Young women form 'urban' WI

By Jes Salter

THERE was no jam or Jerusalem but last night more than 50 young women gathered in a crowded pub to form Islington’s first Women’s Institute meeting.

Ali Budjanovcanin, 26, and Katie Best, 25, marketed their WI group, called WIN1, at other young women in London by blogging on internet message boards and handing out glossy flyers. As a result, there was standing room only at their first meeting in the upstairs of the Cedar Rooms on Upper Street.

Ms Best said: “We were really overwhelmed by the turnout – we thought it would be 15 of our friends who we’d dragged down, but this was brilliant.”

Traditionally Women’s Institutes are based in rural towns and WIN1 is only the second Women’s Institute to be set up in London. A group in Covent Garden was established in March, but Ms Budjanovcanin said she wanted something younger and with a “more urban feel”.

The girls said they wanted to be part of something that had a community feel.

“We wanted to do something different every month without having to join a different group or book club and we wanted to meet other people our age, which is something a lot of people feel in London," said Ms Best.

Sarah Norris, 34, agreed: “I live in Highbury and you never meet your neighbours. I just came along because it sounded like a fun group – I didn’t even realise it was a Women’s Institute.”

Among many suggestions put forward for future meetings, the group decided on cookery, DIY, self-defence lessons, ultimate Frisbee games, wine tasting, make-up demonstrations, and learning how to design and look after an inner city garden.

Ms Budjanovcanin said: “All the boys I know thought it was a secret girls club and they wanted to join.”

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