Bringing together women from all walks of life, young and old, to campaign on issues that matter to them, share new skills and get creative in their community.
The original 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 it is now the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK.
The WI is becoming increasingly popular with the UK’s young city-dwellers. And Hull’s answer to this fresh new wave of WI comes in the form of Apple Crumble and Stitch.
The Apple Crumble and Stitch group was set up in October 2012 and now welcomes around 30 members and guests through its doors at each meeting. They meet on the third Thursday of every month at the Artlink Centre for Community Arts in Princes Avenue, Hull, from 7pm to 9pm. Each meeting hosts an inspirational speaker or an activity and is a great way to catch up with friends or make new ones over a cup of tea and some homemade cake.
The WI does like to mix it up, however, and has dabbled in everything from photography, to coffee tasting, flower arranging, willow weaving and lindy hop. Not to mention talks on bee keeping, the history of Spurn Point, medicinal plants, cocktail tasting and … burlesque. Ooh la la!
For 2017, the women of Hull’s WI are going to organise their programme of events around the UK City of Culture’s four seasons: Made in Hull; Roots & Routes; Freedom; and Tell the World.
