Women's Institute

MinnieSpender

You've just got to love these ladies...

http://www.womens-institute.co.uk/campaigns/packagingday.shtml

moggins

I love it!!!

I'd love to join a womens institute but there isn't one near me and don't you have to go to church and sing Jerusalem or something?

MinnieSpender

moggins wrote:

I love it!!!

I'd love to join a womens institute but there isn't one near me and don't you have to go to church and sing Jerusalem or something?

I'd be more worried about having to get my kit off for the calendar every year.

They were interviewed on the news at lunchtime after their supermarket protest. One lady, resplendent in twinset and pearls, admitted, "well, of course it's a publicity stunt, but one has to start somewhere."

Rock n roll!

Gingham_Ribbon

Good on 'em! I hope they get as much press for this as they did for their calendars!

This could do to be on the new Green board so I'll move it over in a little while.

Debt_Free_Chick

Oi you lot - less of the stereotyping and a bit more respect for the WI ..... of which I'm a member

Seriously ... I joined the WI as they have many campaigns that strike a chord with me. If you browse the Campaigns page on the website, you might be surprised at what they're involved in.

However, the extent to which these campaigns filter down to branch level varies. Certainly, my local branch hasn't heard about the other supermarket campaign. When they did the Christmas dinner for the local old folk, all the food came from Sainsburys! I was seething, but you don't rock the boat on your first meeting

WI is a godsend in rural areas. No, you don't have to go to church, but yes - we do sing Jerusalem :rotfl:

Gingham_Ribbon

Okay, I'll move this over now.

se999

I think they were also the origin of WI country markets, which I think is now this link:

http://www.country-markets.co.uk/content.php

Here people can sell their produce locally. There is a registration fee and you have to take a food hygiene course. But it does sounds as though it meets the idea of local food, produced locally and also enabling producers to cut out the middle man to a large extent.

I heard about it on an Old Style link, but not got around to investigating it further yet. Anyone got more info?

MinnieSpender

Thanks Gingham!

MinnieSpender

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Oi you lot - less of the stereotyping and a bit more respect for the WI ..... of which I'm a member

Seriously ... I joined the WI as they have many campaigns that strike a chord with me. If you browse the Campaigns page on the website, you might be surprised at what they're involved in.

However, the extent to which these campaigns filter down to branch level varies. Certainly, my local branch hasn't heard about the other supermarket campaign. When they did the Christmas dinner for the local old folk, all the food came from Sainsburys! I was seething, but you don't rock the boat on your first meeting

WI is a godsend in rural areas. No, you don't have to go to church, but yes - we do sing Jerusalem :rotfl:

I'd love to join but not sure where my local "chapter" is (sorry, but they're too radical to be called a group IMO). Will check out the website.

EDIT: Boo! nothing near me! That'll learn me for living in a city...

Seakay

MinnieSpender wrote:

You've just got to love these ladies...

http://www.womens-institute.co.uk/campaigns/packagingday.shtml

Heard about this on several Radio 4 news programmes, so they obvously got some publicity and a few opportunities to explain their case- anyone know if it made the TV news?

Ken68

With the shortage of WI branches seems opportune for the 'green' ladies on this board to joint/setup a branch.
My late aunt aged 93 and still on a WI committee when she died, despaired at the joining age.
"We need younger members" was her rallying call.
You can always push Greenpeace as well as God.