Membership
Introduction
Welcome to this page about Membership of St Ives (Cambs) u3a. You can contact me (Pat James, Membership Secretary) about any Membership issues via the email link above, or in person before any Open Meeting on the second Thursday of each month in the Corn Exchange - 1.20-1.50pm (before the meeting starts at 2pm).
******************************
Membership subscriptions are due on 1st April 2024. For information click here: Renewals.
******************************
What it means to be a member
We welcome applications for membership from anyone in St Ives and the surrounding area who is not in full-time employment. Generally you need to be a paid-up member to attend any Open Meeting, Interest Group or Outing, but non-members who are thinking of joining can attend one Group meeting and one Open meeting as a taster ahead of joining if they wish.
Once you are a member you can join as many groups as you like! For some interest groups there is an additional expense (eg for room hire) and group members share this expense. Similarly, the costs of Outings and Theatre trips are shared among those who book to go.
All our groups and events are member-led, and all our committee members are volunteers, so members are encouraged to contribute as well as to participate. Further details about what it means to be a member can be found in the Application Pack.
How to Join
If you wish to join St Ives (Cambs) u3a, please download the New Member Application Pack. This contains more information about our u3a, what it means to be a member, and how to apply. The annual fee payment is £13, but the first payment is reduced for people joining after 30th September.
For anyone unable to print, hard copies are available from St Ives Library, St Ives Corn Exchange (please ask at Reception desk in each case), or at our monthly Open meetings.
We can claim Gift Aid from HMRC on your membership subscription at no additional cost to you. If you are a UK taxpayer, and have paid sufficient tax, please submit the Gift Aid Declaration Form included in the New Member Application Pack.
As well as being able to attend monthly Open meetings and join Interest Groups, members receive the national u3a magazine (Third Age Matters) and our own quarterly Magazine, and can use the national u3a resources.
Membership cards
When you join you will be issued with a Membership card with your name and membership number on it, and a barcode that can be scanned at Open Meetings for booking-in. As "cards for life", they are not dated and remain valid for as long as you renew your membership.
Beacon
We use Beacon to manage our membership records and to send emails. It is very important you notify our Membership Secretary if any of your personal details change, especially your email address. Please read the important information here: **Beacon for Members**.
... and finally
Feel free to contact me about any Membership issues via the email link above, or in person before any Open Meeting (see News and Events).
Pat James, Treasurer and Membership Secretary