I went along to the Barking and Dagenham Wi (First Ladies) last night, and had the pleasure to meet some of the local WI ladies. They're a fantastically friendly group, and it was a very pleasant evening.
As well as regular talks, they also have smaller groups you can join: Book Club, Cinema Club, crafts etc and come across as a very welcoming lot.
If you're new to B&D or just want to meet new people in the area, they would be a great place to start (other than Mumsnet of course 
).
I believe they offer the first meeting free as a taster, and then fees are £34.70 per year)
They meet on the 1st Wed on every month at Eastbury House. I'll be going along to the next one, so if you are interested (or a bit shy about going on your own), pop me a DM or email me at [email protected] and we can make a MN outing out of it. 