To those not in the know, a mention of The Women’s Institute conjures up a quaint scene. Middle aged ladies in flowery frocks set out baked goods on a trestle table, home made rock cakes and iced buns jostling for position on a silver platter. Little Britain got good mileage out of the fuddy duddy image of the WI but, along with village fetes suddenly becoming hip, modern members couldn’t be further from the petticoat-clad ladies of yesteryear.

Meet East Dulwich Women’s Institute, formed in 2007 via the East Dulwich Forum (featured by us here recently) as a “modern women’s group with a traditional ethos”. The group was so popular it reached capacity very quickly and membership currently stands at 80 women of all ages and backgrounds, whose intention is “to be part of the community spirit, make friends, learn new (and consolidate old) skills, benefit the surrounding community and feel part of it”.

Forget cake stalls and flouncing around in petticoats (though that does sound fun). The EDWI have far more interesting pastimes, meeting once a month to take part in activities like wine tasting, crafting and fitness and having serious discussions and debates on environmental and political matters.

Want to join? The EDWI may be full to bursting but there’s good news - there are WI branches throughout the UK. Formed in 1915 “to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War”, The Women’s Institute currently has 205,000 members in 6,800 different groups and provides a formidable platform for women to connect, learn and campaign together - current campaigns include Climate Change and Violence Against Women.

And you thought it was all just cakes and flowers…

Over to you - do we have any WI-ers in the house? Can you tell us more about what goes on at your meetings? And for those of us out of the loop, are you tempted to join your local branch? What activities would you like to see on the menu?

Photo credit: Am I bovvered? by London looks (CC License)

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