Information about PPu3a
PRESTON PARK u3a
has a voluntary committee elected by you, the members, each year at our AGM, to deal with necessary business and to oversee the organisation of activities on your behalf. The membership of this year’s committee can be found on the CONTACT page. Each u3a is free to organise itself and engage in activities which reflect the interests and needs of its membership, within the overall framework of u3a’s aims and guiding principles.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORMS
to join our u3a can be found and downloaded from the Membership page on our website which can be found by Googling ‘Preston Park u3a’. Our membership year runs from January to December and the current yearly fee is £14.00 which covers all basics. There are additional costs for participation in individual groups. Members joining at other times during the year pay a pro rata amount. The membership fee paid to us includes a capitation fee which we pay to the Third Age Trust which is our national organisation. This is to cover public liability insurance, the Third Age Matters magazine delivered free to those members who wish to receive it and other support and advice services. The remainder pays for our running costs (printing, postage, telephone and so on). Anyone interested in becoming a member is welcome to attend one General Meeting as a guest.
GENERAL MEETINGS
are usually held on the first Thursday of each month, from 2.15 pm until 3.45 pm (doors open 1.45 pm) in Knoyle Hall, Knoyle Road which is behind St John’s Church in Preston Village. Most months of the year we have a guest speaker.
INTEREST GROUPS
are our informal learning groups of members with a common interest who come together to share knowledge and explore the subject or take part in the activity. Each group has a Group Leader, who may or may not have some special knowledge or expertise. The emphasis is very much on shared learning. Smaller groups often meet in members’ homes. Larger groups and some groups needing specialist facilities meet in local halls and venues and share the hire cost involved. Those groups with a paid tutor such as Pilates and Scottish Country Dancing share the tutor’s cost. More information about our Interest Groups is available on our website and from the individual Group Leaders.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES -
as well as the social contact from coming together at meetings, we have outings and visits throughout the year to places of interest. We also have lunch clubs, which meet in a variety of different eating places. More information about these can also be found on our website.
MEMBERSHIP OBLIGATIONS -
membership of Preston Park u3a obliges you to abide by its Constitution and the Guidelines below. Please inspect our Constitution on our website.
VOTING -
all Members have one vote at Annual & Special General Meetings. You will be sent 21 days’ notice of these meetings and the business to be discussed.
MEMBERSHIP EXPIRES
on 31st December. You will be sent renewal paperwork in November. Please renew before the year end or at the January general meeting. If you haven’t renewed by 31st January, the committee has the right to terminate your membership.