Clitheroe

Committee Members and Minutes

(For minutes of AGM and Committee Meetings, see further down the page...)

1.U3A Officers and Committee Members from AGM 2023
Chairman:Marjorie Taylor 2024
Vice Chairman:Janet Elliott 2025
Secretary:Julie Whitehead 2026
Treasurer:Paul Fisher 2025

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2.Committee Members
Groups Co-ordinator:Jenny Grimes 2025
Membership Secretary:David Grimes 2026
Newsletter Editor:Robin Taylor 2026
Speakers Secretary:Roy Gonsalves 2026
Committee members:Liz Wolstenholme 2025,
Committee Members:Jeremy Lambert 2026, Anne Rhodes-Butler 2026.
Co-opted Members:Su Penson, Eileen Narain

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3.Committee Support Team
Special Events:Gill Kilbey, Liz Wolstenholme
Refreshment Co-ordinator:Sue Monks, Liz Wolstenholme, Janet Elliott
Registration Co-ordinator:Julie Whitehead
ICT Support Team:Jonathan Pickup, Brian Hudson.
Publicity Officer:Mary-Ann Renton
Webmaster:Frank Taylor

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4.Vacancies Committee or Support

If you need to contact the above there are some details on the back of the monthly Newsletter. Otherwise send an email via the "Contact Us" Page of the Website and it will be forwarded.

Précis of Committee Role Descriptions
– from September 2016

Chairman
The Chairman provides leadership and ensures that the charitable objectives and guiding principles of the U3A are maintained.

Key tasks include Chairing Committee Meetings and the AGM and hosting the General Meetings. The Chairman also represents Clitheroe U3A at Local/Regional and National Events as required. An important role is to listen to members and respond to concerns and suggestions.

Vice-Chairman
The Vice Chairman is there primarily to provide support and backup to the Chairman at all times and to deputise for the Chairman when required.

General responsibilities include organising volunteers, keeping updated Meet and Greet Teams, Reception Teams and the Refreshment Team Rota, always liaising with the Newsletter Editor and organising the refreshments for the monthly coffee mornings.

Treasurer
The Treasurer:
• Receives and banks all income including Membership and Group Activities.
• Is responsible for the payment of bills through a Cheque Book account, including fees to The Third Age Trust, equipment purchase and Group Activities.
• Reconciles income and expenditure with bank account statements and reports to the Committee on the state of U3A finances.

Secretary
The Secretary is the person most involved in the practical organisation of the U3A. The Chairman and Secretary need to work closely together to ensure that correct procedures and effective communication are in place.

Groups Co-ordinator
The Groups’ Co-ordinator has two main roles.
• Advising and helping new interest groups to set up.
• Assisting the smooth running of existing groups.
Responsibilities include:
• Keeping the Group Conveners’ Handbook up-to-date.
• Maintaining accurate records of: contact details, meeting times of groups & availability of meeting rooms.
• Upholding the U3A ethos of collaborative learning.

A key part of the role is acting as a channel of communication between Group Convenors and the Committee.

Group Convenor
The Group Convenor takes a leading role in co-ordinating the activities of an Interest Group and is the link with the Groups’ Co-ordinator. A key responsibility is encouraging members to plan and lead activities that help the Interest Group to be lively and dynamic.

Membership Secretary
The Membership Secretary ensures that accurate and up to date records of membership are kept. This role can be shared and requires the holder(s) to be computer literate and to be able to be present at Monthly Meetings.

Programme (Speaker) Secretary
The Programme or Speaker Secretary ensures that there is a variety of speakers at Monthly Meetings and actively seeks potential speakers through networks with other U3As and appropriate organisations.

Newsletter Editor
The Newsletter Editor ensures that the membership is kept updated with local and national news. Thee monthly newsletter is a vital source of information to all members and is a way of publicizing the work of U3A to the local community and to local U3As.

ICT Co-ordinator
The ICT Co-ordinator oversees all (technical) equipment used for learning both at the monthly General Meeting and within the groups. A team is being developed to share these responsibilities. To ensure that General Meetings run smoothly, the sound system and projection equipment are set up before meetings and packed away afterwards. Group Convenors are supported in the provision and effective use of equipment, which has been provided in agreement with the committee. Training is available on request.

Publicity Officer
The Publicity Officer helps to raise the profile of the U3A and ensures that information is widely available so that people are aware of the positive benefits of the U3A and how they can become a member.

Key tasks include establishing local contacts for the dissemination of information, submitting brief reports to the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times and liaising with the Webmaster, Programe Secretary and Newsletter Editor to publicise events.

Refreshment Co-ordinator
The Refreshment Co-ordinator oversees the serving of refreshments at all the monthly meetings

Special Events Sub-Committee
The Special Events sub-committee arranges Events as agreed by the Committee including an annual Christmas Lunch and Summer Event and is involved with identifying appropriate venues and entertainment.

Webmaster
The Webmaster controls the web content and is responsible for maintaining and developing the website and keeping it up to date. The website is a vital source of information to members and the wider community.

Full Role Descriptions are available on request from The Secretary.

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 11th January 2024
at Clitheroe Golf Club

Present: Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Roy Gonsalves (Programme secretary), David Grimes (Membership
Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Eileen Narain, Su Penson, Anne Rhodes-Butler, Marjorie
Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead (Secretary)
In attendance: Ann Ward

1. Apologies for absence were received from Janet Elliott, Jeremy Lambert, Mary-Ann Renton,
Liz Wolstenholme

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
Two errors were noted in the minutes of the committee meeting held on 2023
14.2 The date of the next AGM is Tuesday 9th April 2024 (not 11th April)
15. The date of the next committee meeting is 11th January 2024 (not 12th)

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
6.1 The Trip policy has now been amended to include advice to members to carry an ICE card when
going on visits with u3a Clitheroe.
6.5 The poetry group has now folded.
2.3 The two new card readers obtained by Paul are now working and two people (Jeremy Lambert
and Christine Snape) have volunteered to use them.

4. Correspondence (previously circulated)
Gillian Russell via North West Region 15-11-23
Tony Cheetham from the Third Age Trust 15-11-23
The u3a Pilot Council (13-12-23) summary report 02-01-24
Gillian Russell via North West Region U3A Northwest News 02-01-24

5. Chair’s Report
5.1 Marjorie reported that the mayor will be giving a short presentation at the next general meeting
which will last about half an hour. Suggestions for items for the rest of the meeting included a short
presentation by David about European City breaks and group convenors to give more information
about their activities.

