Benfleet

Special Interest Groups

Our Interest Groups Coordinator is Suzanne Worland

Group Contacts should contact Suzanne for any issues, group changes or ideas for development of their group. All our u3a Members are invited to contact Suzanne regarding ideas for new groups and topics of interest.

You can contact Suzanne via our webmail contact link Interest Groups Coordinator

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Thursday 4 May 2023:Group Contact Meeting at Benfleet Yacht Club

Please view full details, outcomes and photos at 202305 - Group Contacts Meeting

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Risk Assessments for Meeting and Group Activities

These were discussed at the Group Contact Meeting. On the right hand column are checklists/templates for different situations that cover most meeting types. These are word.docx documents so that group contacts can complete them in word. If you cannot use Word then they are available as pdfs to complete in pen - please contact Webmaster for pdfs.

The Group Contact should keep the Risk Assessment and register of attendance securely. Where situations are repeated, e.g. home meeting at same venue, the assessment can be done once a year UNLESS something has changed at that address.

There is also a Personal Member RA for individuals to consider for themselves where there may be risks specific to them and their capability. These are optional and do not need to be shared.

Incident report: should something happen the incident report should be completed (usually by the Group Contact or the person leading the activity on that day) even if it did not require treatment or medical attention. The author should keep a copy securely AND provide a copy to Committee (any Committee Member).

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In the U3A members share their knowledge, skills, experience and enthusiasm to teach themselves and each other without any need for paid teachers. Group members are both learners and teachers.

U3A interest/activity Groups depend on mutual support and the sharing of knowledge. They are formed by members with a common interest suggesting a topic, discussing together what and how they wish to learn, and then deciding on the means to achieve their aims. One of U3A's guiding principles is that learning must be primarily for fun and enjoyment. There are no examinations or qualifications, although Group members are sometimes involved in carrying out research on specific subjects in which they have an interest.

Information on Benfleet U3A’s Groups and their Contacts/Hosts are given to U3A members at every Monthly Meeting. Our Groups Coordinator will also advise where and when each Group meets. Sometimes Groups may be full and will temporarily have a waiting list. New interest/activity Groups may be formed at any time, whenever there is a demand for them, say by two or three members having a common interest.

Not a Member/Wish to join?
To take part in Interest Group Activities you must be a member of the Benfleet U3A [membership of other U3A's does not give automatic access to our activities]. If you are NOT currently a member of the Benfleet U3A you can see details at Joining. To discuss membership and to join please contact our Membership Secretary.

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The Benfleet U3A Committee has developed a number of suggestions aiming to help make groups operation easier and more interactive.

Group Organisation
We always refer to ‘Group Leaders’ as running the special interest groups. This implies the ‘leader’ is responsible for ALL aspects of the group activities. Some people find this daunting and it may deter members coming forward to 'lead' groups.

In future, we propose to refer to this person as the GROUP CONTACT i.e. this person will know who is involved in the group, introduce new members and be the focal point for communication and is NOT necessarily the permanent meeting host. Group members should regularly offer to help, host meetings or organise activities. We hope that at least 2 or 3 people will actively help to run each group.

All group members should come forward with activities, study topics and trips, etc. that they wish to do – it’s your group.

Attending
As a courtesy to GROUP CONTACTS or MEETING HOSTS we suggest that group members should advise in good time whether you will be attending the next meeting or trip – both IF attending or NOT attending. Where possible please make sure your GROUP CONTACT or MEETING HOST has your email address as this is by far the easiest way to make contact.

Hosting
When a meeting is hosted by a group member in their home, we suggest a donation of 25p per person towards the cost of refreshments.

Transport suggestion
Some groups organise meetings and trips away from home and it’s sensible for members to travel together. Offering money to pay for the trip can be a little awkward. Our suggestion is that passengers could arrange to cover the cost of parking at the venue and/or provide refreshments for the driver. Groups may already have their own arrangements in place, which is fine.

Thank you.

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The Third Age Trust - Group Resources

The Resource Centre at the Third Age Trust National Office has a collection of material available for U3A Groups to borrow, including slides, videos, audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs on many subjects. They are available for both Group Coordinators and individuals. Contact Third Age Trust Resource Centre or telephone 020 8315 0199.

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