Thorpe Bay

Groups

Would prospective new members please go to the 'New Members' page (Button above).

If you are aware of any member who may not be able to receive our regular electronic communications please could you speak to them (safely) and give them an update. Thank you.

H.M. Government have made their announcement, and it has been decided that Southend-on-Sea and Essex will be in Tier 2 from the 3rd of December.
U3A National Office and Thorpe Bay U3A support the decision to limit meetings outside to just 6 people, and that there should be no mixing of households inside. Unfortunately, this does mean that U3A meetings will be restricted for the foreseeable future.
Interest Groups can only meet outside but must have no more than 6 members attending. Please stick to this figure and do not bend the rules by having two sets of six next to one another.

We encourage you, instead, to meet using electronic methods such as MS Teams, Zoom, Skype, or WhatsApp and to join us on Zoom each month for our regular presentation. Next month we have for you David Stanley of the Music Man Project.

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The Thorpe Bay U3A AGM is coming. Please check your email inboxes and fill in the voting form that is attached. Details of how to get the form back to us is on the email. We need your votes to enable us to continue as an organisation. If you have any difficulty printing or emailing the form please feel free to email chair.tbu3a@gmail.com with your voting choices and member details written in the email.

Following the Government's statement, the National Office of the u3a, and the Committee of Thorpe Bay u3a fully support the decision, has said that no face-to-face u3a meetings should take place during the lockdown.

We know that many of our interest groups are meeting using Zoom and other online video systems and we would encourage you to all to expand your horizons and take part in, or organise, some of these meetings.

We are now running some Zoom based presentations. The first ones have been very popular and we should have more for you at the end of each month.

"Some of you are asking about whether it is time to resume some face to face meetings. From a U3A activity perspective it is really important that government and NHS advice is followed. The U3A movement has been guided throughout this time by that advice and should continue to do so – for the safety and wellbeing of all our members."

The reinstatement of Interest Groups, once officially sanctioned, will be gradual. We have a small team who can offer help and guidance.

So, as you have heard many times recently, I urge you to follow H.M. Government’s guidance; remember Social Distancing if you do go out, wash you hands if you touch anything outside, and avoid public transport if possible.

ALL MEETINGS CANCELLED until further notice

We are still trying to keep you occupied with the E-magazine (has anyone thought of a catchy title for that yet?), U3A Thorpe Bay Facebook Group and various quizzes sent out via e-mail.

Check back here at regular intervals, we will add information once we have it.

To all U3A members - If you feel unwell please remain at home and follow the Government advice. Phone 111 or online Contact 111.nhs.uk for further information. Contact your Doctors surgery if necessary.

If you wish to see the U3A National Office's statement please click on the "COVID-19" link on this page. The message will also give you a link to the .gov.uk website for the up to date recommendations.

INTEREST GROUPS

Thorpe Bay U3A offers an opportunity to members to participate in over 100 activity groups. To find out more about a group just click a link in the group list below.

If you are interested in joining a group, please contact the group leader to find out whether the group has any vacancies before you attend any meetings, you can do this by telephoning the number shown on the programme card or via the 'contact us' link on this website.

If you have any general group issues or would like to start a new group, then please contact the Groups Co-ordinator, Shirley Turner or Anne Marcus.

NEW GROUPS

We are an active and expanding organisation and want to offer you all something that you may either be interested in or that will educate you. If you are interested in the new Groups that we are trying to set up please follow the link in the column on the right.

Please make sure that you check the New Groups Noticeboard at every General Meeting to learn more about the latest groups on offer

If you wish to contact any of the group leaders please use the message box on the Contact Page accessed via the Contact button above.

If a Group is full or if we do not have a Group that covers the subject you are interested in, have you considered running a Group yourself. Contact the Groups Co-ordinator either at the Monthly General Meeting or via the Contact button above.