Teignmouth Women's Institute

Teignmouth Women’s Institute turned 60 this year. In July the branch marked it with a fancy dress party in 1960s clothes. It still has 28 members. The current committee, led by president Joanna Williams, is standing down in March 2027. As a charity the branch must have a president, secretary and treasurer. If those posts stay empty, it will close.

Meetings are at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month at Richard Newton Hall on Upper Buckeridge Road, also known as the New Road Community Centre. Each evening has a speaker. Recent guests have included a medical herbalist, a children’s author, a decluttering expert, an artist and a representative from Medical Detection Dogs. There are monthly competitions and quizzes as well.

Outside the main meeting, members run smaller groups. The Explorers go on trips. A lunch club tries local restaurants. Bright Sparks is the craft group, where people share skills rather than follow a set course. Birthdays are marked. Spring and autumn suppers and a Christmas party sit on the calendar too.

Williams has been president since 2023. She has said new members will not be pushed onto the committee. The hope is that people come in first, see what the branch actually does, and only later decide whether they want to help run it. She has also pushed back on the old picture of the WI: you do not have to bake cakes or make jam, and Jerusalem is reserved for special events, not every Tuesday.

There is a social scene beyond the formal programme. Members make friends in the branch and see each other outside meetings as well. The practical way in is the Facebook page at facebook.com/teignmouthwi, then a Tuesday evening at the hall. Visitors are welcome.