u3a Gloucester AGM 2025
Report from the Chair
Over the last year we have gained over a hundred new members, taking our current membership to over 600. No doubt this is due in part to the new flyer we produced and the enthusiasm with which members distributed them for us. The more members we have, the easier it is for us to maintain the lowest u3a membership fee in our area. As we have e-mail addresses for 96% of our members, we are also able to distribute information in a very cost effective way. I would like to remind everyone to tell Barbara, if their e-mail address changes, so they can be kept up-to-date. Despite the high level of e-mail usage we know that members still like to have a printed newsletter and after some discussion we have decided not to reduce the number we produce.
Over recent months I have been analysing the attendance at our monthly meetings. Unsurprisingly the subject and the weather seem on the basis of this preliminary data to be the deciding factors on the attendance. Our lowest attendance of 55 was for a very enjoyable talk on George Gershwin in September, when it poured with rain The Christmas concert, on a mild December day, attracted 125 including the choir. However, the largest attendance of 136 on a dry, bright day in March was for a chance to hear about the A417 Missing Link road scheme. Of course that also had to be the day when a power cut struck and it took some time to get the presentation equipment back online. At least we will know what needs to be done, should the same thing happen again. As ever our thanks are due to Mary for organizing our monthly meetings and to Thelma and her team for providing the refreshments and manning the entrance.
We continue to offer a wide range of interest groups – 37 in all. I would like to thank all those who make this possible by agreeing to act as group leaders. The rising cost of hiring rooms has proved to be a problem for some groups. While the committee can assist with the startup costs for a new group and will help with exceptional expenses thereafter, on the whole we need groups to be selfsustaining. Fortunately some local businesses have proved happy to host small groups, in the expectation that they will buy refreshments. We have recently gained three new groups for Kayaking, Tai Chi and Family History. The latter two came about after members expressed an interest in these areas at the August Subs and Clubs meeting and I’d like to thank Bridget for her hard work in finding suitable accommodation and willing group leaders. After a brief hiatus when Marian Carroll stepped down as group leader, the Horticultural Group has also resumed its programme of talks and outings, after I took over ably assisted by the indefatigable Mary and Carol Tarbox, who books our speakers. Unfortunately Travel, another of our long-established groups, is now in a similar situation as Carol Wheeler is unable to continue as leader. I would urge those of you who appreciate the value of this group to consider stepping forward. I can confirm from personal experience that you will receive plenty of support and it turns out to be not as daunting as it appears the minute after you find yourself offering to do it. I would also like to thank John Thorn,
who has stepped down as leader of the recorder group due to ill health.
Trips and social events are a valued part of our offering to members. in the past year these have included coach trips to Wightwick Manor, Waddesdon Manor, Rodmarton House, Cotswold Farm Gardens and Ashwood Nurseries, as well as a number of concerts and a longer Travel Group visit to Torquay. In addition the activities of the Social Group have included visits to Javelin Park, Laithwaites Winery, Beckford Silk Mill, the Bugatti Museum. My thanks to all those involved in the running of these trips.
We remain members of the Cotswold Link, their regular meetings being attended by our representative Jeremy Furtado. This is a valuable group, which provides access to our members to groups run by other u3as within the area and peer support groups for various committee roles. This year’s special interest day, held in Cheltenham in June, was entitled ‘The Influence Of Music On Our Society And Culture’. Cotswold Link are looking for volunteers to join their committee, as several serving members will soon be stepping down. None of our current committee feel able to commit to this, but I’m sure there are some among you with relevant experience who might consider this worthwhile role.
As your Chair this is my opportunity to thank on my own and your behalf all those who carry out essential roles enabling Gloucester u3a to function. Sarah Maidlow our Newsletter Editor chases us for contributions, checks our copy and puts the whole newsletter together. John Harding our Webmaster manages our website, which plays an increasingly important role in advertising what we are doing to the world, encouraging new members to join and making resources accessible to existing members. Keiron Helmy takes charge of Beacon, an essential tool for the administration of u3a groups and membership and Penelope Brown has kindly assisted Gerald by checking our accounts for the third time. I must also thank the members of the Committee: Gillian, Business Secretary; Gerald, Treasurer; Babs, Membership Secretary; Bridget, Groups Co-ordinator; Mary, Monthly Meetings Organizer and Jeremy, Cotswold Link Liaison. Between them they have made my role as Chair over the last year straightforward and enjoyable. For both Gillian and Gerald the coming year will be their last on the committee and I will be moving away, so we will be looking for a new Chair, Business Secretary and Treasurer in 2026. I would urge you all to consider, whether you could step forward to help Gloucester u3a continue on its upward trajectory.
Jan
Gloucester u3a
Statement of Accounts: all accounts
Printed 31st May 2025 21:50
Income & Expenditure, 1st June - 31st May
| Start year | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | In | Out | In | Out | ||
| -Account Transfers | £4,468.00 | £4,468.00 | £11,600.00 | £11,600.00 | ||
| BF balance transfer | £425.00 | £425.00 | ||||
| Donations | £0.25 | |||||
| Membership | £6,820.84 | £0.20 | £6,452.50 | £15.86 | ||
| PayPal commission | £60.89 | £88.52 | ||||
| PC1 Room Hire | £340.80 | £194.72 | £288.32 | |||
| PC2 3AT & Cotswold Link | £4,823.09 | £4,543.24 | ||||
| PC3 Postage | £13.60 | £30.00 | ||||
| PC4 Printing Copying Stat | £957.55 | £1,005.75 | ||||
| PC5 Gifts | £17.99 | |||||
| PC6 Central Other Payment | £109.13 | £129.33 | £288.60 | |||
| PG1 Room Hire | £16,792.17 | £79.20 | £16,989.18 | |||
| PG2 Groups Other Costs | £10,848.00 | £31,067.19 | £19,307.58 | |||
| PG3 Cotswold Link | £14.00 | |||||
| RC2 Newsletter By Post | £28.00 | £24.00 | ||||
| RC3 Central Other Receipt | £376.27 | £88.22 | ||||
| RG1 Groups Activity Chg | £36,084.88 | £301.52 | £35,013.30 | £229.34 | ||
| RG2 Groups Other Receipt | £150.00 | |||||
| Sub-totals | £58,626.24 | £58,948.14 | £54,156.27 | £54,829.38 | ||
| Brought forward | £22,386.43 | £23,059.54 |
Total £22,064.53
£22,386.43
Balance Sheet
Current £9,023.52 FairFX £551.63 PayPal £1,989.16 Savings NW £10,500.22 Social NW
£9,065.15 £340.08 £2,857.25 £10,123.95
Total £22,064.53
£22,386.43
Membership Analysis, at 31st May 2025
| Members | ||
|---|---|---|
| Associate | 12 | |
| Associate Joint | 4 | |
| Individual | 438 | |
| Joint | 149 | |
| Totals | 603 |
'
independent examiner’s report to the Committee and Members of Gloucester U3A
| report to the Committee and Members on my examination of the accounts of Gloucester U3A (the Charity) for the year ended 31 May 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
The Committee of the Charity are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
| report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. This examination is not an audit.
Independent examiner’s statement
| have completed my examination. | confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
alg accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. :
| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed:
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MAL UfeA
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Name: Penelope M D Brown FCA
Address: 94 Bloomfield Road, Gloucester GL1 5BP Date: b Octoher pas