5.2 Marjorie presented a suggested ticket for the tea dance to be held on 13th March at Whalley Golf
Club. This will have limited numbers as the room can only accommodate 80 people.

5.3 Following a suggestion via a u3a zoom meeting Marjorie has contacted several local businesses
who might run pre-retirement courses to mention u3a resulting in a number of positive responses
including posting a flyer about u3a Clitheroe to bring it to people’s attention.

5.4 Also following a u3a zoom meeting Marjorie distributed copies of the document ‘Essential
Trustee – 6 main ideas’.

5.5 Meg Shaw has expressed an interest in running a short course on philosophy and proposes to
hold an initial meeting on 14th March at 2pm in the Mutual Room at St Mary’s.

5.6 A flyer has been received from Trinity Hub who would like u3a Clitheroe (amongst others) to
take part in an event entitled ‘Age of Inspiration’ on 24th January 12.30 – 3pm. Marjorie and Jenny
have agreed to go along to represent us.

5.7 Marjorie reported that there has been a lot of interest in the newly reformed gardening group.
Interest has also been expressed in setting up a photography group which would need a convenor.
Marjorie has approached Philip Bradshaw who would be willing to help on occasion but not as
group convenor.
Marjorie has also been approached by someone offering a short course on crochet. However, this
would be a paid for course and following discussion it was agreed that a broader crafting group
might be more suitable for our members.

6. Treasurer’s Report
The accounts for November and December were presented (copy in the Minutes folder).
The balance in the bank on November 30th 2023 was £7421.81
The balance in the bank on 31st December 2023 was £5912.22.
Large amounts of income are related to payment for the Christmas lunch and payment of
subscriptions. Outgoings relate mainly to payments associated with the Christmas lunch.
A payment on the November summary sheet representing income from printing was explained by
Paul as a refund was made for a previous payment made in error.

6.2 Paul continues to have issues with invoicing from WBVH as they send a single invoice for all
groups that meet there making accounting for each group problematic. He is working on sorting this
out into individual amounts for each group so that their spending is more easily identifiable.

6.3 As mentioned above volunteers have been identified to use the two additional card readers
which are now operational.

7. Membership Secretary’s Report (previously circulated)
7.1 David presented an updated report (copy in minutes folder).
We currently have a total of 289 paid up members including 27 new members for 2024. Twenty-
three members have not renewed this year (for a variety of personal and social reasons).

7.2 Given that the January and February General meetings have been combined, an extra session
for membership renewal took place on Tuesday 9th January 2024 from 10 am to 12 midday at St
Mary’s Hall. This was well attended and David thanked committee members who helped out.

7.3 Discussion then took place regarding the 120 remaining members who have not yet paid
subscriptions. There will be an opportunity for members to renew at the general meeting on 30th
January and at the February coffee morning. Following this, David will then contact all those who
have not paid by the end of February. There was some discussion about the need for a cut-off date
as members who have not paid are not covered by our insurance policies at our meetings.

7.4 Discussion also took place about membership cards and David reported that it is difficult to
produce individually named /numbered cards given our methods of electronic payment. He has
therefore produced a fold up sheet which is sent to paid up members either by email or post that
can be used to demonstrate membership.

8. Programme Secretary’s Report
Roy reported that he has now booked The Robinsons for the March general meeting who perform
‘Simon & Garfunkel’ numbers.
A speaker for September is still required and Roy would welcome any suggestions.

9. Groups Co-ordinator’s Report
9.1 Jenny reiterated the success of the newly revived gardening group which has attracted a lot of
interest. She has also spoken to a member who is interested in photography group but doesn’t want
to be a convenor.
Jenny also reported that the Canasta group which was to be subsumed within the board games
group will now remain separate as Christine Snape has volunteered to take it on.
It was noted that the Birdwatching group has now folded.

9.2 Jenny will also ask group convenors to remind members at interest group meetings that
subscriptions are now overdue.

10. Publicity /Website/ Newsflash
10.1 Newsflash Robin suggested that our homepage on the website needs updating as new
members are directed towards it but feedback suggests that they do not find it particularly
appealing. Robin suggested approaching Mary-Ann Renton to ask if the Visual Arts group might be
interested in producing something to go on this page.
Julie also reported that she had found it difficult to locate the minutes of last year’s AGM as it
required a lot of scrolling through other minutes.
It was recognised that issues with the website could be related to the difficulties experienced with
the platform over the last year or so and that Frank Taylor has been working to refresh our website.

10.2 Website In view of the points above, as Frank was not present at the meeting, it was felt that
asking him to attend the next meeting or present a short report to update the committee on progress
with the website would be useful.

10.3 Publicity Nothing new to report.

11. Special Events
It was agreed that the Christmas Lunch had been a success in general but it was suggested that a
different venue might be sought for next year. The special events team would welcome any
suggestions for venues that can accommodate large numbers preferable with good car parking and
access via public transport if possible.

12. Reports from other meetings – Nothing to report

13. Reports from sub committees
13.1 AGM planning.
An initial meeting has been held to look at the timetable for planning. The revised nomination form
will be sent to members of the subgroup involved so that it can be published in the February
Newsflash and displayed at the next general meeting in January. The closing date for nominations
will be at the March general meeting. We have vacancies for the Chair, Vice-chair and one
committee member. The next meeting of the sub committee will take place on Monday 5th February.

13.2 Policies and Procedures

13.2.1 Eileen is heading the subgroup reviewing our current policies and procedures. Many of these
relate to finance and Paul is in the process of updating these. The other main policy under review
relates to Safeguarding and the u3a Trust policy is being used as a basis for updating this.
The Trust also recommends the adoption of a Complaints and Discipline procedure, a Trustee Code
of Conduct and a Members Code of Conduct. Of these, we have a Members Code of Conduct which
will be reviewed.
Once completed, Eileen will send these policies and procedures to committee members for review
and approval at the next committee meeting, prior to the AGM.

13.2.2 Whilst Clitheroe u3a has a Data Protection Policy it was last updated in 2018 since when they
have been separated to Data Protection and Privacy policies by the Trust. Jeremy is undertaking
this as a work in progress and is liaising with the Trust about legal requirements relating to these
policies.
Once these two policies have been finalised, Jeremy will organise a session to update committee
members and group convenors about their implications and our legal obligations. In the meantime,
group convenors need to be reminded that Health and Safety issues should be announced at the
start of meetings including location of Fire Exits, any scheduled alarms and access to facilities.

