Welcome to our February bulletin; a shorter month and a shorter bulletin than usual, mainly because unfortunately we cannot meet up. However, we still have a lot on offer and I hope you’re able to join in.
We are now all very familiar with the severe limitations that successive lockdowns and restrictions have placed on our interest group activities. Conveners and group members have become more experienced in dealing with the challenges and I thank everyone for what you are doing to keep our u3a active. As Diana says in the Interest groups update below, do talk to your convener if you’re not happy using Zoom. Also, we remind you that if you would like some IT or online support we should be able to put you in contact with another member who can provide help over the phone. Just email volunteers@cedu3a.org.uk and you will be put in contact with someone who can, hopefully, help you out.
Our latest online talk, Lasting Power of Attorney, was very well received, with record attendance. If you couldn’t be there and want to see the recording, please see Recorded talks, below. We have talks booked for February and March, however, I’m always looking for speakers. If you know anyone you think would provide an interesting talk, or if you have a topic you would like covered, please let me know and I’ll see what I can arrange.
I hope you are all keeping well, being vaccinated and getting out and about for local walks with one other. We had a fair amount of snow the other weekend. I walked up to Alexandra Palace and thought it was a lovely winter landscape – that was before it turned to ice, making walking difficult for a couple of days.
Please take care and be safe.
Sally
Any queries please email Sally at chair@cedu3a.org.uk
Online talks
February 2021
Thursday 11 February 2021
Martin Wilkinson : How economic inequality damages minds, bodies and societies
Thursday 25 February 2021
Martyn Crucefix : Exploring the refugee experience through poetry
March 2021 Talks
Thursday 11 March 2021
John Pearson : Blessed are the cheesemakers
Tuesday 23 March 2021
Mike Black : The seedy side of life
Recorded talks
Most of our online talks are recorded and available for you to watch at leisure. Please email cedu3a@gmx.com, with your membership number, stating which recording(s) you would like, and copies will be sent to you.
Annual General Meeting
Please note that we are holding our 3rd
Annual General Meeting (AGM) online on 15 April 2021 at 11 a m. The meeting will be held via Zoom (similar to July 2020), in recognition of likely ongoing social restrictions. Instructions for joining the meeting, along with relevant paperwork, will be issued nearer the time. There will be an opportunity for members to elect up to two new Trustees. Nomination papers and submission instructions were issued to all members at the beginning of January. All nominations must be submitted to the CEDu3a Secretary to arrive by noon on Friday 5 February 2021. If you have any queries regarding the nomination process, please contact Jackie Langford, CEDu3a Secretary at secretary@cedu3a.org.uk .
Membership update
We are now coming to the last few weeks of our membership renewal period. We are delighted with the response so far and thank everyone who has agreed to continue their membership. You have until 25 February to renew your subscription at the reduced fee of £15 (£5 concessionary). After this you will need to re-join and pay the new member fee for 2021 of £25 (£5 concessionary). If you are thinking of leaving, please let us know and we will do our best to resolve any issues you may have. If you have any questions please email Charlie, Membership Secretary, at membership@cedu3a.org.uk.
Interest groups update
While more than 40 interest groups are meeting regularly using Zoom and report near normal attendance figures, we are aware there are some members who may feel isolated because they don’t like using Zoom. If this applies to you why not contact your convener and suggest setting something else up, such as sharing emails or phone numbers with other group members? Many groups have already agreed to share email addresses, making it easier to stay in contact.
All interest group conveners were asked to remind members to renew their u3a membership subscriptions from the beginning of January. At the beginning of February conveners will be asked to update their membership lists and confirm active membership. Restrictions may possibly start to be eased before Easter but there is no room for complacency. In the meantime, all our outdoor interest groups are ‘paused’, but ‘poised’ for action as soon as circumstances allow.
acebook
A small, but very active, group of people post regularly on our Facebook page, giving us ideas of where to walk, what to watch on TV, which general online talks to listen to – and even updates about our local postal service. Other recent posts have included news of the wine appreciation and patchwork groups and a newspaper item about some of our walkers. This is a much-needed social network within our U3A and anyone can join the ‘club’ here: CEDu3a on Facebook
Coffee mornings
We are now holding virtual coffee mornings, via Zoom (bring your own coffee). There are two planned for February: Tuesday 9th and Tuesday 23rd, 11-11.45 am. Numbers are limited so that everyone has a chance to chat. If you would like to join either of these, or to register an interest in future mornings, please contact Jacki via https://cedu3a.org.uk/coffee-mornings/.
