Local Society: Croydon

'A place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to have a conversation about the latest ideas in science and technology. Meetings have taken place in cafes, bars, restaurants, theatres, libraries and even out of doors, but always outside a traditional academic context ... Audiences are people who are interested in science. Anyone can participate; speakers are there to be questioned and talk about their work at all levels.'

'Regular meetings are held at four locations around Surrey, which are free for members to attend, where you can meet like-minded people and hear talks on a variety of related topics. Talks vary from family history to social and local history.'

'Through its meetings and its advice and information service, IFN, with its member bodies, helps make better known and understood the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities in the UK and the pattern of their inter faith work and builds good relations between people of different faiths in the UK.'

'A Club for anyone who grows orchids, whether on a windowsill or professionally, providing a place for members to meet socially, to show their orchids, acquire new ones, and to learn about them with lectures, a journal, a library, exhibiting at shows and cultural advice. Our membership is national and international, with individual members and Affiliated Societies.'

'Founded in 1979 by a group of quilting enthusiasts and has grown from a founding membership of 300 to over 6,500 individual members today ... Each of our regions provide a programme of talks and events and every year at least two or three regions organise exhibitions and retreats. The five special interest groups cater for special interests with challenges, meetings, retreats and summer schools.'

'The Society was founded in Cheltenham in 1928 at a time when there was little official information published about locomotive stock, their allocations or regular duties. The Society set about rectifying this by members writing to each other, the publishing of a magazine and some meetings organised around the country ... Move on to the present day and the Society is still going strong with 3000 members ... Our branches hold meetings at least monthly in the season at over thirty centres and in the course of a year host over 200 presentations on a vast range of railway subjects covering the modern scene as well as history and nostalgia subjects.'