13.2.3 The u3a Trust also recommend having an Accessibility Policy. Eileen suggested that this
would require some thought and may necessitate the need for an Accessibility Officer. It was
proposed that this could be advertised in Newsflash as there may be someone within our
membership with an interest in this issue. Anne Rhodes-Butler volunteered to act in this capacity
although it doesn’t have to be a committee member who undertakes this role.

13.2.4 Eileen pointed out that the Trust use the term group leader where Clitheroe u3a use the term
group convenor and asked which term was preferred for use in our updated documentation. It was
agreed by the committee that group convenor should be used.

14. Any Other Business
David raised the issue of using Beacon for membership and finance and expressed serious
concerns about its use. It was felt that this requires further discussion and that it may be useful to
invite members of the cluster group (who currently use Beacon and have offered to come and speak
to us about it) to a future meeting.

15. Date of next meeting – Thursday 14th March 2024

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 16th November 2024
at Clitheroe Golf Club

Present: Janet Elliott, Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Roy Gonsalves (Programme secretary), David Grimes
(Membership Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Jeremy Lambert, Eileen Narain, Su
Penson, Anne Rhodes-Butler, Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead
(Secretary) Liz Wolstenholme

1. Apologies for absence were received from Frank Taylor and Mary-Ann Renton.

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 14th September were accepted as an accurate record and duly signed
by the Chair.

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
From AOB – The new music interest group BH band sought clarification about requests to perform and
potential payment for this. There was some discussion about payment / donations being made to a charity
for any presentation or performance by representatives of u3a. It was noted that it is u3a policy that
donations cannot be made from one charity to another therefore the group cannot accept payment from
another charitable organisation. However, a donation to u3a as a charity could be accepted from a non-
charitable organisation. Reference was made to the Ukelele group who have performed at outside events
and followed this guidance.

4. Correspondence (previously circulated)
September update from the Third Age Trust 13-09-23
News from the NW Trustee 16-09-23
N. W. News from Gillian Russell 8-10-23
News extra from Gillian Russell 31-10-23
November Update from the Third Age Trust - Trustees Week 7-11-23

5. Chair’s Report
5.1 A meeting was held with new members on the 13th November. This was well attended and felt to
be successful as it offered an opportunity to find out more about what Clitheroe u3a has to offer and
to meet with committee members and group convenors.

Discussion took place about the need for the next coffee morning on 29th November but it was
agreed that this should go ahead as an extra opportunity for payment of subscriptions and
potentially it can attract new members.
Dates for coffee mornings next year were discussed with suggested dates of 21st February and 24th
April 2024.

5.2 Marjorie announced that Jacquie Melia has stepped down from the committee and as convenor of
the Plodders group. Thanks were expressed for all Jacquie’s contributions to the work of u3a
Clitheroe.

5.3 A meeting of the newly revived Gardening group has taken place. Seventeen people attended
with Ann Ward and Eileen Narain offering to take on the running / administration of the group. A
planning meeting will take place on 5th January 2024 for the year ahead.

5.4 Marjorie took part in a recent Zoom meeting for u3a Chairs attended by around 80 people at
which ideas for recruitment were discussed.

A range of ideas put forward by Marjorie for the future included occasional ‘Games Afternoons’ and
‘Desert Island Discs.’ She also drew our attention to an event in York next year from 17th
– 19th July 2024 which may be of interest to our members. The potential for short courses on Tai Chi and
Crafting were also discussed.

Marjorie also attended a meeting in Liverpool on 6th November about how to run an AGM. Standing
Orders for AGMs from u3a were brought to the attention of the committee.

6. Group’s Co-ordinator Report
6.1 A new ‘Trip Policy’ relating to visits / trips out by interest groups was discussed. Paul gave some
background to the need for this to simplify the process for group convenors and to streamline
handling of monies.
The policy proposes that plenty of notice should be given for organised outings and that the full
amount should be paid at the time of booking a place. Should a member cancel then they would be
responsible for finding a replacement (if there is no waiting list) or forfeit payment.
Payment can be made by BACS (with an appropriate reference) or card payment at meetings given
the availability of the treasurer. Cheques and cash payments are not encouraged.
Following further discussion, it was thought that it would also be appropriate to include a request for
members going on outings to carry an ICE card or have emergency contact information on their
phone.
6.2 Jenny informed the committee that the Scrabble Group has now been added to the Board
Games Group as the convenor of the Scrabble Group has stepped down.
6.3 As mentioned above the Gardening Group has reconvened with a variety of topics and venues
for visits proposed going forward.
6.4 The Visual Arts study group (previously the Painting Group) is working on the development of a
Clitheroe Art Map to be completed by next summer. This project is being led by Jacquie Melia, Mary-
Ann Renton and Meg Shaw. Future projects will be decided by the group at a later date.
6.5 Some discussion took place about whether the Play Reading Group is still in existence as no-
one attended the last meeting. Jenny will follow this up with the group convenor.

7. Treasurer’s Report
7.1 The accounts for September and October were presented (copy in the Minutes folder).
The balance in the bank on 30th September 2023 was £2,500.32
The balance in the bank on the 31st October 2023 was £4,808.85
It was noted that the October balance includes payments for the Christmas Lunch and a small
number of membership renewals for next year.

7.2 Payments to West Bradford Village Hall (WBVH) were discussed. Historically, room hire was
paid by group convenors directly to WBVH out of monies collected at their monthly meetings. This
was problematic for WBVH as it involved handling large sums of cash from several different groups.
Moving forward a new arrangement has been put in place whereby group convenors pay all their
takings from members to the treasurer who will then pay WBVH for room hire by BACS.
The Music Group has a separate arrangement with their members who pay an amount intermittently
to cover the cost of several meetings at once. This is monitored by the group convenor and held by
the treasurer who pays WBVH by BACS (as above). Further payment is taken from members when
the funds for the group are running out. The committee agreed that payment for group subs should
be for no longer than three months in advance.

7.3 Paul has purchased two extra card readers as the number of card payments has increased
rapidly in recent months. Volunteers were sought to operate them in order to take pressure off the
Treasurer who has been attending a lot of meetings specifically to take payments.

8. Membership Secretary’s Report (circulated with agenda)
8.1 David presented an updated report (copy in minutes folder).
We currently have a total of 420 members including 97 new members in 2023. Fifty members have
not renewed this year (including four deaths).

