When and where?
The meeting officially starts at 7pm and the hall is open from 6:30pm. Come along early if you like, most people come to socialise with friends and put things around the hall ready for the meeting. We have been meeting in the same venue for the last 3 years - St James Hall on Packington Street near Angel. We love this venue because it's really big, we have a stage for our speakers, we have plenty of chairs and tables for different activities and we have our own kitchen. We regularly have foody speakers, so the kitchen is a real bonus.
First impressions
When you arrive the you will be welcomed by Jan our membership secretary and Louise from the committee. If it's your first time they will try to introduce you to Amy the president and Catherine the vice president. It's £5 for a trial visit and you can visit up to two meetings. The money you spend on visiting is later refunded towards the £31.50 if you decide to join. After signing in and checking out the information near the back the girls will show you the ropes and sit you with some friendly regulars. Don't forget to pick up a sticky name badge! We have refreshments including wine and nibbles available for a few pounds from the kitchen from Linda our resident professional chef and Carol who happens to be the president of the Hatters (Harringay & Tottenham WI).
Sometimes we have raffles, book sales or collections going on for the homeless shelter Shelter From The Storm or other local causes. These will be publicised beforehand so you will know how much money to bring.
Getting down to business
At about 7:00pm the meeting will begin with Amy or Catherine standing at the front welcoming everybody to the meeting, making announcements and introducing the speaker. We have speakers on a wide range of topics like -
Craft - bone a chicken, hat making, Christmas decorations, card making, cake pop making, photography
Health and well being - flirtology, chiropractors, how to walk in heels, Neals Yard, vintage make-up, discover the artist inside you, how to write.
Life stories - the first female Beefeater, the mayoress of Islington, a comedy writer.
Women's issues - the first femanist, food poverty, human trafficking
Food and Drink - wine tasting, beer tasting, chocolate tasting....
The speaker will normally sit or stand at the front and talk about their topic and do a demonstration.
Going home
At 9pm the meeting ends and we try to leave promptly. We ask everyone to help put away the chairs or dry up the dishes and take some recycling. Some peoeple head off to the local pub on Essex Road for a night out.
Join a sub-group?
Once you are a fully paid up member we have some excellent sub-groups that you are welcome to join. The sub-groups are each led by a WI member and they meet locally to N1. We have a book group (VERY popular!), a knit-and-natter group, a large theatre group and a gardening group. There are regular updates on the website, the Facebook page and Twitter.
Women Supporting Women
The organisation is based on the ideals of fellowship, truth, tolerance and justice.
The main purposes of the Women’s Institute organisation are to enable women who are interested in issues associated with modern life, including arts, crafts and sciences, to improve and develop conditions of their lives, to advance their education in citizenship, in public questions both national and international, in music, drama and other cultural subjects and in all branches of agriculture, handicrafts, home economics, health and social welfare.
All women may join, no matter what their views on religion or politics may be. The organisation is non-sectarian and non-party political. This does not prevent Women’s Institutes from concerning themselves with matters of political and religious significance.
