Working Men's Club And Institute Union
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The Working Men's Club and Institute Union (CIU or C&IU) is a
voluntary association A voluntary group or union (also sometimes called a voluntary organization, common-interest association, association, or society) is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteering, volunteers, to form a body (or organ ...
of private members'
club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
s in
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
&
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, with about 1,800 associate clubs. One club in the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, the City of Dublin Working Men's Club is also affiliated. Most social clubs are affiliated to the CIU. They do not have to be
working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class me ...
s, although most are. There are many village clubs,
Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...
s,
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
Clubs,
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
Clubs, and various other clubs involved. A member of one CIU-affiliated club is entitled to use the facilities of all other CIU clubs, although they will only be entitled to vote in committee elections in clubs where they are full members. The CIU has two main purposes: to provide a voice at national level for working men's clubs and social clubs, and to provide discounted products and services for its members.


History

The Club and Institute Union was founded by The Rev.
Henry Solly Henry Solly (17 November 1813 – 27 February 1903) was an English social reformer.Alan Ruston, âSolly, Henry (1813–1903)€™, '' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 18 April 2010. William Bever ...
in 1862. A great propagandist for clubs, he provided a much needed conceptual clarity to the notion of club work. He was also an important advocate for the extension of
working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...
political rights and helped to set up the
Charity Organisation Society The Charity Organisation Societies were founded in England in 1869 following the ' Goschen Minute' that sought to severely restrict outdoor relief distributed by the Poor Law Guardians. In the early 1870s a handful of local societies were formed w ...
. The CIU as a national body is non-
political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
, but individual clubs can be affiliated to political parties. Originally, it was a
middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...
-led
philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
organisation aimed at
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
and non-
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
ic recreation. However, working men themselves soon took over the running of the CIU and drinks were allowed. In the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, the Liberal Working Men's Clubs were prominent in increasing the Union's membership. Sometimes Liberal Clubs were called Gladstone Clubs in honour of the
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 â€“ 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
. In some working-class areas, local landowners and business owners would contribute to the cost: however, as land was relatively cheaper in those days, it was fairly easy for groups of men to buy the land and establish the clubs using their own skills and labour. In the pre- and post-
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
era, these clubs were often associated with trade societies and
trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
branches. In the
miners' strike Miners' strikes are when miners conduct strike actions. See also * List of strikes References {{Reflist Miners A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are tw ...
of the early 1980s, the Miners' Welfare Clubs played a key role in their support of the strike. Other such clubs can still be recognised by their name, e.g. Engineers or Railwaymen's Clubs. There were also Socialist Clubs, built before the establishment of the Labour Party. Labour Clubs were founded as that party grew in size in the 1920s. Generally,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Clubs did not join, as they formed their own federation (though there are some such venues still in existence). Servicemen returning from the Great War would also found clubs, and
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
parishes had clubs. The only stipulation demanded for membership of the CIU was that clubs be owned by the members and accept the standards of membership, as they were often subject to inspection. The wealthier clubs have sports pitches and
dining A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearanc ...
facilities, as well as indoor games and entertainment. Many
entertainers Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousand ...
developed their skills in them over the years, as depicted in the ITV series ''
The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club ''The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club'' was a British television variety show produced by Granada Television from 1974 to 1977. It was set in a fictional working men's club in the North of England and was hosted by comedian Colin Crompton ...
''. Until 2004, the CIU had its own beer brewed by the Federation brewery in
Dunston, Tyne and Wear Dunston is a western area of the town of Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne, in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, North East England (into which it was absorbed in 1974). Dunston had a population of 18,326 at the 2011 Censu ...
. Although CIU-affiliated clubs do still receive discounted
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
, these discounts are largely passed on to the members, and Federation beer will generally be cheaper than beer available in local
pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s. The brewery was taken over by
Scottish & Newcastle Scottish & Newcastle plc was a brewing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, which expanded from its home base to become an international business with beer volumes growing almost tenfold. The company was listed on the London Stock Exc ...
in 2004 and now brews
Newcastle Brown Ale Newcastle Brown Ale is a brown ale, originally brewed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Launched in 1927 by Colonel Jim Porter after three years of development, the 1960 merger of Newcastle Breweries with Scottish Brewers afforded the beer natio ...
. Together with other club organisations such as the
Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...
, the
Association of Conservative Clubs The Association of Conservative Clubs is an organisation associated with the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. It represents and provides support to the largest association of political clubs in the country estimated at 1,100. The Associ ...
, the National Union of Liberal Clubs and the
National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs In Britain, the National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs (NULSC) is a socialist society representing Working men's clubs affiliated to the Labour Party (many are also affiliated to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union The Worki ...
, the CIU is part of CORCA (Confederation of Registered Club Associations) which lobbies
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
on behalf of clubs. This group was active in the debate about
smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
: as most clubs are known for working men who like to drink and smoke (in many cases without any women in the
bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...
), there is some concern about the future prospects of clubs. The CIU holds a national congress every year and as part of its activities runs convalescent homes. In many ways, it could be said to be the oldest surviving friendly society still run by its members, and continues to play a part in the cultural life of working-class families.


Today

The Working Men's Club and Institute Union is now the largest non-profit-making social entertainment and leisure organisation in the UK, representing the interests and views of six million club members. The Working Men's Club and Institute has come a long way since 1862. However, it could be said that working men's clubs have suffered from an old-fashioned image among young people, and have found it hard to compete with modern trends, resulting in many closures of clubs in recent years. The problem has recently become acute, particularly in relation to anti-smoking legislation, which the CIU unsuccessfully lobbied MPs to exempt clubs from. The CIU has changed in recent years, and women are now allowed full membership rights. Some clubs have broadened their appeal by letting local community groups use the facilities. The Working Men's Club and Institute Unions HQ is in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.


The current National Officials of the Union

*President - George Smith *Vice President - Ken Roberts CMD AMC *General Secretary - Kenneth D Green CMD AMCCIU Club Journal


C&IU Clubs in Republic of Ireland

* City of
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
Working Men's Club.(Former), Expelled from the union in 2019 for non payment of annual fees.


References


External links


Homepage of the C&IUClub Historians
{{DEFAULTSORT:Working Men's Club And Institute Union Clubs and societies in the United Kingdom Working men's clubs 1862 establishments in the United Kingdom