8.2 Given that the January and February General meetings have been combined, an extra session
for membership renewal has been arranged by David and Paul on Tuesday 9th January 2024 from
10 am to 12 midday at St Mary’s Hall. A number of committee members offered to help out.

8.3 David presented a summary of the geographic spread of our members which shows the majority
are based in Clitheroe and Whalley although a significant number attend from outlying villages and
the outskirts of Blackburn. Although we do not collect data about the age of our members it was
suggested that it might be useful to have some information about the demographics of our
membership.

9. Special Events
9.1 Planning for the Christmas event on Tuesday 12th December at Foxfields is underway with 126
tickets sold so far. The closing date for ticket sales is 30th November.
Table magicians have been booked and arrangements have been made for the children from St.
Mary’s School, Langho to perform at around 2.15 pm.

10. Publicity/website/Newsflash
10.1 Newsflash – Robin has received two articles from Yvonne Lynn and Jacquie Melia which he
asked the committee to review before going ahead with publication.
It was felt that the article put forward by Jacquie included some potentially political and religious
references. Discussion took place around the ruling that u3a is a non-political, non-religious
organisation. It was therefore decided that it would not be appropriate to publish this article in
Newsflash.
The article by Yvonne related to a sculpture for Clitheroe and included a paragraph strongly
advocating the donation of funds to support this project. It was decided that the article could go
ahead provided this paragraph was removed and replaced by contact details should anyone want
further information.

10.2 Website – nothing new to report
10.3 Publicity – nothing new to report

11. Programme Secretary’s Report
11.1 Roy reported that his email account has been hacked and requested that in future he should be
contacted via his new email which is rmgonsalves1953@outlook.com
As a result of losing his email records, the organisation of speakers for next year has been delayed.
The speaker for January will be the Mayor of Ribble Valley. Brian Topping has been booked for May
and November to talk about the role of the Custom’s Officer parts 1 and 2. Josephine Gosling has
also been booked to give a presentation on Amble’s Past Architecture in July.

12. Reports from other meetings – Nothing to report
13. Reports from sub committees – Nothing to report

14. Any Other Business
14.1 Charity Commission Annual Review – Julie gave some background on the need for u3a
Clitheroe to present evidence of policies and procedures to the Charity Commission (CC). A sub-
group, led by Eileen, has been established to look at our existing policies and procedures and how
they might fit with those of the CC and wider u3a. Once our policies are updated they will be
circulated to committee members for comment prior to the March committee meeting where they will
need to be ratified ahead of the AGM. They can then be published on the website and possibly the
Facebook page.
Jeremy pointed out that once in place, there is a need to apply them as a legal obligation. This may
have some implications for group convenors in the future.

14.2 AGM planning – a sub group was set up to plan for next year’s AGM which will take place on
9th April 2024. The first meeting of this group will take place on Wednesday 13th December 2023.

14.3 Social prescribing – Discussion took place around this issue as it is apparent that routine
health screening of older adults includes questions about social isolation and the possibility of u3a
being put forward as a means of coping with this. Whilst it was felt that u3a is open to all who are
eligible, it should not be viewed as a support organisation. It was suggested that there is a
difference between information about u3a being on display in GP practices and clinics and being
directed to u3a specifically by a health or social care professional.

15. Date of next meeting – Thursday 11th January 2024

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 14th September 2023
at Clitheroe Golf Club.

Present: Janet Elliott (VC), Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Roy Gonsalves (Programme secretary), David Grimes (Membership Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Jeremy Lambert, Jacquie Melia, Eileen Narain, Su Penson, Anne Rhodes-Butler, Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead (Secretary)
In Attendance: Mary Ann Renton (Publicity officer), Gill Kilby

1. Apologies for absence were received from Frank Taylor, Liz Wolstenholme

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 13th July were accepted as an accurate record and duly signed by the Chair.

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
No matters arising

4. Correspondence (previously circulated)
Upcoming u3a Events in the North West Region
Latest updates from the Third Age Trust 09/06/23
u3a Mailing 23-06-23 AGM 2023 Resolutions
Latest updates from the Third Age Trust 29-06-23

5. Chairman’s Report
5.1 Clitheroe have no plans for u3a week which this year is September 16th -24th.
5.2 We have a new member who may act as pianist to the Singing for Pleasure group.
5.3 Lynne Carr who attended the u3a Summer School in Carlisle has reported back that it was well attended and an enjoyable event. We also had six representatives at the Skipton Summer School and it was suggested that Clitheroe u3a might consider offering something similar next year. Following discussion of a number of ideas it was agreed that more information is needed to explore and develop this. If we decide to go ahead a sub group consisting of committee members and group conveners would be necessary to plan and organise the event.
5.4 Marjorie will be attending a workshop on The Best Ever AGM in Liverpool on 6th November.
5.5 Marjorie and Janet will both be away for the next general meeting in October. Paul will introduce the speaker and Jacquie will give the vote of thanks in their absence.
5.6 Following recent discussion with others in our cluster group, Marjorie put forward the idea of offering a short course in place of restarting the gardening group. Several members have expressed a keen interest in having something related to gardening but a convenor (or joint convenors) would still be needed. Marjorie will organise an exploratory meeting with those who have expressed an interest to see if this can be developed further.
5.7 Given the number of new members we have recruited this year it is felt that we need to ensure they feel welcomed and included in Clitheroe u3a as a whole. Our informal coffee mornings go some way towards this and serve as a means to attract new members. Marjorie suggested that, in addition, we should invite all new members to a more formal event, outlining the broader concept of u3a and encouraging participation in order to get the most out of their membership. If successful, this could become a regular event.
A sub group, including Marjorie Taylor, Janet Ellis, David Grimes and Su Penson was set up to take this idea forward. The first meeting will take place at Marjorie’s house on Tuesday 17th October at 10am.

6. Treasurer’s Report
6.1 The accounts for July and August were presented (copy in the Minutes folder). The balance in the bank on 31st August 2023 was £2,646.97
It was noted that some groups had greater expenditure than income but this was offset by group reserves.
6.2 Janet asked for clarification that subsidies for groups would continue (as previously agreed) for those groups who are unable to cover the cost of the venue. Paul confirmed that this is the case for now but that it is under ongoing review.
6.3 Our annual membership fee is currently £15 with no increase for several years. Given rising costs, Paul proposed an increase to £20 per annum. This was agreed unanimously. The increase will be announced in October via Newsflash and at the general meeting.
In terms of value for money any increase in reserves would enable the payment of speakers and the possibility of more wide-ranging events. Over a twelve-month period we have two months taken by Summer and Christmas events and one month when the AGM is held. Of the remaining nine months we could make use of in-house speakers for two or three general meetings leaving six or seven months when more funds would be available for good quality professional speakers who may charge more.
6.4 Paul clarified that start-up cash is available for newly established groups only with no maximum or minimum limits set. Interest groups already in existence should cover their own costs (for room hire, refreshments, materials etc..) by charging a small sum for attendance.

