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Women from Rathfriland are among the founding members of Northern Ireland's first virtual Women's Institute, a new group called Mourne Marvels. The initiative has been set up with the aim of widening access to WI membership for women who are unable to attend meetings in person.
Rathfriland WI joined with Seaforde WI to create the online community, which organisers hope will help tackle rural isolation by extending the benefits of offline membership to a wider group.
The Women's Institute has a long history in Northern Ireland. The first WI here was formed at Garvagh, Co Derry, in 1932, and the Federation of Women's Institutes of Northern Ireland was established in 1942. The organisation supports women to learn, develop new skills and achieve their goals throughout their lives, helping to build confidence and improve physical and mental wellbeing.
Mourne Marvels founding member Ada Elliott said the new virtual group would offer an alternative for women whose circumstances make it difficult to attend meetings in person. She said: "Women's lives are busier than ever before. Virtual WI's provide an alternative for women who are unable to attend in-person meetings. It could be someone who is a full-time Carer for a loved one and cannot leave the home easily or a mother with a young family who wants to be part of a community online."
Elliott added that the group is open to women well beyond the Mourne area. She said: "Don't be put off by the name, it is not restricted to people in the Mourne area - we are hoping to attract women from all across Northern Ireland. People who live abroad that have a connection to NI can also sign up, my daughter in Norway is hoping to join Mourne Marvels.
"The beauty is you can join from the comfort of your own home. Anyone with access to a phone, tablet, laptop or PC and an internet connection can join."
Like existing WI groups, Mourne Marvels will be led by a committee, with a speaker, demonstration or activity planned for each meeting to help members learn and develop new skills. Ada explained how the virtual meetings will work in practice. She said: "Virtual meetings will be similar to current WI meetings except we will be able to involve speakers from all over the world because of the wonders of wifi! A Zoom link will be sent to members usually a week in advance of the meeting. After logging in, members will be greeted personally in the waiting room by the organising team. Meetings are set up in exactly the same way as 'in person' Institutes."
Women can be members of both an in-person WI and a virtual WI, though separate membership fees apply to each. Ada said Mourne Marvels also plans to offer a range of additional activities for members. She said: "Virtual WI's can also have Book Clubs, coffee mornings, art appreciation groups with links to museums and art galleries and even group cook-along sessions. We look forward to welcoming women online to join Mourne Marvels and to expand our group across all of Northern Ireland."
Anyone interested in finding out more can like the Mourne Marvels WI Facebook page or email mournemarvels@gmail.com.
