WI Memberships (?)

Woukd not waste my time on the u3a.As someone else said they are full up with older baby boomers so as a new retiree you have no chance of joining anything you might want to do and all interesting classes are full .
Same everywhere

If you read about the history of U3A
Zoe you will realise it is a self-help group.
If there isn't anything fir you, you can always start something.

My late DM started 3 groups in Cambridge when she retired in the 1980s. Portrait painting, poetry reading and opera appreciation!

I think people nowadays expect everything to be laid on for them and aren't prepared to roll their sleeves up.

What happens to the charity funds and buildings nationally when so many local groups are closing down?

The WI has it's own college and runs courses. When a branch closes down, there are obviously more chances for courses - from cooking to all sorts, for the members who are left.

I find it very concerning that women who want to join are discouraged, because all women should have the opportunity to join and go on courses. Nationally, there are grants for courses and any woman who wants to take them should be able to join a branch, whatever creed and colour they belong to.

Primrose53 Fri 26-Apr-24 17:04:42

I agree with you Primrose. It is some years since I entered a village fair with judging produce. I entered the knitting class, I put a card on my sweater saying that the wool is from local sheep, my son helped the shearer, his MIL spun the fleece from a Jacob's sheep into wool, skeined it, I rolled it into balls and designed and knitted the garment.
It came second. The First was a beautiful garment knitted from a Rowan kit, and the judge said ''what beautifully chosen colours.
Now don't get me wrong, it was a lovely garment, but.....?

I rest my case.

If I'd been the judge llizzie Yours would have been in a class of its own!

Does the WI go on for competitions?
Perhaps they do.

Here we had the Horticultural shows twice yearly for 100 years, where there was fierce competition for the biggest vegetable etc. This stopped recently when nobody was prepared to organise it.

Lifestyles change and we don't always want to follow our parents' choices.
I put off joining U3A for years because it was my DM's thing. How could I be old enough!

The WI residential college close for ever during lockdown. Yes, Itwas expensive, but it was really nice to take a little holiday learning about this and that. I took about one course per annum, and learned patchwork in my last course.
WI has online courses now, free to members, £5 for non- members.
I loathe competitions because they are so subjective; my taste isn’t yours…

llizzie2 these sort of things happen. DD aged 8 entered a children's plasticine modelling competition in the village fete. She is/always has been, very dexterous. hers was by far the best model, as other people said. She was unplaced because, we were told, it was so good, most of it must have been done my me or DH. It rankles with her still. In fact neither of us did a thing to help her.

A bit off topic, but have been re-watching Home Fires on UKTV Play.

All about a village WI at the start of WW11. Having to have election to choose a new president, amidst handbags at dawn, plus a massive jam making session to help the war effort.

Delightful, nostalgic viewing when the WI really was the WI.

Zoe65

Woukd not waste my time on the u3a.As someone else said they are full up with older baby boomers so as a new retiree you have no chance of joining anything you might want to do and all interesting classes are full .
Same everywhere

Omg , so true . I have joined U3A a total of 3 times & have never ever managed to get booked into a class of my choosing .
Everything is so full , I imagine once you manage to get to one or two you are ‘ in’ but I’ve given up .🥲

Sarahr

You might be interested in the NWR, National Women's Register. Very similar to WI. I was going to join my local WI but, unfortunately, at the time it was not well run here. I met a lady while out walking one morning and she told me about the NWR. I was made very welcome and am enjoying my time with them.

NWR, Thank you I will look into this .

Zoe65

Woukd not waste my time on the u3a.As someone else said they are full up with older baby boomers so as a new retiree you have no chance of joining anything you might want to do and all interesting classes are full .
Same everywhere

If all the groups you want to join are full then start your own group. There are probably lots of other people that would like to do the same thing but are finding the groups full. You can then target the group at people your age and the things you want to do.

Exactly what you said Jackiest. In the u3a I joined walking is obviously popular so there are several walking groups.

As a WI member I would like to add a few words. I joined when I moved to meet people and make friends, and I struck lucky. I’ve been a member locally for 17 years and everyone is very friendly and caring when there’s a problem. BUT every WI is different. I always advise if you are interested in joining visit several and if you don’t find one that suits, don’t join. If no one welcomes you when you arrive and looks after you, give it a miss. Numbers are dropping despite the WI advertising how many new WIs they open, they never tell you how many close. There’s also quite a lot of red tape for those on the committee as all WIs are charities. When I was a WI adviser we used to try to persuade members to be flexible and think of the rules as less red tape, more pink elastic. But I do think the WI nationally needs a complete reboot. Most people locally think of their WI group as somewhere to meet their friends and chat, very few are interested in WI national affairs.

