About Us
Beeston WI aims to bring local ladies together to learn new skills, feel part of a community, make new friends and have fun!
We are a diverse friendly group with ages ranging from mid 20s to ‘old enough to know better’. We run a Programme that tries to be as varied as our membership. There's always time to chat and indulge in homemade cake and liquid refreshment - tea, coffee, red/white wine or soft drinks. Members say we run the cheapest bar in Beeston!
Although Beeston WI was only formed in 2017, we are part of a much larger organisation dating back to 1915 in the United Kingdom. We are part of the Nottinghamshire Federation of the National Federation of Women's Institutes. The WI currently has almost 220,000 members in approximately 6,300 WIs. You can find out more about the origins of the WI here - https://www.thewi.org.uk/about-us/history-of-the-wi
We hope you will find all the information you need to learn more about us here. Why not come along to one of our meetings and see what you think!
Meet the Committee
Beeston WI is coordinated by a group of volunteers who conduct the business of the WI, are responsible for the finances, and make sure our monthly meetings run smoothly.
The Committee are:
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Claire Montgomery (President)
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Helen Hobbs (Treasurer)
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Vicky Sumner (Secretary)
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Karen Shaw
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Sallyanne Wilson (Communications & Facebook)
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Debbie Fisher
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Jo Simmons
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Sarah Davies (Website & Twitter)
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Liz Parsons
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Claire Campbell
Committee meetings are held at the start of each month, to review the previous meeting and plan for upcoming meetings and events. They are run on an informal basis in each others’ houses.
Being on the committee is a great way to be more involved in the running of your WI. It's good to share the workload and we actively welcome new members at any point during the year - so please let us know if you would like to get more involved in your WI!
Charities
Every year at our AGM, members vote for the local charities that Beeston WI will support over the next 12 months. These charities come along to our May meeting where we learn more about how we can best champion and support their work.
Our current chosen charities are Canalside Heritage Centre, Forever Stars and D34 Children's Ward at QMC. In conjunction with other local WIs, we've also supported Sharewear Nottingham.
Past chosen charities include Hope Nottingham, Broxtowe Women's Project and Treetops Hospice.
There are many ways you can help these charities, so if you're interested in getting more involved then just let us know!
Bursaries
In July 2019, we awarded our first WI Bursaries to two of our members. Fran Rumbelow enrolled on a plumbing course and Katy Phillips took a makaton course. You can read more about their experience over on our blog.
