11th September

 

The first Women's Institute meeting in Britain was held in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch on 11th September 1915.

The WI movement had begun in Canada in 1897 for the wives of members of the Farmers' Institute. In the UK, it was originally set up to revitalise rural communities and to encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. After the first year, there were 40 WIs across the UK and has since grown to become the UK's largest women's voluntary organisation. There are in excess of 200,000 members in over 6,500 branches, offering women the chance to take part in a range of various activities and to campaign on important local issues.