New Member Information
On this page you’ll find information about becoming a Spa Sweetheart, including frequently asked questions, WI membership benefits and our full meeting programme.
Ready to join us? Or want to come along to a meeting as a guest? Let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
New Member Information
On this page you’ll find information about becoming a Spa Sweetheart, including frequently asked questions, WI membership benefits and our full meeting programme.
Ready to join us? Or want to come along to a meeting as a guest? Let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when do you meet?
Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. We meet at Christ Church on the Stray in Harrogate (Map). We ask everyone to arrive from 7.15pm for a prompt 7.30pm start (well… we are the WI!).
What happens at a meeting?
Our regular monthly meetings are full of fun, laughter and learning. Each month we have a speaker or activity planned, a raffle and time for socialising over a cup of tea and slice of cake. You can view our full programme here.
What other social activities do you offer?
We meet regularly throughout the month at our sub-groups. These are exclusively for our members and are smaller and more informal than our main monthly meetings making it easier to get to know fellow Sweethearts whilst enjoying shared interests. We have a social group, book group, morning café meetup and two craft groups! We also have one-off events, in the past we’ve been away on activity weekends, tried paddleboarding and enjoyed many celebrations including Christmas parties and summer picnics.
Can I try a meeting before committing to joining?
Of course! We’d love to meet you. Drop us a line beforehand as some meetings need to be pre-booked. You can contact us here to let us know you’ll be coming along. Meetings are £6 for guests.
I’d like to come along to a meeting but am nervous to attend on my own…
We’ve all been there, walking into a room full of strangers is nerve-racking! We’re more than happy to have one of our committee members meet you at the door. Our members are a friendly bunch and keen to meet new people so you’ll soon get to know lots of people.
Subscription Fees
The WI subscription fee is due in April and is £54 for the year April to March.
If you are joining us part-way through the year, you’ll pay a discounted rate.
1 July – 30 Sept: £40.50
1 Oct – 31 Dec: £27
1 Jan – 31 Mar: £13.50
To qualify for this rate you must not have been a member of any WI in the past subscription year.
Subscription rates | National Federation of Women’s Institutes
Meeting Costs
Meetings are free for members, although we do occasionally ask members to pay a small fee where our meeting costs are high.
We charge guests £6 to attend a meeting, although this may be more if we have higher costs to cover for a meeting. You may also need to book to attend certain meetings. See our programme for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when do you meet?
Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month. We meet at Christ Church on the Stray in Harrogate (Map). We ask everyone to arrive from 7.15pm for a prompt 7.30pm start (well… we are the WI!).
What happens at a meeting?
Our regular monthly meetings are full of fun, laughter and learning. Each month we have a speaker or activity planned, a raffle and time for socialising over a cup of tea and slice of cake.
What other social activities do you offer?
We meet regularly throughout the month at our sub-groups. These are exclusively for our members and are smaller and more informal than our main monthly meetings making it easier to get to know fellow Sweethearts whilst enjoying shared interests. We have a social group, book group, morning café meetup and two craft groups! We also have one-off events, in the past we’ve been away on activity weekends, tried paddleboarding and enjoyed many celebrations including Christmas parties and summer picnics.
Can I try a meeting before committing to joining?
Of course! We’d love to meet you. Drop us a line beforehand as some meetings need to be pre-booked. You can contact us here to let us know you’ll be coming along. Meetings are £6 for guests.
I’d like to come along to a meeting but am nervous to attend on my own…
We’ve all been there, walking into a room full of strangers is nerve-wracking! We’re more than happy to have one of our committee members meet you at the door. Our members are a friendly bunch and keen to meet new people so you’ll soon get to know lots of people.
Subscription Fees
The WI subscription fee is due in April and is £54 for the year April to March.
