Ref. 29380-10Despite falling membership, women's organisations such as the Women's Institute insist they still have a place in a busy modern society. SHIRLEY MATHIAS looks at the work these clubs are involved in, and their hopes for the future.

FOR 68 years they have sung Jerusalem, made prize-winning cakes, held rummage sales, staged music and drama shows, listened to challenging speakers and debated burning social issues at their hall in Dores Road.

But now the ladies of Upper Stratton Women's Institute have called it a day. They are selling their meeting place because with only 11 members they can no longer afford to put right the damage done to it by vandals.

In its heyday, when it had nearly 60 vigorous members, the yobs might have thought twice about tormenting the WI. But Upper Stratton WI's membership has aged. And it is not the only Swindon women's organisation that has suffered a sad decline.

The Business and Professional Women's Clubs, which once had two branches in the town, have disappeared. The number of Townswomen's Guilds is, according to the organisation's Wiltshire county secretary Yvonne Burt, down from eight to three.

The Anglican Mothers' Unions, thriving in other countries, battle to stay afloat in Swindon, as they do in towns all over Britain. At one time nearly every parish church had one.

"There are now only eight in the Swindon Deanery," said 72-year-old Jean Wheeler of St Mark's MU. She and her daughter Carol Green both belong to the branch which, she admits, is hardly flourishing.

The town's 40-year-old Soroptimist Club, the female equivalent of the men's Rotary movement, has fewer than 30 members. Age Concern fund-raiser Jacquie Sheppard said it had around 40 when she joined it six years ago.

The club, which used to have an invitation-only rule for membership, is now urging women who might be interested in joining to go along for a taster.

Even many of the small non-affiliated neighbourhood groups, to which countless young working wives and mums once flocked because they are informal and undemanding, are now faltering.

"The traditional women's club pattern appears to be dying out," said Jacquie, who admits that when she was first invited to join the Soroptimists she was not the "clubby" type.

British career women, she said, no longer feel they need to join an organisation to fight for equality with men.

"Those who have young children and are juggling the demands of work and running a home feel they don't have time to sit through a club meeting a couple of times a month."

There are also other and more active things for women, particularly younger women, to do. Gym and leisure club membership, for instance, is booming.

Vanda Tanner of Swindon women's ice hockey club the Top Cats, and Tracey Watt of Pinehurst Netball Club both report that membership is flourishing.

For some career girls the word club now means a night at a disco once a week with colleagues from work. They like men's company and feel no need to socialise in a women-only environment.

"But it's a pity they don't look at what organisations like ours have to offer, or what we can achieve," said Jacquie.

Swindon Soroptimists have raised thousands of pounds for local and national charities ranging from Young Carers to Water Aid.

They successfully campaigned for a ban on the sale of Skoal Bandits, a tobacco product being chewed by youngsters.

They have provided support and help for Swindon Women's Refuge.

They throw an annual Christmas party for dozens of pensioners who live in sheltered housing schemes.

Swindon Women's Breakfast Club, another group for female high-fliers, with a by invitation-only membership rule, is holding its own with a steady two dozen members.

But 52-year-old management consultant Nanette Young, who belongs to it, recognises that shortage of time is a problem for many career women who might want to join.

"We were set up as a breakfast club because that was the only free time during the day that many working women had," she said.

"But now some younger business women aren't free even then because they have young children to get to school and so on."

But for those who can find time the bonuses are friendship, mutual support and the chance to do some networking.

Who to contact

Women's Institute 01380 722338

Pinehurst Netball Tracey Watt 543417

Townswomen's Guild 01249 713839

Breakfast Club, Nanette Young 01793 497566

Soroptimists, Jan Messenger 01793 702935

Shirley Mathias