Founded as Worcestershire Organists Association in 1964, but with long-standing members also from Herefordshire and Shropshire, we formally expanded during the autumn of 2025 following the dissolution of Herefordshire Organists Society, and with the full support of IAO, to cover the three counties of West Mercia – Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Alongside this the change of name to “Friends of” signified that the group was also open to and of wider interest to those members of the public interested in organs and organ music, a change supported strongly by IAO and in line with the thinking of other similar international groups such as Les Amis de l’Orgue in France. So WOA has become WMFO

We have welcomed many members of the former HOS who have already joined us, and we look forward to being joined by others over the coming months. We plan to use the planned Midlands IAO event in Shrewsbury on 10 October 2026 as an opportunity to introduce WMFO to organists and organ-lovers in Shropshire and invite new members.