The local WRI ladies need your help

[amandaandherveg]

Our local WRI may wind up next year because of dwindling numbers. I was chatting to a neighbour about it this afternoon and she asked me if I had any suggestions of attracting new folks. I told her I would ask some Grapes for suggestions.

I know this thread is just ripe for jokes about Funeral Directors, Male Strippers, etc, but they genuinely are struggling and any good ideas would be gratefully received. We've already lost the butchers shop, post office and then the pub blew up in January and it would be a shame to see this go too.

So, suggestions please..... perhaps you attend a group and could tell us what works there. Play Nicely.

[Paul Wagland]

You've lost the butcher's and the Post Office? Come on, think, where did you see them last?

Ok seriously now - forgive my ignorance but what is the WRI?

[amandaandherveg]

Women's Rural Institute - think 'Calander Girls', oh then again, perhaps not, lol.

[SarzWix]

Women's Institute?

[pdblake]

You've lost the butcher's and the Post Office? Come on, think, where did you see them last?

Maybe they were in the pub when it blew up

[Paul Wagland]

Aha. Didn't know there was a rural wing.

Round our way the Women's Institute Girls (WIGs) are doing very well indeed. Seems to be another part of this whole make-do-and-mend / grow-your-own / self-sufficiency movement. Lots of young girls, 18-30, rather than the stereotyped last of the summer wine types.

I keep trying to get myself invited along, but no luck so far.

[SarzWix]

I think the problem is their image, I think a lot of the stuff they do is great, but some of it is mega boring... And I have an image of them being middle-class (or worse, pseudo-middle class ) and judgemental of anyone that doesn't meet certain standards of appearance etc. I daresay it's a completely wrong image, but the only person I know locally who is a member fits that description to a T...

[amandaandherveg]

Our local branch is predominantly elderly.

I would be interested in going if there was no gossiping/heirarchy type stuff and more 'hands on' activities rather than a speaker showing you their holiday slides. But what type of activities?

[Paul Wagland]

The WIGs here seem to do a lot of craft stuff, including taking their knitting (which is now cool apparently) to the pub.

They still do the monthly talk slots (very broad in terms of subject matter - history of Rock and Roll recently). Colchester is a big town, but still I'd say the group was doing very well. The important thing is that it has a young and fashionable image now - which is perhaps the key to getting new people to attend.

If you PM me your email address Amanda, I'll ask the ringleader to send you some thoughts.

[amandaandherveg]

Will do Paul, much appreciated.

[SueA]

I think the key is they've got to attract younger members & maybe they could do it by offering courses that they have some expertise in such as knitting, growing fruit & veg., scrap booking, cooking on a budget etc. as well as getting guest speakers in with a bit of life in them (someone like Christine Walkden who might not be everyone's cup of tea but looks like a laugh). It would put me off if it was just people giving boring slide shows, flower arranging displays, talks & lectures. How about getting someone in to give belly dancing, salsa or yoga lessons & going on health walks together?

[NOG]

I nearly got done for dealing a few years back due to the WI.....I had picked six buckets of Damsens and needed to be shot of them before they rotted.

So I phoned the WI, I had 100s of old dears turning up at my door, with wicker baskets. then scrurring off up the road. All the net curtians were twitching.

[pdblake]

How about some kind of taster session, an open day kind of thing where they can show what they do and what they are about?

[Alison]

The WI have a bit of an image problem round here, average age about 100 and therefore nobody under 60 will join. They keep trying to get younger members but nobody will join as there aren't any younger members and so it goes on....... My mum used to be a member when she was only in her 30s and it was quite normal then and a way of women getting out, meeting their friends and learning something new. A shame really but I'm still not joining but then again a lot of the women back then didn't have as many opportunities to get out, I'm at work all day and don't have so much time for structured societies etc.

[JanieB]

I work for the WI as a Finance Officer at their Educational College in Oxfordshire (About Denman College).

The board are very much into up-dating their image and quite a few new institutes have started up with younger members (calling themselves by names like "The Fondant Fancies").

My aunt was a life-long member but tried to attract a younger element. The old-skool in her town threw their toys out of the pram and closed that branch. She can't get to the next nearest branch so she's no longer a member.