Mensa membership boom

More than 1,000 new members and 1,000 former members have joined the society in the past year, after a decade of rapid decline.

But bosses said a relaunched website helped it both keep and attract members, with numbers now static at around 24,000 in the UK.

The website has a members-only forum with more than 100 special interest groups covering a range of hobbies and clubs, where visitors can now chat to like-minded people.

A new-look monthly colour magazine, a regional newsletter and a renewed interest in puzzles had also contributed, the society said.

There were 26 per cent more inquiries about Mensa than in 2005, 15 per cent more people tried the practice test at home and 18 per cent more took the supervised test. And membership was offered to 10 per cent more people than in 2005.

Now the team, who have been based in their St John's Square premises for more than 25 years, are hoping that 2007 will see them boost their ranks once again.

Mensa was accused of dumbing down to attract more members by a national newspaper, after the society lost 10,000 members in four years up to 2001.

Caroline Garbitt, Mensa communications manager, said: "The website contributes to getting new members but with the introduction of the members' private area for discussions we are doing more to encourage existing Mensa members to stay."

Visit www.mensa.org.uk