If you look around the flying clubs in the Cambridge area of the UK you will find a group of PPLs who make up "The IMC Club"
It was my good fortune to be invited to join them on one of their fly outs last year. Although I gained an IMC rating in the early 1990s it was hardly used and had long expired, so I flew the legs that were VFR. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole fly out and experienced real and well flown IMC on a number of occasions and soon realised just how much enthusiasm was going on here.
It didn't take me long after this to decide to re validate my own IMCr and I received my "new" rating from the CAA a few days ago.
It is a well known fact that many PPLs give up soon after gaining their license and I think this is because they feel the challenge is finished, but the IMC course is not easy and constitutes a further exiting challenge. Then by joining a group who actually fly IMC on purpose, a pilot can enjoy a new and exciting aspect of aviating that at the same time hones the skills of instrument flying, which when actually needed in earnest will then be a perfectly safe procedure. So whilst the IMCr was designed to be a "get out of jail free" card for PPLs, it can make private flying a lot more fun too!