Committee, 2010/2011

The above list identifies the committee as appointed at the 2010 AGM.  A full report of the AGM will be provided after the new committee have their first meeting.

Chairman’s Corner

I am now writing my first Chairman’s Corner having taken over from Don after the AGM.  I am approaching the task with some trepidation as Don will be a hard act to follow but I will do my best.

Unfortunately I am in the position of having to start with some bad news.  Those members who were at the AGM will be aware that our financial position is not as healthy as we would like.  The subscription has been not been increased for several years but costs have been rising; the Third Age Trust capitation fee that we have to pay for all members has risen by 28% and postage and venue hire have all increased.  The Charity Commission requires us to hold 6 months expenditure as reserves.  Our expenditure for the last financial year was around £20k which means we should have £10k in reserves – we have approximately £4k.  Obviously we have to do something about that and it is with great regret that the committee have decided that we must increase the annual subscription to £15 from 1 April 2011.  I am sure that you will agree that even with the increase the U3A is still tremendous value.

Our membership has decreased by 90 overnight; this is the number of people who have not renewed.  I suspect that a large number of those are ones who have meant to renew but whenever they thought about it their chequebook was out of reach.  They will not be receiving this issue of the newsletter but will continue to attend meetings unaware that they are not paying their way and are not covered by our insurance.

At the same time as debating the subscription increase we looked at ways we could reduce expenditure.  One of our larger items of expenditure is postage for the newsletter, over £600 last year, and several suggestions were considered.  The one that found most favour was to increase the number of newsletters that were delivered by hand.  The idea is that we have volunteer posties who will agree to collect a bundle of newsletters and deliver them in their local area 6 times a year.  If you are willing to help us save some money then please contact either myself or the Editor (see inside back cover for contact details).  If we have sufficient response we will organise suitable ‘rounds’.

I’m off now for a couple of weeks boating.  I hope you all enjoy your summer holidays whatever you plan to do and that the weather stays kind for you.

John Weller

Chairman of the Trustees

June 2010

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Report of the Trustees of Devizes and District U3A

for the year ending 31^st march 2010

Membership 

During the past year we have welcomed 71 new members and at 31^st March 2010 total membership stood at 523.

Groups

Group activities are thriving and there are now a total of 36 groups catering for a wide range of interests. The latest addition to our portfolio is ”Seniors Come Dancing”. During the year two meetings were arranged for Group leaders and Trustees where the leaders were able to report on their individual group activities. There was also an opportunity for open discussion on the general activities of the U3A. The dedication and commitment of the group leaders is of course the bed rock on which our success is founded.

General Activities

The bi-monthly meetings continue to attract significant attendances and over the past year topics have included Brunel’s Bridges, Wiltshire Toll Houses and a demonstration of English Hand Bell Ringing.

The coffee mornings provide an excellent opportunity for members to meet and socialize and in addition are proving to be an excellent vehicle for the introduction of new and potential members.

We were only able to organize one major social event this year. This took place in July at The Royal Oak, Easterton and, although the weather was not ideal, it turned out to be a most enjoyable event.

There were also a number of group visits to museums, galleries and theatres.

Committee

During the year Barbara Crisp relinquished the post of secretary and took over from Anne Saywell as Newsletter Editor and Catharine Sharples was co-opted to replace Barbara as secretary. The treasurer Yvonne Croucher retired and Diana Tighe was recruited to replace her. Diana has carried out a complete review of our accounting procedures. Jeannie Bradley was co-opted as Archivist and Willie McCormick was co-opted ex officio in an advisory capacity. John Pounder resigned as social secretary. Anne Saywell and Willie McCormick are not seeking re-election.

Regional Activities

The committee continues to liaise with the six local U3A’s who form the Bath and West Wilts Forum.

Conclusion

At the end of my tenure as chairman I would like to express my appreciation for the support I have received from everyone involved in the organization, group leaders, members and   trustees alike. I have found that there is a tremendous fund of goodwill available here in Devizes and I am sure you will extend the availability of this to my successor. 

On behalf of the trustees,

Don Moss, Chairman

Click HERE for a copy of the AGM 2010 minutes.

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