It is almost 100 years since the first ever meeting of the Women’s Institute was held in the UK in September 2015.

Today, the WI has more than 212,000 members in 6,600 organisations across the country.

Initially, the institute was created to educate “rural women” and encourage countrywomen to get involved in growing and preserving food to help increase the supply to the war-torn nation.

Education and the sharing of skills remains at the heart of the organisation today, with a new generation keen to promote the ethos among younger women.

Friends Jane Cuthbert and Helen Tucker, from Throop, Bournemouth, have just set up the Stour Power WI in a bid to show that many of the WI’s traditional activities are still relevant today.

“For a long time when you mentioned WI to people they immediately turned their nose up,” said Helen, 39, who is the group’s president.

“But with all the recycling, and upcycling, people are realising that to make your own clothing, to reuse or recycle things, to make your own jam, it’s not considered old-fashioned, it’s just thrifty.”

Jane, 51, the Stour Power secretary and web editor, was particularly keen to attract a younger generation of women to the group, and has made it clear that babies and toddlers are welcome to attend meetings.

As a wheelchair user, she was also keen the meeting venue was easily accessible to all.

Helen, who also works as one of Jane’s PAs, said both of their children had grown up around arts and crafts and baking, but that they were keen to promote such hobbies to young mums.

“I’m sure there are a lot of mums who would like to meet with other mums to learn skills and swap tips,” she explains.

“We are trying to have little sub groups too – we’ve started a craft group which quite a few ladies have attended.

“Jane has an allotment as well and has earmarked a selection of it for an allotment group, so members with grandchildren or small children can bring them along and they can see how easy it is to grow something and make something with the produce you’ve grown.”

The group, which has built up a 23- strong membership since it started in November, meets at 11am to avoid children’s school runs and bedtimes and make it easier for mums to attend.

Jane and Helen have already secured a varied programme for the year ahead, including bath bombs making, a WI Centenary party and speakers including Bournemouth’s poet laureate James Manlow, Dorset Air Ambulance and the Safer Neighbourhood Team.

“We are not necessarily looking to do anything particularly different,” explains Helen.

“It was more a need to try and give it new life, to try and refresh it. I just hope that we can reach out to younger people.”

  • Stour Power WI meets at St Paul’s Church in Landford Way, Throop, on the first Friday of the month. The next meeting is on February 6. To find out more, visit StourPowerWI.co.uk or email stourpowerwi@hotmail.com