Settle District U3A - Charity Number 1095635
Annual Report 2023/24
(From 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2024)
Our aims
Settle District U3A is a charity with a membership and a committee of trustees. Our aims are to:
- engage with people no longer in full time employment and
- provide the facilities for learning, leisure and recreational time for those
people.
Our website contains more information about our activities: settle.u3asite.uk
Committee
The committee of trustees manages the affairs of Settle District U3A on behalf of its membership. The committee is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting.
Committee members during the year were:
- Chairperson: Ian Gray
- Vice Chairperson: Robert Jackson
- Secretary: Les Chandler
- Treasurer: Barbara Herring
- Membership Secretary: Kathy Parker
- Group Co-ordinator: Jeanne Hine
- Newsletter Editor: Sarah Lister
- Publicity: Mary Leahy
- Programme Organiser: Chris Barnes
- Committee Members: Colin Ashwell, Sue Ashwell, Lis Cribb and David Uren
The committee has been supported in year by:
- Webmaster - Richard Hine
- Beacon Master - Keith Waterson
In common with the majority of u3as across the country Settle District U3A is affiliated to the Third Age Trust. The Trust monitors the health of individual u3as against ten criteria relating to membership numbers, financial performance, administration, communication with members, and the numberof interest groups. In the latest assessment, for 2022-23 Settle District u3a scored 10/10.
Membership and communication with members
Membership stood at 426 at the end of June, slightly more than at the same stage last year.
Although the worst of the covid pandemic seems to have passed Zoom has remained a key element in all u3a activities in year. Many meetings - including general monthly meetings, committee meetings and even the Annual General Meeting - have still been made available both face to face and via teleconferencing. In the case of some monthly meetings this has continued to provide several challenges, reflecting the different presentation methods employed by speakers. But with some members still unable to get to meetings in person the committee has decided to continue with hybrid meetings for the foreseeable future.
Maintaining good communication with members continues to be a high priority. Monthly newsletters are e-mailed to all members and for members who have no access to e-mail copies are distributed at monthly meetings. And for those with online access the website is subject to continuing development and improvement. For example software has been applied to make it easier for members to read online documents such as the minutes of committee meetings and group web pages, as well as newsletters. Settle District u3a also maintains a presence on social media maintaining both a Facebook and a Twitter account.
The ‘Christmas Social’ continues to be extremely popular with members and Victoria Hall was packed to the rafters for the 2022 edition. A varied and entertaining show included hilarious plays and sketches from the Play Reading, Great Lives and Birdwatching Groups, and excellent demonstrations of both line dancing and modern dance. The festivities were rounded off with an amusing take on The Twelve Days of Christmas from the Singing for Pleasure Group and then rousing Christmas carols.
2022 saw another special celebration: the 20th Anniversary of the u3a in Settle marked by a u3a display as part of Settle Flowerpot Festival, a ‘Bird Trail’ treasure hunt, and an Anniversary Party featuring displays, demonstrations, exhibitions, quizzes, and even a birthday cake! The anniversary provided the opportunity to look back and pay tribute to those who have made, and continue to make, Settle District u3a the vibrant organisation it is: the founder members and previous committee members who have given so much to get us to where we are today; the current committee members; the group leaders; the volunteers who provide refreshments at u3a events; the other volunteers who keep everything ticking over; and, of course, themembers of Settle District u3a themselves, all of whom make it all worthwhile. Space prevents the naming of individuals of course but you know who you are! We are all very grateful for your efforts.
Outside of regular activities the committee has continued to look for other ways of supporting members, for example by promoting events and activities provided by other community groups where it’s clear they will be of interest to members.
Accounting and finance
The accounts for the year show a deficit of just over £1,000. This was due to the one-off costs of the 20th Anniversary celebrations and the purchase of equipment in support of interest group activities, as well as increases in general running costs. The cost of speakers for monthly meetings and charges for room hire, in particular, increased significantly over the year. At the same time receipts from gift aid were reduced because, following consultation with HMRC, the Third Age Trust has emphasised the need for all u3a’s to follow the guidance on Gift Aid very closely. This has involved calculating the personal benefit that each gift-aiding individual derives from membership of the u3a. Any financial benefit over 25% of the annual subscription, including any donation made when taking up or renewing membership, cannot be reclaimed as Gift Aid.
