WI (womens institute)

Mrs_Thrify

I do not think we have any in our town but would consider joining if we had one to swap idea's and make new friends.

merlin68

I have been to a couple in my time but they all seem to be really elderly ladies.
And i felt like i was too young to be there 41 lol.

helyg

My MIL goes to WI and also Merched y Wawr which is like a Welsh version. She is 72 though... There are both WI and Merched y Wawr in the village where I live, I know there are quite a few women in their late 30s and early 40s who go to Merched y Wawr and they have a great time. Probably within the next 10 years or so (I'm 31) it is something I would consider going to, probably once my kids have all gone to secondary school so there isn't so much of a social thing with PTA etc.

Minihauk

There was an article (during one of the morning programmes) on tv yesterday about just this - three young mums met up with their children and joined the local WI (sorry, can't remember where is was). They were thrilled and said if they just met up on their own for coffee it would be just like a toddler group, but with the WI they could take the children and got to hear speakers with experience from all walks of life. They really loved the atmosphere. If I didn't have to go to w*rk every day it is certainly something I would consider.

ubamother

Quick description of MU for those interested (do ignore if not!!) I am a branch leader of the Mothers' Union. It is a worldwide Anglican charity that supports marriage and family life. (has extensive website if you google). While it is certainly fun, and supportive on a local level, its meetings should reflect its aims so may be a speaker about 'international action and outreach', or may be a meeting about how to support weddings at the church, or a workshop making up parcels for soldiers in afghanistan. Some parish churches have groups that meet during the day, which is why they tend to be 'active retired' as more mothers work now then when it was started over a hundred years ago. Some parishes have night time meetings - some like mine have both! Our members pay a subscription of £12.50 a year which supports MU at diocesan and national levels, and pay £1 per month per meeting for refreshments. How busy and active your local MU is will depend on its leadership, and the age of its members - my daytime meeting has a few 40 somethings, and a lot of seventy somethings, while the nighttime has mainly 30-50 somethings and a couple of seventy somethings.

Olliebeak

There's a similar women's group in the Roman Catholic Church - The Union of Catholic Mothers. Website: http://www.theucm.co.uk/index.html

Just thought it might be useful to anybody who might not feel inclined to join the Mothers Union because it's Anglican-based.

kazzaw

I'm 50 and have been a member of my local W.I. for nearly 20 years, four of which were as President. I really like it and have made lots of friends. I have learnt a lot from our varied speakers, been on lots of outings and was also lucky enough to win a bursary to Denman College, W.I.'s residential college near Oxford, where I spent a weekend learning to do bargeware painting despite being useless with a brush! :rolleyes:

I find that you can put as much into it as you like. Some members just come to monthly meetings where others join committees and other sub-groups like the walking group. We also put on an Annual Pantomime in March which is always a sell out.


I think it depends which group you join as our Institute is very young at heart and even the ladies in their 90's are forward thinking and good fun. I've come across others who seem to be for the "twinset & pearl" type of ladies.

If anyone wants more info please PM me.

Karen

whitesatin

I joined our local WI about 2 years ago to make new friends and develop new interests. I think I paid around £29 per year but they have raffles every month so that is an extra pound or so as well as providing prizes for others to win. There are lots of interesting speakers who come in and we have had the opportunity to go on lots of outings, theatres, historical buildings, meals etc. and that costs quite a lot if you do all of them.

Anyway, I have stopped going now as I did get tired of the amount of "business" time at each meeting and constant suggestions from higher up the chain to sign petitions, lobby MPs etc. etc. I just want to have fun and do some crafty type things, not sit and discuss deep sea fishing or other issues that the WI try to influence the government on. There were some lovely people but I found it too boring, to be honest.

There was a wide range of ages, from mid twenties to eighty year olds.

THIRZAH

I'm in my early 50s and have been a WI member for 10 years now. We are a day time WI which was better for me when DDs were young.

You can go along to a couple of WI meetings as a visitor to see if you like it-it's worth checking beforehand as most have their AGMs around now and you might enjoy a meeting with a speaker better.

We have a great time at our WI. As well as the monthly meetings we have trips out and several of us usually go out for lunch after the monthly meetings.

kazzaw

THIRZAH wrote: »

You can go along to a couple of WI meetings as a visitor to see if you like it-it's worth checking beforehand as most have their AGMs around now and you might enjoy a meeting with a speaker better.

Our AGM is in April.

I think Thurza's advice to go as a guest is a good one so you can get a feel of the atmosphere. As I said before our WI is very friendly and young at heart but I know of others only a few miles away that I wouldn't wish to belong to! :rolleyes:

We don't get involved in the political issues very much and provide a free outing for every member in place of the July meeting.

Supper costs 50p each month or just a cuppa is 20p. and the £28? annual subs also include a magazine each month which is very good.

Karen
x