Some of our Frequently Asked Questions...
What is Ladies Circle?
It's a club, for women aged 18-45 years old.
What are the aims of Ladies Circle?
· To extend friendship locally, nationally and internationally;
· To promote the National Association of Ladies Circles to eligible women; to assist in the formation of new Circles; and to support all Circles to help them grow;
· To be of service to the community;
· To work side by side with all members of Round Table, 41 Club and Tangent;
· To conduct the business of the Association in order to promote goodwill between Circles, Areas and the National Association;
When do you meet?
Our Club Night Meetings are every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, in the evening, usually 7.30-9.30pm. We also arrange a variety of other social and fundraising events on other weeknights and weekends.
Where do you meet?
Always in or around Chelmsford, however the venue varies every time. We've met in restaurants, pubs, member's houses, local businesses, community halls, parks, cinemas and more! It all depends what we're getting up to that evening. We aim to make it accessible for everyone and if a drive is necessary there's usually someone who can offer you a lift.
What do you do at your Club Night Meetings?
All sorts of different things! Most of are social events, with a wide range of activities ranging from Pottery Painting to Italian Speaking to Jazzercise to Bushcraft Firelighting to Croquet to a Car Basics Evening with Kwikfit to an exclusive tasting evening with Hotel Chocolat and much more! Each evening is pretty informal and activities come second to enjoying each others company, sharing news, supporting and listening to one another as friends.
What do I do/say on my first night?
When we meet it's very informal so you can't get it wrong! Not everyone will know everyone else in the room - the person next to you might have only been once before or might have been coming for years... so introduce yourself and ask the people around you about themselves and listen to what they have to say. The more you talk to people the more you'll find that you have things in common. Everyone is very friendly and we're all human!
Will I have anything in common with your members?
Yes! Our members come from all walks of life. We're all female, all 18-45 years old and all live in or near Chelmsford. Some members like water, some like wine and some like whisky! Our members are at various stages of their working lives and professions include marketing, recruitment, the sciences, financial services, administration, teaching, events, charity and more. We have members who are single, in a relationship, married or in a civil partnership. We have members who have just moved here, members who've lived here all their lives, members who commute to London by train every day, members who aren't currently working, members who joined to meet new people, members who joined to help the community and members who joined to try new things. We have members who are trying to start a family, new mothers, adoptive mothers, experienced mothers and those who've experienced fertility treatments. We have members who like baking cakes, members who like walking their dogs, members who prefer cats, members who like messing about on the river, members who read books, members who paint, members who watch movies... so yes, we think you'll find people you'll have things in common with!
I'm a bit nervous, can I meet up with a member beforehand?
Yes! All of us were nervous on our first night so we know how it feels! We also do our best to be anxiety-friendly, so if you are at all unsure of coming into a meeting on your own (whether it's your first time or your fifth) then just let us know and we will organise a buddy to contact you and meet you so that you can come to the event together.
Do I have to become a member straight away?
No! We actually won't invite you to become a member until you've been to at least six different meetings/events. That's to give you time to get to know us and to ensure that you can fit Circle into your life before we ask you to join as a member and pay the Annual Membership Fee. Instead we will refer to you as a Prospective Member and you will be asked to pay Meeting Costs for the meetings that you attend.
What does it cost?
There are two costs - Annual Membership Fee and Meeting Cost.
- The Annual Membership Fee for 2019-20 is £70, which include local, area and national subscriptions. You will be asked to pay this fee after you have attended 6 meetings if you would like to keep on coming. It can be paid in installments.
- The Meeting Cost varies depending on the costs of the activity and the venue. Some are free, most Club Nights range from £4 to £15, with restaurant meals usually £20 to £30 and some special events costing more. Pick and chose what you want to do.
Do I have to go to every event?
Nope. Come to as many or as few events as you like. That said, the more often you come the better you'll get to know people. We hope that every Circler will get involved in our fundraising and volunteering events, since giving back to the community is a key element of being a Circler.
How do you communicate with members?
While you're a Prospective Member we will communicate with you by phone, email, text message, whatsapp... whatever's easiest.
Once you become a member:
- you will be added to our private TeamApp group on which we list our events. You will need to login and RSVP to events to let us know that you're coming.
- you will be added to our private WhatsApp group which has lots of fun chatter. We also make temporary WhatsApp groups for events so that we don't clog up the main group.
Do you meet each other outside Circle events?
Yes! Ladies Circle is all about making friends. Inevitably different people will make different friendships and may want to spend more time together outside Circle events. As our Circlers make friends they make personal arrangements separately to meet each other for a cup of coffee, lunch, dinner, trips, kids playdates... whatever people have in common.
Who runs Chelmsford Ladies Circle?
We are a club, run by the members. We subscribe to the rules and guidelines of the National Ladies Circle. Everyone is a volunteer. Each year we vote in an Executive Committee to run the club. You can see our list of members and committee roles here >
Are you part of something bigger?
Yes! We are a Club Number 182 of the Ladies Circle Family which is a part of the Round Table Family of clubs which includes Tangent and 41 Club as well.
Find out about Chelmsford Ladies Circle, for women aged 18-45 >
Find out about Chelmsford Tangent, for women aged 45+ >