7. Membership Secretary’s Report (circulated with agenda)
David presented an updated report (copy in minutes folder).
We currently have a total of 398 members including 79 new members in 2023.
It was noted that the monthly, general meetings, coffee mornings, Newsflash and our website have all attracted people to join.

8. Special Events –
8.1 It was confirmed that the Christmas event would take place on Tuesday 12th December at Foxfields. Tickets will go on sale at the October and November general meetings at a cost of £24 for two courses. Full payment will be taken by BACs or card reader with a closing date for bookings on 30th November.
Table magicians have been engaged before and after the meal takes place. Additionally, there will be a raffle (with prizes) and a table quiz (for fun). Janet has also approached St. Mary’s School, Langho about the possibility of a children’s choir to perform for approximately 30 minutes.
8.2 A Tea Dance will be held at Whalley Golf Club on 13th March. Tickets will cost £5 and include tea or coffee and a cake. Liz has made arrangements with a contact who organises such events on a regular basis.

9. Publicity/website/Newsflash
9.1 Newsflash – as always contributions to Newsflash are welcomed.
Robin also reported that he has had FaceBook notifications for u3a Tech Talks. These are Zoom
sessions that include some useful and interesting topics. 9.2 Website – nothing new to report
9.3 Publicity Mary-Ann reported that our Facebook page is now up and running and starting to attract followers.

10. Programme Secretary’s Report
Roy reported that he is now starting to book for next year and aiming to encourage more internal
speakers.
Marjorie offered suggestions for next year’s programme including a talk by the RV Mayor about the Mayoral role. She also proposed the idea of a Gardener’s Question Time type of session with a presentation by a professional gardener(s) from nearby garden centre(s) followed by Q&A.

11.Group Co-ordinators Report -
Dennis Cassidy has stepped down as convenor to the German interest group and David Grimes
has taken over the role. Thanks to David for undertaking this.
Several groups have had a break for the summer but all groups should be back in September.

12. Reports from other meetings
Cluster group meeting. Julie fed back from the meeting which was hosted by Clitheroe on Monday 11th September.
A decision was taken to re-name the cluster from the NW Cluster Group to the NE Lancashire Cluster Group to avoid confusion with the NW Region.
Clarification was also sought at the cluster meeting regarding the inclusion of policies and procedures in our Annual Return to the Charity Commission (CC). Whilst Clitheroe do have several policies in place, we don’t appear to have all those listed / required by the CC. Permission was given by others in the cluster for us to use their policies as a template.
Following discussion at the committee meeting it was decided to set up a sub-group (including Julie, Eileen, Jenny and Jeremy) to look into these.

13. Reports from sub committees – Nothing to report

14. Any Other Business
14.1 Robin reported that he is reaching the limit on the memory on his laptop. Paul will look into this with Robin.
14.2 Anne and Roy have now set up the new music interest group BH Band. Meetings will take place in the afternoon of the first Thursday of the month. The first meeting was held last week with 21 members attending. Anne confirmed that she (personally) holds a licence to use sheet music as our copyright licences do not include this.
14.3 Although the AGM does not take place until April 2024, we need to start thinking about succession planning for the future. In particular Marjorie’s term of office comes to an end and we will need a new Chair.
14.4 Dates were set for the monthly, general meetings and the committee meetings for 2024. These will be circulated with the minutes of the meeting.

15. Date of next meeting – Thursday 16th November 2023

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 13th July 2023 at Clitheroe Golf Club.

Present: David Grimes (Membership Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Jeremy Lambert, Jacquie Melia, Eileen Narain, Su Penson, Anne Rhodes-Butler, Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead (Secretary), Liz Wolstenholme
In attendance: Mary Ann Renton.

1. Apologies for absence were received from Janet Elliott (Vice Chair), Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Roy Gonsalves (Programme Secretary)

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 11th May were accepted as an accurate record and duly signed by the Chair.

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
(5.1) The two unclaimed raffle tickets from the 25th Anniversary celebration remain unclaimed. They will be used as prizes at the next event.
(14.3) Meeting to evaluate the needs of artists within the u3a. Jacquie and Mary-Ann attended with artists from other groups in our cluster and were impressed by the enthusiasm. There were very few artists from Clitheroe at the meeting but Jacquie and Mary-Ann are planning to go ahead with the creation of a mixed media ‘art map’ of Clitheroe. A meeting to discuss this further will be held on 16th August. Jacquie will invite interested parties at the next main meeting (on the 8th August) and David will send out a request to all members for expressions of interest.
Jacquie has also been invited to Todmorden, who have three active art groups, to find out more about what they are doing.

4. Correspondence (previously circulated)
Upcoming u3a Events in the North West Region Latest updates from the Third Age Trust 09/06/23 u3a Mailing 23-06-23 AGM 2023 Resolutions Latest updates from the Third Age Trust 29-06-23

5. Chairman’s Report
5.1 Marjorie attended the North West AGM in Liverpool last week on our behalf. Of 99 u3a’s in our region only 33 were represented at the AGM. A handout about interest groups across the region was circulated to committee members.
Marjorie has also put her name down for the summer school being hosted by Craven u3a. Mary-Ann suggested that this could be something Clitheroe u3a might consider doing in the future.
The possibility of doing something to promote the Nationwide u3a week in September was raised.
5.2 Robin has sent photos of our 25th Anniversary celebration event to TAM
5.3 Identification of committee members. Thanks were given to Anne for producing a framed collection of photos of all committee members for display at meetings. There was also discussion about name badges for committee members as well as volunteers who support meetings to make us more identifiable to our membership.
5.4 Feedback from the main meeting in June was mixed. Some members felt the quiz was too academic and rushed. It was generally felt that two activities should not be combined at future meetings.
5.5 The majority of our notice boards have now been donated to Longridge u3a on the understanding we can borrow them back if needed in future. Two have been retained and are being kept under the stage at St.Mary’s Hall.
5.6 Marjorie will be away for the next general meeting in August and will approach Janet to host the meeting in her absence.

