The WI what is your experience

It's worth a try, . You could go to one that's very welcoming, you just don't know until you go, there's good and bad in everything. If they are rude, it's not for you there's other places.

Wonder if anyone from the WI Federation is reading this thread and thinking that things need to change if they're going to survive? Considering that their demographic is mostly retired women, largely the over 60s and therefore in the vulnerable group, the monthly meetings could be sparse post COVID. And that will be reflected in annual membership fees. Big changes are required if they're going to survive.

My Mum was a member of the WI for years and never experienced any problems. She also was a member of a floral society which she loved. I did have the impression they were moving with the times after a documentary a few years ago. My mums WI held a cream tea for a group I worked with who had learning disabilities and they were tremendously warm and welcoming. It would be a shame if they were to die out as I'm sure a lot of skills and knowledge would disappear with them.
I never managed to join a WI or TWG as it never seemed to fit in with work etc.
I think the clique problem can be generic whether its WI, social groups or church groups. I joined MeetUp a few years ago and that varied as well. Some groups were lovely and very welcoming some were quite friendly but there was a definite feel that it was centred around a small group of people who tolerated others joining!
Such is human nature I suppose. There are lots of alternatives. Libraries when they are hopefully up and running do lots of activities from knit and natter to book clubs. We are lucky enough to have a small community cafe that also hosts community activities from crafts to ukulele playing. Maybe they are more accessible as there are no committees etc?

I tried our local WI some years ago. Nobody spoke to me, and the 'saved' chair is clearly an almost nationwide event . The entertainment was a singer, who was excellent, so it was worth going to listen to her, but I wandered around smiling hopefully, tried to speak to the secretary but got brushed off with 'sorry - back in a mo' - she wasn't - and left at the end unnoticed. 'Never again!

I love my WI, very friendly and very varied speakers. There are two groups in our village, one morning and one evening, both full. We do not pay for refreshments and we do save seats.

I have very positive things to say about the WI,I dont live in the UK but when I visit I attend my neighbours local WI, they are SO friendly, they greet me as an old friend and I am included in everything going on.I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend there,I have been on outings with them and usually try to attend their Christmas party,I really miss not going this year, but hopefully I can join them next year as a guest again.The neighbours WI is in the country where everyone knows everyone,its a small group, and I hope it can carry on, as members are diminishing unfortunately.

Too much chair saving at our WI. Been going for years but not allowed to sit in certain seats. Some are fine but handbags and scarves draped over empty seats infuriates me. I only go when the speaker sounds good or I’m on tea duty.

Dreadful. I tried it for 12 months. They sang Jerusalem and the demographic was ladies all old before their time. Mention of backpacking, cycling, open air swimming etc. sent them into a spin. Their desperation to attract young members was sad - yet they were unwilling to change to facilitate this.

The WI that I went to on my own was cliquey and I think many of the ladies just went too drink. not my cup of tea. (Don't really drink much he he)

My local one didn’t work for me.

I only tried it once and went with a colleague. I didn’t particularly like it and the speaker introduced a craft activity that was rather silly.

My colleague continued to go and has got involved with the Supper Club and lots of activities. She lives alone and it has become part of her social life. I am glad it worked for her.
It was too hierarchical for my taste...

I tried it years ago when I first moved into this village. It was awful. Unfriendly, and heirarchical. They discuss government proposals to be voted on, but you're not allowed to speak against them and the decisions are made in advance so it's a waste of time. Try something else.

I didn't think it was my cup of tea as I am not a 'clubby' sort of person, but am definitely put off after reading some of these answers!

All WI’s are different....that’s the first thing to be said.Both in how friendly/unwelcoming their members are, and how formal/informal the proceedings.You may have to try several groups before finding one you like, or can be lucky with your nearest one.
Some groups meet in the daytime, others only in the evenings.
My own WI doesn’t sing Jerusalem ( groups can vote on this by a show of hands) and no baking is required, it’s just tea and biscuits, again it’s up to the group.Some WI’s make a great deal of the business side and it takes up a lot of time, other groups whizz through it really quickly.Speakers and subjects vary wildly as you would expect, and competitions are optional.There is usually a produce table in rural WI’s where you can buy (cheaply) eggs, honey fruit and veg ( I used to come home with a good haul!)
City and town WI’s often have a younger demographic, rural is mixed or older, in some cases very old.
It’s one of those things that you need to try at least for a few meetings .....it can take time to integrate, but you also need to
Do a bit of that yourself, smile and talk to people.
If you offer to be on the committee they will welcome you with open arms.

Ive been thinking about the negative comments here and it makes me very sad to realise that not every group is as welcoming as mine. We sit around small tables ( need somewhere to put the glass of wine!) and although I accept that groups of friends do group together, if I see someone new sat on their own, I introduce them to another table and move a chair for them. Our Welcomer looks out for new members for several meetings as it can take a while to make new friends.

I hate the seat saving that goes on in our area meetings and have spoken out about it several times but I'm afraid it still goes on, especially among the older members.

We are lucky here as our Federation, Cheshire, have been very active during the pandemic, they have organised several Zoom talks and the Chair send our regular newsletters to all the groups. But I know other Federations have been very quiet. All we same to get from National though are reminders of what we are not allowed to do! We are getting three months free next year but I don't think that will be enough to encourage everyone to rejoin, I suspect that our membership will drop even though we have tried to be very active during lockdown. We don't think we will be able to meet physically for several more months, to large a group to socially distance in a hall, and many people join in order to go to meetings with other likeminded women.