Despite the reduction in Gift Aid receipts, and the overall deficit at the end of the year, cash funds at 30 June 2023 were still more than £10,000. This represents considerably more than the minimum 50% of annual expenditure recommended by the Third Age Trust. In the current economic climate maintaining cash reserves at this level seems appropriate.
In response to rising bank charges, and the planned closure of the local branch of HSBC, Settle District u3a’s current account was moved to NatWest. This has produced free banking - so reducing costs - and facilitated online payments with dual authorisation, allowing the u3a to meet the financial control requirements of its constitution.
The committee has also invested in a card-reader to facilitate credit and debit card payments. Given the volume and cost of cheque receipts this will reduce bank charges significantly and speed up the membership renewals process at the annual ‘Sign-Up Day’.
Interest groups
The u3a continues to support a large number of interest groups covering: art and literature - including painting, drama, music and dance; the sciences; languages; philosophy; and sport - including badminton, table tennis andwalking cricket; as well as leisure activities such as card-making, garden- visiting, Bridge, scrabble, and birdwatching. Family history, Geology, and ’Great Lives’ remain very popular and the Walking Groups are also well supported.
Sadly this year has seen the loss of one or two interest groups, such as Recorders and Classical Music, but in their place new groups have been added including Film Appreciation and Craft.
The committee is always keen to support the interest groups in every way possible and this year has demonstrated this commitment by procuring for group leaders the equipment and materials they need to keep their groups running smoothly. The Bridge Group now has new bidding boxes and card trays; the Card-making Group has a die-cutting machine; and the Birdwatching Group has acquired three pairs of binoculars for use by members. In addition to these fairly major purchases music books have been bought for the Ukulele Group and the Scrabble Group now has an up-to-date Scrabble Dictionary.
A new laptop and multi-directional microphone has also been procured for use by group leaders wanting to share group meetings via teleconferencing.
As ever our thanks go to all our group leaders, who work tirelessly to provide members with such a varied and fulfilling programme of activities.
WestNet
Settle District u3a remains an active member of WestNet, the network of local u3as including Bradford and Ilkley. All members of WestNet u3as are able to join groups and attend events within the WestNet agreement. Craven u3a has officially withdrawn from WestNet because of its pricing structure but remains in close contact and committee members from the four u3as meet regularly to share ideas and discuss common problems.
The social events and activities arranged by the WestNet u3as provide their memberships with the opportunity to meet with each other and share experiences. As in 2021 WestNet events have been well supported. Particularly successful were a treasure hunt organised by Bradford u3a, in which a team from Settle triumphed, and the annual WestNet Quiz in Gargrave.
Community liaison
Throughout the year Settle District u3a maintained its long-standing relationship with the ‘Settle Community Hub’ and our thanks go once again to the Hub and its staff for supporting u3a members, not least with continuingaccess to Zoom. This enables members to enjoy group and monthly meetings which they would otherwise have been unable to attend.
Settle District u3a also maintains close links with other local organisations. The committee continues to support Settle ‘Cobra’ and works closely with local community groups such as the local branch of Age UK. To assist the NHS with its social prescribing programme, for instance, a display showcasing u3a activities has been installed at Townhead Surgery.
To reinforce its links with local community groups Settle District u3a has contributed fully to the Understory project facilitated by the Community Hub. The project has produced a ‘map’ of the relationships between local organisations, helping to improve communication and facilitating collaboration.
Looking ahead
2023-24 promises to be another good year as Settle District u3a goes from strength to strength. We aim to expand the number of interest groups available, encouraging members to share their experience and interests.
We also need to get more members involved in the running of the u3a, either by helping at meetings and other events or by contributing specialist expertise in areas such as marketing, recruitment and retention. It is also hoped that members will step up to shadow trustees nearing the end of their time on the committee by shadowing specific roles. From November 2023 a new Vice- Chair will be required and in 2024 the Treasurer’s time in office must come to an end. To have members shadowing these roles with a view to taking over will ensure the committee, and thereby the whole u3a, remains viable and vibrant.
| L Chandler Secretary | 7 July 2023 |