6. Treasurer’s Report
6.1 The accounts for May and June were presented (copy in the Minutes folder). The balance in the bank on 30th June 2023 was £4,253.67.
6.2 Paul had also produced a report in his absence (previously circulated). There was high income and expenditure in May related to group excursions and further high expenditure in June for the same reason.
The end of year forecast is £3,800.

7. Group Co-ordinators Report
Jenny fed back from the group convenors meeting held on 29th June.

8.1 Handling of cash payments at interest groups (report from group convenors meeting)
‘A major issue regarding handling of cash was raised as this causes problems with banks being inaccessible and unable to accept coins or cash that needs to be counted. Following advice from Paul and Frank (with reservations from Jacquie) it was agreed that money collected by group convenors could be used personally by them and the same amount paid by BACS into the u3a Clitheroe account. Paul emphasised the need for clear documentation of this and that money paid through BACS must have a clear reference indicating its source. Group convenors must keep accurate accounts and any problems should be directed to Paul.’
Further discussion around this issue took place at the committee meeting. Jacquie raised her concerns again but it was acknowledged that these arrangements are within National u3a policy.
8.2 An updated list of group convenors has now been circulated and sent to Newsflash.
The refreshment rota for general meetings was also discussed and updated. This will be circulated once the changes are agreed.
8.3 Attendance at groups Some groups have been experiencing problems when members either do not express their intentions or do not attend organised events. For walking groups in particular this has been an issue when no-one turns up in the rain. One group has set up a WhatsApp account for its members although it is recognised this may not be suitable for all. It was agreed that in future if it is raining at 9am the walk will not take place.
Further discussion around attendance and planned events then took place at the committee meeting. For organised/ booked events it was suggested that spare places could be offered to other groups outside Clitheroe u3a to offset costs,
It was also suggested that in future no deposits would be taken and full payment for trips out should be made at the time of reserving a place. Payment would not be refunded unless the seat could be filled or there was a significant reason why someone could not attend. David agreed to discuss this with Paul and will draft a statement to be sent to all members
8.4 Coffee mornings - Jenny advised group convenors that the coffee morning in June had been cancelled and the next ones would take place on 13th September and 29th November.

9. Membership Secretary’s Report (previously circulated)
9.1 Membership - There are currently 381 members (including 60 new members in 2023). 50 members have not renewed (including 4 deaths).

9. Special Events –
9.1 It was agreed that the Christmas event would take place on Tuesday 12th December in place of the general meeting. Marjorie will ask Gill to negotiate a price per head at Foxfields as the consensus was that this is a convenient location which has proved successful in the past.
9.2 Possibilities for entertainment at the Christmas event might include table magic, a children’s choir and a table quiz. Janet has offered to approach St. Mary’s school about the possibility of their children singing for us.
9.3 The idea of hosting a ‘tea dance’ was discussed. Potential venues could be West Bradford Village Hall or Whalley Golf Club. Liz has contact with someone who helps run such events for a donation to charity. The suggestion will be put forward at the next general meeting and circulated via Newsflash to establish whether there is any interest among our membership.

10. Publicity/website/Newsflash
10.1 Newsflash – Robin reported that he is now receiving some information a little earlier. This is helpful as the production of Newsflash is very time consuming particularly in the last week of the month.
10.2 Website – Frank has now started to repopulate our website following ongoing problems with the platform. The new website will take a while to build but group convenors can now forward photos to Frank.
10.3 Mary-Ann reported that u3a Clitheroe now have a FaceBook page as an additional means of keeping members informed.

11. Programme Secretary’s Report
11.1 In Roy’s absence it was noted that the programme is now complete for the rest of the
year as follows:
August: Jenny Grimes - ‘James Galway’
September: Christine Green – ‘Working for Auntie; Life as a Graphic Designer’ October: Winifred Conway – ‘Turkish Delight’
November: Frank Vigon – ‘The Strange Birth of British Television’
December: Christmas event – details to be finalised

12. Reports from other meetings – Nothing to report.

13. Reports from sub committees – Nothing to report.

14. Any Other Business
14.1 u3a Clitheroe Constitution. Julie reported that the new constitution (which was adopted on 12th April at the AGM) has been sent to the Charity Commission. An email from Marie Martin at the Regulatory Authority on 15th June confirms that the update is now complete.
Special thanks are due to Julie Bradshaw and Eileen Narain for their hard work on completing this process.
14.2 Retirement. Marjorie reported that Colin, who is our contact at St.Mary’s Hall, is retiring at the end of August. It has been customary to present a small gift to Colin at Christmas for all the work he puts into supporting our meetings. It was proposed that this should be brought forward and a £30 Amazon Voucher be given to him on his retirement. Marjorie will discuss this with Paul.
14.3 Members accessing information. Jacquie raised the issue of a few members apparently still having difficulty accessing information. It was acknowledged that email is not the preferred method for some but printed copies of Newsflash are widely available which gives a comprehensive guide to what is on offer to our members along with contact details of key people.

15. Date of next meeting – 14th September 2023

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 11 May 2023 at Clitheroe Golf Club.

Present: Janet Elliott (Vice-Chair), Paul Fisher (Treasurer), David Grimes (Membership Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Roy Gonsalves (Programme Secretary), Su Penson, Anne Rhodes-Butler, Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead (Secretary), Liz Wolstenholme
In attendance: Mary Ann Renton.

1. Apologies for absence were received from Jacqui Melia, Jeremy Lambert

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 16th March were accepted as an accurate record and duly signed by the Chair.

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
(5.1) Poetry Group –David reported that the membership has been approached to see whether there is any interest in becoming a group convener for both the poetry and gardening groups. Anne has also asked at her Let’s Lunch group if anyone was interested in convening a Poetry group. Neither approach has been met with success. It was agreed these groups would be left open.
(5.6) IT course – It was agreed that 1:1 IT sessions would be offered at the coffee mornings, starting at the next one on 22nd June. Paul will cover Microsoft Office and David (and possibly Philip Bradshaw) will cover Apple devices.
(8.1) Risk assessments and emergency contact details – This issue has been further discussed with Maureen Pickup regarding the History group visit and has been resolved.
Other action points had been fulfilled.

4. Correspondence
Members had received various items of correspondence. Julie had inadvertently sent out the list from last month. Items circulated are listed below.