Sarahr
Hi , I have found NWR online & it looks like something I would like to get invited in.
I have completed the online application form & am keen to try the free sessions but I need to make DD or Card payment prior to being able to access . While I have no problem paying for a membership I am not keen on paying a fee for something before I experience & know if I will enjoy (?) , it’s £32 .
Your thoughts on this would help,, thanks 🙏

Zoe65

Woukd not waste my time on the u3a.As someone else said they are full up with older baby boomers so as a new retiree you have no chance of joining anything you might want to do and all interesting classes are full .
Same everywhere

Hi Zoe, as I said earlier..if you go along to the Open Day you should be able to join any group you are interested in. We have over 70 groups and the leaders sit at their tables and people just sign up.. People may appear a bit cliquey to begin with but I've found that if I don't expect them to be particularly friendly and just join in things that eventually you become an accepted member of the group. and I join groups because I'm interested in the subject.. I hope you have better luck soon...

NanKate
I am in a small village WI and it is unlikely we will get any transwomen.

Is this because transwomen don't live in villages?

Shandy3

NanKate
I am in a small village WI and it is unlikely we will get any transwomen.

Is this because transwomen don't live in villages?

And would it really matter if you did. Providing they were friendly and joined in with whatever you are doing who cares what gender they are.

Jackiest
Agreed!

Calendargirl

A bit off topic, but have been re-watching Home Fires on UKTV Play.

All about a village WI at the start of WW11. Having to have election to choose a new president, amidst handbags at dawn, plus a massive jam making session to help the war effort.

Delightful, nostalgic viewing when the WI really was the WI.

There is far more to the WI than jam and Jerusalem .
WI lead many campaigns about subjects that concern us all, on many different topics. They are often still at the forefront of help and support when there are emergencies.
So many people do not know how much the WI does. There are lots who say ‘ I don’t want to be dragged onto committees and making tea at meetings. Good job there are others who are able and willing to do these things or there would be nowhere for anyone to go . Of course this doesn’t only apply to the WI .

NanaTuesday

Sarahr
Hi , I have found NWR online & it looks like something I would like to get invited in.
I have completed the online application form & am keen to try the free sessions but I need to make DD or Card payment prior to being able to access . While I have no problem paying for a membership I am not keen on paying a fee for something before I experience & know if I will enjoy (?) , it’s £32 .
Your thoughts on this would help,, thanks 🙏

I am local organiser of our NWR and we do not charge anyone until they have been to their free sessions and decided to join. As I have said before it is much less formal than WI. I have just looked at the form and it does ask for payment details which surprised me. I will email them and ask why.

Can I put it on record that I am not anti-trans. I had a good relationship with my late cousin who became a transwoman and I gave her plenty of emotional support. We were friends as well as relatives.

Here are my concerns. We have women in the WI who have come from abusive relationships and they see the WI as a safe haven. They do not want to share women only spaces, such as the loos, with transwomen.

NFWI would not have a proper adult conversation with me about them accepting transwomen without a vote from the membership. We are supposed to be democratic.

When I wrote to my County WI about this subject they told me they were forbidden to reply and had to forward concerns to National.

The thing that really worried me is that NFWI said they accepted transwomen who had not fully transitioned.

So that everyone knows that the WI is transparent I think the name should be changed to The Women’s and Transwomen’s WI.

I accept we are in a changing world. Therefore I feel that as a member of the WI I and my fellow WI members who feel the same as me, should have a say in major changes in our Institute.

I am sure there are transwomen living in villages.

I was a member of NHR many moons ago when my children were small. We are on the move so I looked it up in the town we expct to move to. They are clearly well organised with the year's programme available online.

Unfortunately, it read like my local WI, all cookery and craft evenings with a theatre visit and visit to a local stately home. Not the vibrant dicussion group I used to belong to, where we discussed current issues or issues of concren. I felt the omens were poor when they described themselve as a group of 'ladies'

When I moved to a different village I was approached by someone in the WI asking if I would like to join as “I was their sort of person” I declined, its not my thing , but said there was another new lady in the village so maybe ask her, I was told “she is not our sort of person.

I do realise that most WI groups are not like that and are welcome to all.

Sadly Denman College is now closed and has been sold, it was a beautiful venue but the upkeep was proving too much. I strongly dispute that it was very very expensive, it was very much on a par with other non WI residential courses around the country at the time. The accommodation was excellent with no expectation of sharing rooms unless you chose to and the 3 cooked meals per day were superb with coffee and homemade biscuits at mid morning plus tea and cake mid afternoon. The tutors were superb and the courses diverse - it’s a sad loss to the organisation.

My local U3a is lovely. I joined two years ago having moved to the area and needing to meet people. They couldn’t have been more welcoming. I now lead the allotment group and have also joined Cinema Goers and Fine Dining/World Foods.

My be neighbour goes to the local WI and suggested it to me but I didn’t want to overstretch myself. Some of my friends are never at home! 😂