If you are joining us part-way through the year, you will pay a discounted rate:
1 July – 30 Sept: £40.50
1 Oct – 31 Dec: £27
1 Jan – 31 Mar: £13.50
To qualify for this rate you must not have been a member of any WI in the past subscription year.
https://www.thewi.org.uk/join-and-support-us/become-a-wi-member/subscription-rates
Meeting Costs
Members: Free
Guests: £6 (This may be more if we have higher costs to cover for a meeting. You may also need to book to attend certain meetings. See our programme for details.
We may occasionally ask members to pay a small fee where our meeting costs are high.
WI Member Benefits
In addition to our local monthly meetings and sub-groups there are many benefits to being part of the WI.
WI Life magazine: 8 issues of WI Life magazine annually, sent direct to your door, including a book of discount offers in the December issue.
Access to MyWI: Members have exclusive access to the MyWI website – a one-stop-shop for everything a WI member needs to know. The site has information on the latest WI news, local and national WI campaign information and sections on everything from inspiring cookery, craft, floral design projects and more!
Events: Bespoke member only events held virtually and at venues around the country.
More About The WI
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK and we pride ourselves on being a trusted place for all women.
A WI membership offers the opportunity to meet women in your local area in-person and virtually, to make friends and make a difference in your community.
Find out more about the benefits of being a WI member on the official WI Website.
Get More Involved: Members have the option to become a WI committee member, a federation trustee and/or an NFWI trustee. You can also become involved in one of the many campaigns the WI runs. You will find a list of all of our current campaigns below.
Bystanders Can be Lifesavers
This campaign calls on WI members to work together to increase public confidence and training in the delivery of CPR and to work with local organisations to help improve access to defibrillators in their communities.
Dental Health Matters
This campaign aims to shine a spotlight on women’s experiences of the lack of access to dentists and to push the new government to make fixing NHS dentistry a priority.
Clean Rivers for People and Wildlife
This campaign is encouraging members to make and support applications to create bathing waters in rivers across England and Wales as a way to drive the cleanup of our precious waters.
Thinking Differently: Autistic and ADHD Women and Girls
Our campaign seeks to raise awareness of Autism and ADHD in women and girls and to take action to improve the diagnosis process.
See the Signs
Our campaign seeks to raise awareness of the subtle signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer to help ensure that more women are diagnosed earlier.
Stop Modern Slavery
This campaign seeks to raise awareness of modern slavery in the UK. It also calls for better support for survivors, as well as more effective action to eradicate the problem.
Make a Match
This campaign seeks to promote registration to the aligned UK stem cell registry to enable more people to receive potentially life-saving stem cell transplants.
Climate Change
The WI has a proud history of taking action to protect the environment. As a founding member of The Climate Coalition, the WI movement works to urge policymakers to take decisive action to tackle climate change, and to encourage community networks to come together on climate action projects in their local area.
End Plastic Soup
Our campaign explores the scale of the microplastic fibre pollution and calls on the government and industry to develop solutions to the problem.
No More Violence against Women
We are raising awareness and taking action to end the scourge of violence against women.
More About The WI
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK and we pride ourselves on being a trusted place for all women.
A WI membership offers the opportunity to meet women in your local area in-person and virtually, to make friends and make a difference in your community.
Find out more about the benefits of being a WI member on the official WI Website.
WI Member Benefits
In addition to our local monthly meetings and sub-groups there are many benefits to being part of the WI.
WI Life magazine: 8 issues of WI Life magazine annually, sent direct to your door, including a book of discount offers in the December issue.
Access to MyWI: Members have exclusive access to the MyWI website – a one-stop-shop for everything a WI member needs to know. The site has information on the latest WI news, local and national WI campaign information and sections on everything from inspiring cookery, craft, floral design projects and more!
Events: Bespoke member only events held virtually and at venues around the country.More About The WI
The WI is the largest women’s organisation in the UK and we pride ourselves on being a trusted place for all women.
A WI membership offers the opportunity to meet women in your local area in-person and virtually, to make friends and make a difference in your community.
Find out more about the benefits of being a WI member on the official WI Website.