Every month, set in the grand surroundings of Chetham’s School of Music, you’ll find an eclectic mix of women jazzing up the Women’s Institute tradition, and last night was no exception.
It was standing room only as Manchester WI members gathered together to celebrate their first birthday and hear what they had achieved over the last 12 months.
President and co-founder of the branch Lucy Adams, 25, looked delighted as she addressed the crowd.
She said: “We would just like to take this opportunity to all the committee members who have given up their time to organise these meetings and events and to you all our members for supporting us.
“We are really proud of our WI and we‘re looking forward to an exciting year ahead!”
Vice President and co-founder Lex Taylor, 25, echoed Lucy’s sentiment, she said: “We have grown so much over the last 12 months and are really looking forward to strengthening our relationships with our local community over the next year.”
Forget twinsets and pearls, unless making a sartorial style statement, these are women aged 25-40 who are more drum n bass than Jam and Jerusalem.
The membership is largely made up of professional women who work full-time but love to socialise with like-minded people to craft, campaign and raise money for charity.
WI members have raised £1054 for Paws for Kids over the past year and are now looking to replicate their success with Booth Centre, which provides activities, advice and support for homeless people.
Party-goers had the opportunity to don temporary tattoos, participate in the monthly raffle and were treated to live music entertainment.
Acapella singing group She Choir sang a fabulous medley of hits including Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday, folk-rock hit Cecilia and TLC’s No Scrubs.
Bringing a sprinkling of mid-century magic Queen of Vintage, and one half of Vintage 78 DJs, Annabel Holland provided a mix of vintage jazz, blues and swing music on the gramophone.
Annabel said: “The WI is about community spirit which is why I think it currently has resurgence.
“I can’t bake or show somebody else how to knit so playing my music is my way of giving something back.”
The UK craft revival, either as a creative outlet from the daily hum drum of tapping away at a keyboard, or to participate in the wider craftivism movement has really struck a chord with Mancunian women.
And such is the popularity of the group that a temporary membership cap has been put in place to retain the sense of community and sisterhood.
Craft sub-group leader Charlie Hooson-Sykes said the sense of community and the opportunity to affect change really appealed to her.
“I wanted to join the WI for a long time, it’s a community that love what they do and I love what they stand for.
“It’s about women making a difference, and any difference to the world as it is, however small, can only be a good thing.”
For more information about the Manchester Women’s Institute, visit http://www.manchesterwi.org.uk/
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