Our 100 year history

Finchampstead WI was founded in May 1918 by a group of local ladies and they were gifted a meeting hut and the land it occupied in Finchampstead village.

In the 1960's our hall and land was sold to build the Finchampstead Memorial Hall where we meet today.  The sale proceeds were invested and proceeds from this is used give our members a good experience at our meetings and outings.

The aims of the WI at this time were to give practical training to women in rural areas to improve standards in production and use of home made foods.

Over time the aims of the WI included support for getting women the vote and raising awareness of pressing matters in Parliament.  Recent campaigns have been to raise awareness of plastics polluting out oceans and alleviating loneliness.

In 2018 we are celebrating our Centenary with a celebratory tea in May and to mark this great occasion we have planted a beautiful Copper Beach in the grounds of the Finchampstead Memorial Hall as a lasting memorial close to benches our WI have provided over the years for the use of visitors to the park.  The tree was planted in March 2018 and a group of our members came to see it being planted and toasted it's roots.