I wonder how other similar groups will fare long term?

Oh Coconut that is such an old joke but I believe Loose do have a WI. A friend and I went along decades ago to a small village WI, we knew somebody who was speaking and so we decided to join in. We contacted somebody to ask about going and were told we had to meet the President which we did, it became apparent we were being vetted. We were young mums then and were so unnerved we only attended a couple of meetings. My friend later moved and did find a group which suited her, I retreated to the U3A.

I have been a WI member for over 20 years. Maybe I have been fortunate but my experience has been of finding new friends and experiences. Our President would not put up with 'seat saving' or some members thinking their opinions count more than others. Visitors remark on how welcoming we are. I have visited Denman on 4 occasions, learning new skills and the ladies I have met at WI are now my friends for life. We have had Zoom meetings for our monthly meetings and book club since March and members who are unable to meet us this way get a knock on the door to see how they are and offers of help. How sad so many of you have not had such an enriching experience.

Joined the local WI when we moved. Many were quite friendly ; others used the handbag technique... a mixed lot
Some of the activities were dire. I may have been old but not moribund and did not need the local female vicar's visit with a large inflated ball We were instructed to sit on chairs in a circle and bounce the ball to each other. Those who did not wear trousers.... a large number of them... needed to sit with their legs akimbo to catch the ball. The most interesting bit of the whole exercise was to see the variety in form and colour of the directoire knickers of those on the opposite side of the circle.
Yet I did stay and serve on the committee as many people seemed to need it more than I did.
I also enjoyed bellowing 'Jerusalem'
My final effort as member of the commiottee was to visit the houses of everyone in the village and invite them to a 'recruiting' BBQ. A woman I invited from a couple of hundred yards along the road happened to be Lady( very well known name) wearing Chanel
I resigned when I received several invitations to dinner which casually said.... 'Oh, and DO bring your friend too. I had never met the woman before.

I'm thinking of joining a local one but these comments make me feel it's all very clicky and unwelcoming to newcomers. Will probably try it once and see how it goes. Forever the optimist, that's me!

Our WI is really proactive due mainly to having a vibrant committee. I have joined the garden group and the book group, making very good kind friends as a result. I don’t attend all the meetings as they clash with choir but if it is something I am interested in, I will go. No saving seats, lots of community spirit such as baking for the farmers market, the carnival, other events when Covid is not around. We have a lovely Christmas dinner and disco. We never sing Jerusalem . There is a wide age range , I am 70 our president is 37. It has given many women a good friendship base.

Crikey! Reading these posts is like an obituary for the WI!

I’ve never been a member and, now retired, wouldn’t consider it after reading this feedback. Sounds like a time warp from the 1950s.

Is it a case of RIP WI?

I first joined the WI in 1956. Afternoon meetings as most wives where I lived didn’t go to work. All very friendly. In those days the WI had lots of projects such as campaigning for electricity to a rural areas, smear tests, etc. We had handicraft group, gardening group, country dance group etc. Classes in dressmaking, lampshades, cookery, crochet, etc. produce shows, Burns night etc. I was on the commitees and it was my main interest.
In ourHampshire village we had 100 members and had to start another one.
In 1978 I had to move to Norfolk. How different. Very backward. “Oh our members wouldn’t like that”. “ you newcomers come and want to change everything”. As soon as they had had their cup of tea they were off. No social time. I suggested a market stall. “Our members wouldn’t like that.”
So I left.

Everyone needs to remember that even if this thread reached
1000 posts ( unlikely) and each GNer only posted once it’s a tiny fraction of the UK WI members.
So if you were considering ( in a year’s time) joining then don’t be swayed by others.You just have to see what your local group is like.Mine also has a craft group, a book group and various outings and social ‘do’s’.
For the future....it may not survive, or it may morph into something more informal.

There are about 3 WIs close to me but they only meet in the evenings and I cannot drive in the dark because of my Macular problems so that is a no-no.

I joined the TWG for around a year until it was disbanded. The only person I ever spoke to was another who joined not long after me.

I do not drink tea, there was no coffee, one would think I wanted alcohol mid-afternoon from the comments. I enjoyed listening to the speakers- that was one of the reasons I continued going. Also, they met early afternoon and I could get there without my car if necessary.

I was invited to our local one as the talk sounded interesting, but at the end it was a sales pitch, and I thought I really don't want to pay to hear sales pitches
I saw a poster for a event for the WI in the next village and it was a really interesting subject, it said just turn up
I got a lift there as it was snowing, and went in only to be told it was members only [despite being advertised open to all ] and there was to be a meal afterwards. I said no problem, can I hear the talk and I wasn't expecting a meal anyway, so was reluctantly let in
The subject was something that I was quite involved with churchyard conservation and it was quite an interesting talk. But the speaker said something about our churchyard which was not quite accurate so I said in the questions afterwards, actually there are xx species, not x, quite happy to share the info with everyone, only to be told that I was wrong and the number was x. Apart from that no one spoke to me even though I'd tried to be friendly with neighbours. I ended up walking home in the falling snow.
Neither experience made me feel like I wanted to go back
Some Mothers Union branches are pretty dynamic, and you don't need to be a mother to go. I've been to some interesting talks at ours and people have been very friendly. They keep in touch with members who can't go any more and do social projects, might some of you be interested in the MU?

How sad is this thread? The WI really needs to take note and do something positive to improve its image and attract new members. Will they do that or will they be like Marks and Spencer and ignore all our constructive comments?