Roadmap to the Third Age Trust AGM
North West Region Newsflash
Third Age Trust AGM 2023: Notification of date
FW: Latest updates from the Third Age Trust
NW AGM amendment
04-05-23 Scam Prevention Workshop
Third Age Trust AGM 2023: Director/Trustee Elections

4.1 TAT AGM 2023 – Marjorie will be registered to attend and vote via Zoom as our representative since the meeting is being held in Milton Keynes. Proposed resolutions need to be submitted by 30th May and a list will be circulated on 19th June 2023
4.2 NW Region AGM 2023 – Marjorie’s name will be put forward as the voting delegate on our behalf. Marjorie and Robin will both be attending the meeting and will participate in a variety of discussion groups.

5. Chairman’s Report
5.1 May celebration – Marjorie thanked all those who were involved in the organisation and smooth running of the day with special thanks to the refreshment team who dealt with the challenge of serving hot drinks and cakes to over 150 people without incident. Paul reported that the refreshments were subsidised at £2.40 per head but suggested that the cost of future events would need to be considered given rising costs. Discussion also took place around future events being restricted by numbers.
In all 151 people attended and paid for the event and our guests offered very positive feedback. The mayor of Ribble Valley attended but apologies were received from the Clitheroe mayor as she has not been re-elected to the council and has therefore stepped down.
There were two unclaimed raffle tickets and the numbers will be published in the next edition of Newsflash.
5.2 Cluster group – u3a Clitheroe will be hosting the next cluster meeting on 11th September 2023.
5.3 June meeting – It was agreed that there should be teams of 4 for the quiz with a £10 voucher as prizes for each of the winners.
5.4 Committee members photos– Marjorie reported that Robin has now posted photos of committee members on the website and will publish them in Newsflash. They will also be on display at the monthly meetings.

6. Treasurer’s Report
6.1 The accounts for March and April were presented (copy in the Minutes folder). The balance in the bank on 30th April 2023 was £5,756.44. There were a number of expenses relating to the 25th Anniversary event but the projected end of month balance is likely to be around £4,500 which is a healthy amount.

7. Programme Secretary’s Report – Roy reported that the programme for the rest of the year is now set. There was some discussion around the Christmas event and it was suggested that there should be a change from the singing group. Possible alternatives suggested included table magic, a music quiz and a children’s choir.

8. Group Co-ordinators Report -
8.1 Group displays – Jenny thanked group convenors for their efforts in providing information and displays for the Anniversary event. Unfortunately, few members were able to access them on the day because of the large numbers in attendance. The cleaned up display boards will be brought to the next monthly, general meeting with the possibility of being available for members to look at. The issue of storage of the boards was discussed again, particularly since information is now projected onto a screen at the start of each meeting. Jenny also proposed reinstating one or two groups in turn giving a brief resume of their activities at the monthly meetings.
8.2 Creative writing group – Jenny reported on the possibility of setting up a new creative writing group in the future.
8.3 Playing musical instruments – Roy has found a suitable venue for this proposed new group at a cost of £10 per session.
8.4 Increasing group sizes – it was considered that the Fire Station is no longer a suitable venue for the play reading group which now has around 20 regular members. Other groups are also growing in size and this issue will be discussed at the Group Convener’s annual - on the 29th June.

9. Membership Secretary’s Report
9.1 Membership - There are currently 373 members (including 54 new members in 2023). 27 former members have still not responded. They have now been removed from the membership list and will receive no further correspondence. David has circulated the final list to all group conveners enabling them to check their group members have paid.

10. Special Events – Nothing to report.

11. Publicity/website/Newsflash
11.1 Newsflash – Robin has requested that all committee members check their details are up to date on the information page. Please notify Robin of any changes needed.
11.2 Website – Progress in updating the website is slow. It was reiterated that this could take up to 18 months and is not within our control.

12. Reports from other meetings – Nothing to report.

13. Reports from sub committees – Nothing to report.

14. Any Other Business
14.1 Whalley GC as new venue – Anne reported that Whalley Golf Club would allow us to make use of their rooms for the cost of a cup tea/coffee for those attending. The venue has ample car parking.
14.2 Clash of meeting dates – Anne reported that there is a clash of dates affecting those attending bi-monthly committee meetings, Let’s Do Lunch and the growing discussion group. Anne is going to ballot the Let’s Do Lunch group about the possibility of changing their meeting to the third Thursday of the month to avoid this in the future.
14.3 Meeting to evaluate the need of Artists within the u3a – Jacquie was unable to give feedback as she was not able to attend the meeting.
14.4 Co-opted members – a vote to co-opt Su Penson and Eileen Narain to the committee (proposed by Jenny Grimes and seconded by Janet Elliott) was unanimous.

15. Date of next meeting – 13th July 2023

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Minutes of the Twenty Fifth Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 11th April 2023 in St Mary’s Centre, Clitheroe.

u3a Clitheroe Officers: Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Janet Elliott (Vice-Chair), Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Eileen Narain (Business Secretary)

1. Apologies: Margaret Cunliffe, Paul Fisher, Patrick Gavin, Pam Hope, John Marchant, Margaret Marchant, Allan Myers, Trichia Myers, Rachel Pallister, Janet Rudd, Lena Talbot, Su Whitehead, Pauline Whittle

2. The Chair confirmed the appointment of two tellers for the meeting: Ginny Aighton and Sue Walton.

3. Minutes of the 24th AGM had been circulated prior to the meeting. The Minutes were accepted as an accurate record. Proposer: Jenny Grimes, Seconder: Barbara Milne-Redhead.

4. The Chairman gave her report, a copy of which can be found in the Minutes Folder and on the website. Marjorie took the opportunity to celebrate the thriving u3a Clitheroe and the vision of the u3a to make lifelong learning a reality through Learn, Laugh, Live, allowing us to share our knowledge and expertise with each other through the interest groups.
Newsflash and the website allow us to share information and Marjorie thanked Frank Taylor and Robin Taylor for their diligent work.
Coffee mornings allow us to promote the groups and attract new members. Marjorie thanked Janet Elliott, Lesley Crosland and Eileen Narain for organising these.
Publicity -Thanks go to Mary Ann Renton as Publicity Officer for her reports on the organisation’s events.
General Meetings - Marjorie thanked all those involved in making our monthly meetings successful; Colin Wright from St Mary’s Centre, Lynne Carr and Jean Hart who organise the Meet and Greet team, and Liz Wolstenholme and Sue Monk for organising the supplies of tea, coffee, biscuits etc. for the refreshments. Thanks also to Roy Gonsalves for planning the speakers for our monthly meetings, and to Jonathan Pickup and Brian Hudson for preparing the sound system. The new seating arrangement where members can sit down for a drink and chat before the commencement of the meeting has been most successful.
Interest groups - Marjorie reported that she had visited most of the groups and continues to encourage members to try something new. We now have 28 groups which are successful due to the hard work of the Group Convenors and the Groups Co-ordinator, Jenny Grimes. Two groups, Poetry and Gardening, are in need of convenors and Roy Gonsalves would like to start up an instrumental group.
Short courses – 2 short courses have taken place, a course on Fashion by Jacquie Melia, and one on Literature by Meg Shaw.
Trustees – Marjorie thanked the Committee for their hard work and support of her over the last year.
Membership – Marjorie thanked David Grimes for his work in keeping accurate and up to date records of our membership. She reported that bank transfer and credit/debit card payments are now the preferred method of payment.
Special Events – Marjorie thanked all those involved with the planning and organisation of the u3a 40th anniversary celebrations and the Christmas event, in particular Gill Kilbey and Liz Wolstenholme.
Finally Marjorie thanked all members for contributing to a vibrant u3a Clitheroe.

