The Mordens Women’s Institute
The Mordens WI generally meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month at Guilden Morden Village Hall (7.30 p.m.). We are ladies from the villages of Guilden Morden, Steeple Morden, Bassingbourn, Melbourn and Hitchin and our membership currently stands at 21. If you would like to come along for a taster session or find out more about joining our group either just turn up to one of our meetings or call Joyce on 852087 or Emma on 853581 (evenings only).
We have a broad range of interests so as well as our formal monthly WI meetings we also have sub-groups such as “Luncheon Club” (which meet at a local pub/restaurant one Wednesday a month), “Busy Fingers – The Mordens Craft Group” (which meet on the 4th Thursday in the month at The Congregational Chapel) and “Knit & Natter” (which meet at The Three Tuns pub on alternate Tuesday mornings between 10:15 am – 12 noon).
The current committee is made up of:
President: Joyce Stackhouse 852087
Vice President: Rachel Tanser 852007
Secretary: Emma Jakes 853581
Programme Secretary: Diana Coleman 853124
Guilden Morden WI was originally formed in 1958 and amalgamated with Steeple Morden to become The Mordens WI we know and love today. For those interested in our local WI’s history we have a scrap book which was originally compiled by Kathleen Goddard 1959-60 and can be loaned out.
**** Latest News & Events ****
Following COVID lock-down and the replacement Zoom meetings which had being taking place fortnightly, we re-started face-to-face meetings on Thursday 24th June 2021.
The 2021/22 programme is shown below and we looking to welcoming both old and new members alike.
NB: Last updated 5 July 2021
Current Programme
| 2021 | |
| April 15th | Speaker: Emma Jakes “On the Front Line of the Pandemic” (via Zoom) |
| May 20th | Speaker: Sylvie Short “Old Girls Behaving Badly” (via Zoom) |
| June 24th | Face to Face At Last & AGM |
| July 15th | Speaker: Heather Williams “My Journey into Local Government” |
| August 19th | Victorian Afternoon Tea (venue = a members garden) |
| September 16th | Speaker: Dr Tim Wreghitt “Making a Stand for Chelsea” |
| October 21st | Speaker: Caroline Pook “Coco Chanel” |
| November 18th | Speaker: Les Boland “How to Solve a Murder or Two” |
| December 9th | Christmas Meal (venue = TBC) |
| 2022 | |
| January 20th | Games / Quiz Evening (incl. “Wink Murder” for Emma’s benefit !!) |
| February 17th | AGM & Cocktail Evening (post dry-January) |
| March 17th | Members Meeting |
About the WI
The Women’s Institute (WI) was formed in 1915 to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then the organisation’s aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK. The WI celebrated its centenary in 2015 and currently has almost 220,000 members in approximately 6,300 WIs.
The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.
The WI is based on the ideals of fellowship, truth, tolerance and justice. The organisation is non-sectarian and non-party political. WIs are charitable and everything they do must be consistent with that special legal status.
For more information follow the link : https://www.thewi.org.uk/
Introducing WI Campaigns
The WI has a long history of campaigning on a wide range of issues. Our campaigns tackle issues that matter to members. From equal pay to climate change, mental health and violence against women, over the past 100 years our members have embraced a diverse set of challenges. The WI has brought about real change – and we are just getting started.
Our key campaigns are the main issues we are currently working on and comprise:
- 5 Minutes that Matter
- Climate Change
- End Plastic Soup
- Get on Board
- Link Together to Alleviate Loneliness
- Make a Match
- Make Time for Mental Health
- No More Violence against Women
- Stop Modern Slavery
For more information follow the link : https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns