met once a month. My second WI have been able to continue this on Zoom and we buy our own materials from the list that is sent and the demonstration and make along is done on Zoom. They have also been able to continue the Book Club virtually this way. My first WI hold a weekly chat on a Monday which was the evening that the Craft and Knit & Natter groups met. A lot of ladies will either knit or sew as they are chatting. This is a lot less formal than when a demonstration or monthly meeting is being held. Unfortunately Walking, Gardening, Choir and Walking Netball groups have not been able to take place since the first lockdown last March. As yet there is no word on when WI’s are going to be able to a physical meeting.

When we have a physical meeting it starts out with general business which is minutes of the last meeting, any announcements, giving out of birthday cards and what has been happening in the subgroups. The main part of the meeting is a talk or demonstration from an outside speaker. Some of the talks or demonstrations have included chutney/jam making, guide dogs, history of a local landmark, belly dancing, soap making, gin tasting and talks about a local charity to name but a few. As you can see they are very varied and rarely follow a theme. The programme is usually produced almost a year in advance by the committee. Obviously since the lockdown and having to change to virtual meetings then there has been a hasty change in progammes from both WI’s.  The latest meetings have been about the history of gin and tales from a retired prison governor.

Once the talk or demonstration is over then it is refreshments where there are a variety of cakes to sample. You cannot be on a diet and go to a W.I meeting. This is the time to socialise with the other members. Unfortunately this hasn’t really been able to happen in the same way over Zoom.

History of the WI in the UK

Formed in a small Welsh town in 1915, the Women's Institute was originally brought to life to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. During World War II, the WI played a vital role in growing and preserving food and looking after evacuees at the Government’s request.

Since the end of the second World War the WI’s aims have broadened and they have become leading campaigners in many different campaigns.

In the 1950’s after passing a resolution to start a national anti-litter campaign, the WI and 25 other UK organisations form the Keep Britain Tidy group and in 1993 the NFWI (National Federation of Women’s Institutes) became a founding member of the Fair-Trade Foundation to name but a few.

The WI attracted the attention of the media when the movie “Calendar Girls”, starring Dame Helen Mirren, is released in 2003 and in 2015 it celebrated its Centenary and is now the largest women’s voluntary group in the UK.