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 volunteers, to form a body (or organization) to a ...
of private members' clubs in
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
&
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, with about 1,800 associate clubs. One club in the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
, 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, Northern Ireland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education ...
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. Membership Service in th ...
s, Labour Clubs, Liberal 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 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 is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
political rights and helped to set up the Charity Organisation Society. The CIU as a national body is non-
political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
, 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. C ...
-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 the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
and non-
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
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 reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, 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
Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
. 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
era, these clubs were often associated with trade societies and
trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
branches. In the miners' strike 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 and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
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 The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
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 an establishment 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 a ...
facilities, as well as indoor games and entertainment. Many entertainers developed their skills in them over the years, as depicted in the ITV series '' The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club''. 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 United Kingdom ...
. Although CIU-affiliated clubs do still receive discounted
beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...
, these discounts are largely passed on to the members, and Federation beer will generally be cheaper than beer available in local pubs. 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. 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. Membership Service in th ...
, 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 Assoc ...
, 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 club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, parti ...
, 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 combusted, and the resulting smoke is typically inhaled to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream of a person. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, whi ...
: as most clubs are known for working men who like to drink and smoke (in many cases without any women in the bar), 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 city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.


The current National Officials of the Union

*President – Ken Roberts CMD ACM *Vice President – Bob Russell CMD *General Secretary – Kenneth D Green CMD ACMCIU Club Journal


C&IU Clubs in Republic of Ireland

* City of
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
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