Notices
& useful links
Contact details:
Chairman
Mr Anthony C
Burdall,
2 Fernham Road,
Faringdon,
Oxfordshire SN7
7JY
Telephone : 1367 240713
chairman@faringdonu3a.org.uk
Membership
Membership@faringdonu3a.org.uk
Vice Chair
ViceChair@faringdonu3a.org.uk
Secretary
Secretary@faringdonu3a.org.uk
Treasurer
Treasurer@faringdonu3a.org.uk
SPEAKERS
These are held at The Corn
Exchange, Faringdon at 2.15pm for 2.30pm unless otherwise advised.
We start with a welcome from the Chairman, general notices and news
from Group Leaders.
The main event is followed by free refreshments and
a chance to socialise and meet Group Leaders.
Thursday 8th May 2008
"Spare Parts"
A humorous look at the latest technology for body parts
and some of the ethical and moral problems it raises.
A talk by Dr
Anthony Maisey illustrated by visual aids.
Kitchen Helpers: No
volunteers as yet - help needed on the day!
Thursday 12th June
2008
Summer Lunch
Anthony &
Valerie's home, 2 Fernham Road, Faringdon with background musical entertainment
by a Peterborough based Recorder Group.
Bring plated food to share -
wine and soft drink available to purchase. Please bring something in which to
take home your unwashed plate and possible leftovers. Good weather has been
ordered!
Summer Lunch Venue
We
are very grateful to Anthony and Valerie Burdall for again agreeing to host the
Summer Lunch in their garden on 12th June. In the event of bad weather we will
change the venue to the Corn Exchange in Faringdon. If this proves to be
necessary you will be able to find confirmation here from 10:30 am on the day
of the event.
Thursday 10th July 2008
Mrs Betty
Collins found that retirement opens doors to a new and exciting life, hence the
title of her talk - A Granny's Adventures on Tall Ships.
July/August
Newsletter available to collect.
Kitchen Helpers: Steph Muir, Joyce
O'Brien, A N Other
REGIONAL STUDY
DAY
REGIONAL STUDY DAY - WEDNESDAY
2 JULY 2008
'MANAGING YOUR HEALTH IN THE THIRD AGE'
We are living
longer but do we know how to manage our health so that we enjoy life to the
full? Why not participate in an informative day with the emphasis on prevention
and self-help?
The Owen Harris Building
Bucks University
High
Wycombe Campus
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
HP12 2JZ
The day will be led by Professor M Gosney of Reading University.
Among organisations represented will be: Age Concern, The Stroke
Association, General Medical Practice and Social Services. The day will
commence at 10am with coffee/tea.
The conference fee of £15 includes
participation in the full conference programme plus coffee/tea on arrival and
mid afternoon.
A sandwich/snack lunch (to include fruit and juice) is
available at £6.
The study day is open to non-affiliated members at
an extra cost of £5 per person.
Further information and
application forms will be available after 16th April from Pam Jones, Secretary
to Thames Valley Regional Committee,
32 Beech Road,
Witney.
OX28
6LW.
Tel 01993 773860.
E-mail: p.jones610@ntlworld.com,
or from
Anthony Burdall,
Longacre,
2 Fernham Road,
Faringdon,
Oxon
SN7 7JY.
Tel 01367 240713
Email: anthony.burdall@burdall.net
Editor's Note
The last Study Day on Family History was
excellent. We found it both informative and entertaining. We can hardly claim
that the subject matter this time is not of interest to us all so I suggest you
apply as soon as possible.
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Message from the
Chairman
The objectives of the
Faringdon U3A may be summarised as being to advance the education of older
people no longer in full time gainful employment, and to provide leisure
facilities and recreational activities for those retired, older people. These
objectives are adopted by most U3As. For most of us, whilst learning is an
integral part of enjoying and benefiting from U3A, it is the friendships and
social aspects that we particularly treasure. And this month we have two events
to look forward to which cover both of these aspects of U3A.
The AGM is
over and we now look forward to the Summer Garden Party to be held in June.
Details are elsewhere in this Newsletter. It will follow a similar format to
the last few years - please bring a salad and/or pudding. Last year, we
agonised as to whether we had to move to an indoor venue but gambled that the
rain would stay away; and it did. This year we hope for the return of flaming
June in which to enjoy the lunch and friendship. As last year, there will be
some activities organised by Groups but we will also be having a concert by a
Recorder Group from Peterborough. Perhaps the Groups' demonstrations give some
"education" to the day but in reality it is all about meeting friends and
having a good time. Do come and enjoy the day.
Elsewhere in the
newsletter are details of the next Regional Study Day on "Managing your health
in the Third Age". This surely is a subject of interest to all of us! The Key
Note Speaker, Professor M Gosney of Reading University, Director of the
Institute of Health Sciences, is described as 'inspiring'. It is a chance to
hear from the experts what to do to stay fit to enjoy all those U3A social
activities.
Anthony Burdall Chairman Faringdon & District U3A
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Editorial
You might be expecting this piece to be connected to the
photograph on the front of the newsletter. In a sense it is, but, since this is
not a political publication, I am not joining in the debate about the pros and
cons of wind farms. The connection is simply to do with sustainable energy and
making use of the resources at our disposal.
