Synonymous with jam and Jerusalem, the Women’s Institute has been connecting women across the UK since 1915.
While more than 7,000 branches meet regularly in person, there has been a rise in the number of virtual groups, with some members describing the online meetings as a “lifeline”.
Pauline Ellis, from Bingley, West Yorkshire, has been a member of the “Sassie Lassies” virtual Women’s Institute (WI) group since 2023.
The 70-year-old discovered the online meetings after being diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which left her unable to walk without an aid.
“I have a very high pain threshold, but there were times I nearly gave up I just couldn’t cope with it,” she said.
“I had always been extremely independent, no matter what adversity, I had always carried on.
“This came out of nowhere and weakened me.”
The years of pain and dwindling mobility left her reluctant to get out and meet new friends.
She said she remembered the importance of the WI to her mother, but felt she did not have the “mental strength” to go to a physical meeting herself.
“I didn’t actually feel I wanted to go out to a new place to meet new people at that time,” she said.
Instead, after discovering the online meetings, she said logging on from the comfort of home had been “wonderful”.
Pauline is now the secretary of the “Sassie Lassies”, helping to coordinate monthly sessions.
Although she has never met the women she spends her time with in person, she counts many of them as friends, with the group often sending flowers of support and messages of encouragement when life “get’s challenging”.
“It doesn’t matter where in the country we are, we can all just sit down and have a chat,” she said.
“It’s a lifeline.”