Harwell WI

All kinds of opportunities for all kinds of women

Welcome to Harwell WI

We meet on the second Wednesday of every month (except August) at 7.30 pm in the Cherry Hall at Harwell Village Hall, High Street, Harwell OX11 0EX.

You can be sure of a warm welcome.

Contact us on harwellwi@oxfordshirewi.co.uk

Our 2024-25 Programme can be found here.

Throughout it all of its 100 years, Harwell WI has been a resource for the women in Harwell. Jam and Jerusalem played a part but no organisation could thrive for a whole century on just a song and a tasty jar of calories with a bit of fruit. The support, friendship and shared experiences of the village women has always been at the heart of what we do. And the women of the WI have always been up to a challenge.

In common with their sisters in many old Oxfordshire Villages, the women of Harwell have endured, adapted and thrived because of and despite the challenges life has thrown at them. World wars, economic fluctuations, mechanisation and advances in technology – Harwell and its inhabitants have seen them all. In some cases, Harwell and its environs has been at the centre of world changing advancements courtesy of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and its modern transformation into the Harwell Campus.

Housing in Harwell Village has expanded by 40% in the past 5 years. This has meant that, on the one hand, the village is an attractive, thriving place, enriched by new residents. On the other hand, this has also meant there are many new folk who may experience a sense of isolation and dislocation. A particular problem for women with busy lives and very little “me time”.

Join us

There has been a thriving WI in Harwell since 1921 and it is as relevant today as it was when it was launched. We currently have over 55 members of all ages and backgrounds.

Membership is due on 1st April. For that you get:

• Membership of Harwell WI with a year’s programme of events bursting with ideas 
• Belonging to the largest women’s voluntary organisation in the UK
• The opportunity to learn, develop and pass on new skills as well as making friends and having fun
• Supporting the local community
• Eight issues a year of the WI membership magazine WI Life
• Ten issues of Oxfordshire Inspires, the WI magazine for Oxfordshire including Zoom events 
• Having your voice heard: making a real impact on local, national and international issues
• Each year resolutions on national issues are discussed and voted on in every WI in the country. The resolutions are usually presented to the Government, so the WI is a force to be taken seriously
• Social groups within Harwell WI including weekly Knit and Natter in The Harwellian and WI members meet at the Community Coffee Morning on Tuesdays at 10:30am at the Hart of Harwell and on Fridays at the Harwellian.
• Oxfordshire WI Events See current listing of What’s On from Oxfordshire WI.

The WI is here to inspire you. The WI is all about inspiring women.  It’s a rich source of experiences, knowledge and skills passed down through generations and updated every day. We play a unique role in village life.

The WI is everything you want it to be. Women of all ages are offered opportunities. For some women it’s to make new friends in the village, for others it’s to catch up with existing friends, to learn, to widen their horizons and take part in issues which matter to us and the community.

The WI is what you make of it. We offer women the chance to join and be involved in the way that suits them. It’s all there for members to take part in as little or as much as they like.

Our main focus is on monthly meetings, but you will see us involved in many varied village events including a WI float at the Harwell Feast each year. WI cakes from those members who bake are requested for village events.

• Contact us on harwellwi@oxfordshirewi.co.uk
• Harwell WI charity reg. no. 283990
• Oxfordshire WI
• National Federation of Women’s Institutes