That last sentence sums
up for me the essence of U3A. The organisation as a whole, and the Faringdon
branch in particular, depends entirely on its members. It is the members who
attend the wide range of Interest Groups available, and it is the members who
are the leaders of these groups. In Wind Farm terms it is the membership that
is the sustainable energy source. We will survive both as a local and a
national organisation as long as we tap in to all the energy and skills of our
members.
At a concert last evening we sat next to a gentleman who told
us he was member of Swindon U3A. He then informed us that he has run a
Woodturning Group for a number of years, and that he began because someone
showed an interest and he felt he had something to pass on. It was for much the
same reason that I began the Family History group last year. I am not an expert
but have an interest and felt that my experiences were worth passing on. I'm
sure there are many of you out there who have experiences and energy that would
benefit other members. If you have ideas for a new group, I know that Keith
Thrower, the Interest Groups' Co-ordinator would love to hear from you.
Mention of energy and resources reminds me of the recent AGM and, in
particular, the departure of Sylvia Bowley and Sheelagh Watts from the
committee. In their very different ways both contributed an immense amount of
energy to U3A and they will both be sorely missed. We thank them both and know
that they will continue to sustain the organisation.
Ian Clarkson
A Reminder We are now into a new year and hopefully most of the
existing members will have renewed their membership. If, however, this has
slipped your mind, I'm sure that Sue Manners, the Membership Secretary, will be
happy to hear from you.
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News Of
Members
It is with great sadness that we report the death of
Sheila Dobson. Sheila was a great supporter of U3A, being a member almost
from the start. She was a regular at the Thursday meetings and often joined the
theatre goers. She was a lovely lady who will be missed by all who knew her. We
send our deepest sympathy to her family.
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GIFT AID
A £700 gift from the Chancellor When
the Accounts for 2007 are presented at the AGM they will show that last year
U3A Faringdon received £685 in Gift Aid. And all we had to do was to ask
for it!
Almost everybody whose income exceeds £150.00 per week
(£7,500 per year- going up to £9000 per year in April) pays income
tax. So, as a Registered Charity, U3A can claim back the income tax already
paid on donations - including the U3A Annual Membership fee - that almost
everybody makes to it. All we need to do is to send off to HMRC, a list of the
names of the people who make Gift Aid donations (We tell them nothing more and
they tell us nothing!) and we then receive 28p for every £pound they have
donated.
Something for nothing? It's too good to be true! But unlike
most similar offers, there are no catches! No checks! No returns or
declarations! All you have to do is sign in the appropriate place on the Annual
Membership Application form.
If you have any doubts or questions,
please talk to Les Dean, ( Treasurer), Anthony Burdall (Chairman) or Sue
Manners (Membership Secretary). They will give you a definitive answer (though
not necessarily immediately!).
It's a pity the Chancellor's name is
not Charles, otherwise we could all say "Charley is my Darling"!
Les
Dean, Treasurer
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Below is a
list of web links you may find useful.
U3A National Site
Better Goverment for Older People
Better Government
for Older People [BGOP] is a movement of organisations working in partnership
to change attitudes and services in order to achieve an improved society for
older people across the UK.
National Council for Voluntary Organisations
Umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England, which represents the views
of its members to government, the Charity Commission, the EU, and other bodies.
National Institute for Adult Continuing Education NIACE
(The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education - England and Wales) is a
non-governmental organisation working for more and different adult learners.
A.I.U.T.A
The website of the International
Association of Universities of The Third Age
The Charity Commission
Charity Commision
Website registration pack from Charity Commission
Download a charity registration pack from The Charity Commission.
Publications from The Charity Commission
Link direct
to the publications page on The Charity Commission website.
Third Age Press
Books for third agers.
Age Concern
The official website of Age Concern in
the UK.
Help The Aged
HelpThe Aged is a charity working to
ensure that the rights of older people everywhere are secured.
Guidestar
A free website providing a 'one-stop-shop'
for information about the activities and finances of the registered main
charities in England and Wales.
Harrow U3A
The Harrow U3A web site with WWW links to
around 400 individual local U3A/ILR home pages in 28 countries.
World U3A
This website seeks to establish a service
for our international contacts and to provide educational resources as part of
a worldwide movement.
SUMMER OUTING
Annual Outing to The
Black Country Living Museum-
Thursday 14th August.
We are visiting
the Black Country Living Museum at Dudley.
The cost will be £20 per
person for members, £21.50 for guests.
This will cover the coach,
entrance fee and the driver's tip.
See poster on notice board for more
details of the museum, but there are all manner of things: visit an underground
coal mine, take a lesson in a Victorian classroom, have a trip on a canal, and
through a tunnel (extra), watch craftsmen, look at houses and cottages, visit
shops, or the pub, or have some fish and chips like they used to be.
You can buy refreshments or take a picnic.
Download form
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Welcome to New Members
We are
delighted to welcome the following new members and hope that they will take
advantage of all the opportunities on offer.
Denise Cocquerel,
Francoise Daniel, Merilyn Dean, Tessa Hawkins, Joyce Mitchell, Brian
Reid-Rutherford, Carole Taylor, David Thacker, Mary Tutt, Nigel Wilkinson and
Daphne Willmett Sheila Dobson
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NOTE DEADLINE FOR
July/August ISSUE:
Friday 27th June
COPY TO IAN CLARKSON AT
25
STALLPITS ROAD, SHRIVENHAM.
TEL. 01793 782836
ian.clarkson@gmail.com
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