5 Treasurer’s Report - Robin Taylor presented the report on behalf of Paul Fisher. Copies had been sent out with the March Newsflash and can be seen on the website The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the relevant requirements of the Charity Commission and agreed by the committee.
Details of income and expenditure can be found on the U3A Clitheroe website. The bank balance at the end of the year was £5323.00.

The meeting approved acceptance of the examined accounts. Proposer: Bill Sprunt, Seconder: Steve Monks
Robin proposed appointment of Emily Watnik, Treasurer of Longridge U3A, as Independent Examiner of accounts for 2023-24.
The meeting agreed to the appointment of Emily Watnik. Proposer: Diana Davies, Seconder: Janet Elliott.

6 The Groups Co-ordinator's Report - Jenny Grimes presented her report. A copy of the full report can be found on the website, and in the Minutes folder. She reported that 2022 had been a successful year with 27 groups back to full activities after the problems with Covid restrictions in 2021. She thanked all the convenors and those who support them, and also thanked Jacquie Melia and Meg Shaw for running short courses.
Jenny also reported that members are encouraged to carry some form of In Case of Emergency information with them, particularly on trips. These can either be in the form of an ICE card which can be carried in a wallet or purse, or by having information about emergency contacts on mobile phones. ICE cards can be obtained from Jenny or the Secretary.

7 Election of Officers and Committee 2023 - 2024 Majorie reported that Eileen Narain was standing down as Business Secretary. Fortunately, Julie Whitehead had put herself forward for nomination for the post. The terms of office of Gill Kilby, Roy Gonsalves, David Grimes and Robin Taylor have come to an end. Robin Taylor, David Grimes and Roy Gonsalves have agreed to be nominated for a further term and will continue in their roles as Newsflash Editor, Membership Secretary and Speaker Secretary respectively.
There being no other nominees, the Chair was pleased to confirm the newly elected members of the committee as published with the agenda.

RESOLUTIONS
To adopt Part I of the revised Constitution as published on the website and in Newsflash.
The Secretary explained that u3a Clitheroe had been unable to register the complete constitution as adopted in 2022 with the Charity Commission as prior permission for changing the precedent clauses in Part I had not been obtained. U3a Clitheroe had sought advice about this from the Trust but had been informed that as we were adopting the model constitution agreed between the Trust and the Charity Commission it was not necessary to seek prior permission. However this is not the case and the Charity Commission does require prior permission. This has now been given but the Charity Commission did require Part I of the revised constitution to be put to the membership. There have been no changes to Part I since the 2022 AGM.

The adoption of Part I of the revised constitution was passed unanimously. Proposer: Eileen Narain, Seconder: Jonathan Pickup.

Marjorie thanked those retiring from the committee: Gill Kilbey for her work on the Special Events team and Eileen Narain as Business Secretary.

At the end of the formal meeting David Grimes, Membership Secretary, presented a report on current membership numbers. There are currently 361 members of which 47 are new members in 2023. 48 members decided not to renew their membership for a variety of reasons and 4 members sadly died during the past year.

David explained the transition of the organisation of collecting membership fees over the last few years. Whereas previously fees had been paid in person at the general meetings by cash or cheque which had not been possible during the pandemic, u3a Clitheroe has now moved to collection of fees by bank transfer or credit/debit cards where possible.

Date of the next AGM
9th April 2024.

Eileen Narain Secretary
12th April 2023

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Minutes of the u3a Clitheroe Committee Meeting held on 16th March 2023 at Clitheroe Golf Club

Present: Janet Elliott (Vice-Chair), Paul Fisher (Treasurer), Gill Kilby, David Grimes (Membership Secretary), Jenny Grimes (Groups Co-ordinator), Roy Gonsalves (Programme Secretary), Jacqui Melia, Eileen Narain (Secretary), Marjorie Taylor (Chair), Robin Taylor (Newsflash Editor), Julie Whitehead
In attendance: Frank Taylor (Webmaster) and Jeremy Lambert, Su Penson and Anne Rhodes-Butler (as observers)

1. Apologies for absence were received from Mary Ann Renton.

2. Minutes of the previous meeting
The Minutes of the meeting held on 12th January were accepted as an accurate record and duly signed by the Chair.

3. Matters arising from the Minutes
5.1 Poetry Group – The future of the Poetry group is still in doubt as a convenor has not yet been found. Anne offered to ask at her Let’s Lunch group if there was anyone interested in convening a Poetry group.
Action: David will send an email to the membership asking if there was anyone to take over the Poetry and Gardening groups.
It was agreed that some group may have to fold if volunteers did not come forward to help. Other action points had been fulfilled.

4. Correspondence
Members had received various items of correspondence as itemised in the agenda.
4.1 u3a Trust portal – Eileen explained that the Trust were changing the manner in which they collected information concerning contact details (officers, membership secretary etc) through a portal and that she had received the link and had submitted the details.
4.2 Charity Commission changes – Eileen reported that the Charity Commission were making several changes.
It was agreed that the Secretary should be the ‘principal administrator’ and contact for the Charity Commission (CC). As recommended by the CC there should be a second administrator and this should be the Treasurer.
Eileen also explained that for the 2023 annual report (which would not be required until October 2024) the CC would ask if a number of policies were in place and that the committee should consider reviewing the policies in the near future.

5. Chairman’s Report
5.1 Cluster u3as- Marjorie reported that she had managed to attend general meetings of all the cluster group members except Longridge and had passed deta