How do I become a member?
You can become a member at Pimm’s and Needles by joining one of our groups and filling in the “Start your membership” option of the group you would like to join. This takes you through the steps to join as a member and pay monthly.
The other option is joining and prepaying for a 6 month block. We used to operate solely in this way but moved to a monthly payment option as it’s easier for the majority of our members, but still offer a 6 month pre payment for anyone would prefer it. Please contact us including the name of the group you’d like join, and we will send you further details.
Some of our groups are very busy and currently full to capacity therefore we have set up a waiting list for these groups, this will be on the page if they are full.
We have a rolling membership, so you can join at any time.
Once you have become a member at a group then your place is guaranteed until you give us 30 days notice before your last intended session to leave. When you have joined us. You simply come along and your name will be on our register. If you have joined within a day to tow of the event, then you might not be on the register yet, but simply take along your confirmation email.
How do the payments work?
When you join via “Start Your Membership” it will ask you for a £13.50 card payment, you will then get details emailed to you of how to set up your direct debit and become a rolling member. We will then take payment for your first session via the direct debit, so you have always paid for current month and next month. For example if you join on 1st January, and you wish to start at the group in January you will make one card payment then one payment via direct debit.
What is included in my membership fee and do I have to pay anything else at the meetings?
Our membership fee is £13.80 per month (including 30p transaction fee). For this you will be able to come along to the meeting and take part in whatever activity is planned.
Usually all of the materials and equipment are included with the membership fee however on some occasions and depending on the nature of the activity we may ask you to bring along some materials to contribute towards your project, for example, a pair of scissors or rolling pin and apron.
We ask members to bring a cake or something sweet now and again to share on the treat table during the break, if you can do this once in a while we would really appreciate it!
Where do the groups take place and at what time?
We have a number of different groups taking place around the North East and North Yorkshire, most of them run on an evening from 7-9pm.
Find out more about the Group Meetings – venues, dates and times.
How do we communicate with each other and find out about the meetings?
When you become a member you will get automatic reminders about the meetings from the team via our booking system.
We also use Facebook as a communication platform and share lots of pictures after the sessions and the details of the tutors should you wish to keep in touch with the and follow their journey.
We have a main open facebook page where we post general information and also private group pages for each of our groups and one for all of our members. For example if you search “Pimm’s & Needles – Hurworth / Redcar / Yarm the Facebook group for that particular location will come up. They are also linked from our main Facebook Page.
The private members group is a lovely social tool and chat forum to discuss ideas and projects with other members. We also have a Pimm’s & Needles – Members Only group which has information relevant to all groups
Can I come along to a meeting as a guest or try the group before joining?
Coming as a guest is a great way to dip in and out of sessions if you’re unable to make it every month, or if you want to see if you enjoy the sessions before joining.
Our groups are very popular so we would always recommend joining as a member if possible as this guarantees you a place for every single meeting and you won’t miss out. We only offer guest spaces if the group isn’t full.
To come as a guest please check the group pages, guest spaces are usually available to pre book a month before the session and prices start at £17.50 If we have guest spaces available, the link will be on the corresponding groups page.
If I can’t attend a meeting what happens?
If you can’t attend your home group meeting you are more than welcome to attend another group in that same month, simply book in to the group you would like to transfer to via the Group Meetings page or via our Book a Transfer planner. We have many ladies transferring each month and you will be guaranteed a warm welcome at each of the groups.
Unfortunately we are unable to roll over sessions that are unused apart from extreme circumstances, such as a medical issue.
Do you need to be a certain age to become a member and can I come alone?
Pimm’s and Needles is open to females aged 16 and above. We are very proud to say that we have a very diverse group of members in each and every one of our groups.
Our youngest member is 16 and our oldest is early 80’s. We’ve even had guests come along to meetings who are in their 90’s.
Some ladies come along with a group of friends, workmates or relatives but equally we do have lots of ladies who join alone and we always find that they soon make friends!
We have “flying solo” at each group and this is a table that usually seats 6 or 8 ladies who have all come on their own, some are maybe transferring from other groups, some are possibly guests, and some new members. Many friendships have been formed on these tables! The activity usually gives you plenty to chat about so please don’t be nervous if you are coming alone.
How do I cancel my membership?
When you decide to leave simply give us 30 days notice from your last intended session, and we will cancel all future payments as your last session is already paid for. Click here to email us, we will need your full name and group.
Do you offer a flexible membership for new mums?
We have a lot of Yummy Mummy’s who join our groups and we understand that it is often difficult to attend a meeting if you have a new baby or are breast-feeding a new baby.
We can offer our members a flexible membership for the first 6 months of beign a mum, which means your place will be held and you’ll be on the register but you can pay as you go.
Please email us with the group you attending / would like to attend and we can discuss the options with you.
Do you need to help out at the meeting with anything?
We are able to offer all our members a very reasonable membership fee on a basis that some of our members help out each month.
We have a refreshments and setting up rota where we ask 4 members each month to arrive a little early to help set up the room for the activities and also to serve tea and coffee at the beginning of the meeting and during the break.
We also ask for any donations of home-baked or bought cake at the meetings and for some help clearing away.
We usually find that as the groups are quite large that each member will be on the rota once a year. Being on the rota will not stop you taking part in the activity and we find most of our members are more than happy to help out.