HoT WI

HoT WI HoT WI is a WI for the 21st century. We have a diverse meeting programme with the emphasis on making new friends. Founded 2017

We are a friendly and enthusiastic group that meets on the 3rd Friday of the month at 7:30pm at the Sacred Heart Hall, Henley. HOT WI is the Henley-on-Thames Women’s Institute, a modern WI for the 21st century. We are a fun and enthusiastic group, formed at the start of 2017, which spans the generations with members from all walks of life and background. We meet on the third Friday of the month in

Sacred heart church hall, vicarage Rd , Henley at 19.30 and have a diverse meeting programme with the emphasis on gaining new skills, new friends and promoting good causes. Henley members are part of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, a movement formed just over a century ago when women were playing an increasing role in society. The WI helped women to develop new skills and gave them opportunities to campaign for issues that mattered to them. Now, with wider aims and a flourishing membership, it the largest women’s organisation in the UK. There are many great reasons to join HoT WI. We are a supportive and friendly group of women of all ages, from 20s to 90s with a varied monthly meeting programme, a monthly email newsletter and active social media community. You will have the opportunity to meet people and to get involved with local events and good causes. As part of the National Federation of Women’s Institute you will also receive the monthly WI Life Magazine and the chance to get involved with national campaigns for social and environmental change. Come to a Meeting and find out more. You are warmly welcome to attend up to two meetings as a guest. Guests are asked to pay £5 at each meeting which is deductible from the full cost of your membership should you choose to join on the evening. Doors open at 19.15 for a 19.30 start. We begin with any official business, announcements and news - we try to keep this as brief as possible. Then we have our main meeting focus - a speaker or activity - followed tea, coffee or a glass of wine and, often, cake and or biscuits. Then you will have a chance to a chance to chat with members and learn more about. Meetings typically end by about 22:00. We do hope that you will decide to join us. The current annual subscription is £43, with a pro-rata rate depending on when you join in the year.

28/05/2026

📚Book Spotlight: Murders at the Winterbottom Women’s Institute 📚

If you enjoy a cosy mystery with a wicked sense of humour, then Gina Kirkham’s Murders at the Winterbottom Women’s Institute might just be your next favourite read.

Set in the wonderfully chaotic world of the Winterbottom WI, this story has everything we secretly love: ✨ Eccentric members ✨ A suspicious death (or two…) ✨ Plenty of tea ✨ Even more gossip ✨ And a heroine who didn’t mean to get involved… but absolutely does.

It’s a light, funny, slightly bonkers mystery that celebrates friendship, community spirit, and the unstoppable force that is a determined WI woman.

If you’re looking for something to make you smile — and keep you guessing — pop it on your reading list. Perfect with a cuppa and a slice of cake, naturally.

Thank you to Clare Avent for the recommendation and the sunshine for making me sit still and read this book. Trixie x

Henley-on -Thames women’s institute.We pack a lot in at our meetings and always have something crafty up our sleeve for ...
27/05/2026

Henley-on -Thames women’s institute.
We pack a lot in at our meetings and always have something crafty up our sleeve for when we have a last minute speaker cancellation.
“After the usual formal meeting we voted on the WI 2026 Resolutions. The two resolutions being put forward are: Accessible, Clean, Free Public Toilets & Action on Women’s Homelessness.
Our members voted unanimously in favour of both resolutions.
Our votes will go forward to the final vote at the online NFWI Annual Meeting in June, where either or both resolutions will be passed.
As our speaker for the evening cancelled last minute, due to illness, we needed to come up with a last minute alternative and decided on making paper flowers using serviettes. This resulted in a fun informal evening with lots of chat and some beautiful flowers. One member said she might even suggest them for her son's wedding! Our next meeting is on Friday 19th June when we will be having a talk on Cyber Crime by The Cyber Crime Unit TVP”
Thank you to our resourceful committee for ensuring our members had an enjoyable change to our May meet up.

22/05/2026

Our guest speaker for last month was Sarah Turton from Oxfordshire Herbal.
She explained about herbalism and being a herbalist and training in old fashioned medicinal techniques.
The use of natural products to fix the root cause of many common ailments has been used for generations.
Herbalist formulae can combine over 20 ingredients.
We learnt about Willow being used to produce aspirin and morphine from poppies and the use of cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic as natural stimulants and antibiotics. Over 80% of the world is still using herbal healthcare.
Sarah is also training as an iridologist and explained how each person’s iris is as individual as a fingerprint and her ability to see the bodies strengths and weaknesses use the iris as a body map.
Our group have been busy getting out and about recently too.
We visited Shiplake WI for the Beechwood meeting which is a lovely opportunity for the wider community of local women’s institutions to come together. We will probably not be invited back as we won the competition,the table quiz and had fabulous luck on the raffle proving that old adage”you’ve got to be in it to win it “.
Our theatre and cinema group went to the Kenton theatre to see Kate Humble,a fascinating insight into her career with lots of fun tales of incidents during filming various animals around the world all with a large screen backdrop of film clips. We also entered their charity raffle and won some super prizes.
The H.O.T. Women’s institute also held a fundraising stall at the Henley May Fair with a big bake off from the keen bakers,jam makers and crafters.Huge thanks to all those providing lovely things to sell and for the wonderful people stopping to say hello and buying.
If you saw us there and think that you would like to join our great gang of WI women do come along to a meeting.

20/04/2026

Wellness Wednesday

This Friday's meeting is a talk on The Power of Natural Herbs: Natural Healing with Oxfordshire Herbal.Come along and le...
15/04/2026

This Friday's meeting is a talk on The Power of Natural Herbs: Natural Healing with Oxfordshire Herbal.
Come along and learn something with your local women’s institute.
Henley-on-Thames womens institute
Meet every 3rd Friday of the month 7:30pm at Sacred Heart Church Hall

11/04/2026

On 24 April, 12.00-1.00pm, NFWI Public Affairs will be hosting a webinar on the two resolutions that have been put forward for the Annual Meeting in June; Action on Women’s Homelessness and Accessible public toilet facilities to promote dignity, health, and social inclusion.

The webinar is an excellent opportunity for members to hear from an expert speaker on each on the resolution topics and to learn more about each issue, before instructing delegates ahead of the virtual Annual Meeting.

You can register here: https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/resolutions/join-our-resolution-webinar-in-april

If you would like to read more about the resolution shortlist selection results, you can do so here: https://mywi.thewi.org.uk/nfwi-news/articles/resolution-selection-results-announcement

09/04/2026

The last time humans went to the moon, women couldn’t even control their own money… now they’re helping lead the mission.

Last time humans went to the moon, women in America still had to fight for basic financial independence.
They couldn’t even fully access things like credit, freedom, or opportunity the way men could.

Now?
Women are going to the moon.
Women are leading Mission Control.
Women are making history in places they were once locked out of.

And that’s what progress looks like.

Not because women were suddenly “given a chance.”
But because women kept proving, over and over again, that they belonged in every room, every field, and every mission men once tried to keep for themselves.

From surviving systems built against them…
to helping lead space exploration ..
that shift means something.

Women were never the limitation.
The system was.



Be honest… does it ever hit you how recent women’s “basic rights” actually are?

It’s my time to step down as President of the Henley-on-Thames women’s institute (HOTWI) .Daunting as it was to step up ...
09/04/2026

It’s my time to step down as President of the Henley-on-Thames women’s institute (HOTWI) .
Daunting as it was to step up into such a major role I have enjoyed my time at the top.

If you have known me from my school days,I was the really quiet shy child always at the back,never daring to step forward or wishing to stand out. Permanently glowing red at the mere thought of being singled out for anything.
As I’ve got older,(I’ll be 60 at the end of the year !) I’ve become bolder,cheekier and less concerned about standing up for things that matter.
So,stepping out in a hall to address our women’s institute over the past 3 years has been a great learning curve. They are of course a superbly friendly supportive bunch of local ladies and I am more than happy to rejoin them in the ranks with a hot cup of tea and cake.
I wish the new President well and hope our group continues getting bigger and more involved in the local community.
Now to change my status and carry on baking .
Nicola x
Ex-President.

Address

Henley On Thames
RG91HT

Telephone

01491579852

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