2022-12-31-accounts - Elmbridge U3A

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ELMBRIDGE

Registered Charity No. 1071550

25th Annual General Meeting 1.30 Wednesday, 5 April 2023 Held at Claygate Village Hall

After the AGM Diane Robertson-Bell will give a talk on

Médecins sans Frontières

TWENTY FIFTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OF ELMBRIDGE U3A, WEDNESDAY APRIL 5 2023

AGENDA

Apologies for absence
Adoption of the Minutes of the twenty fourth Annual General Meeting of Elmbridge U3A held on 6 April 2022
Matters arising
Chair’s Address and Adoption of the Annual Report of the Committee for the year ended 31 December 2022
Adoption of the examined accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (see pages 8 and 9)
Membership Fees for 2023
Election of the Committee

The members who offer themselves for election are:

David Rodway	Meg James
Andrew Craig	Nikki Lindsey
Tony Wharton	Gillian Adams
Phillipa Allison	Mark Dowdney
Nigel Cudby	Peter Almond

Appointment of the Independent Examiner
AOB

ELMBRIDGE U3A

REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1071550

TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR TO 31 DECEMBER 2022

Legal and Administrative Information

The Trustees and their Offices, (the committee), who served throughout 2022 are as follows:

Trustee Name	Office
David Rodway	Acting Chair/Administrator
Meg James	Committee Secretary
Andrew Craig	Treasurer
Tony Wharton	Membership Secretary
Margaret Kyriakou	Groups Secretary
Nikki Lindsey	Speaker Secretary
Gillian Adams	Newsletter Editor
Nigel Cudby	Marketing
Mark Dowdney	Public Relations
Phillipa Allison	Joined committee on September 14th

Post 31 Dec 2022 Peter Almond was coopted onto the committee on January 18[th] .

The registered address is:

The Sanctuary, 21 Matham Road, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 0SX

Agents and Advisers:

Bankers: National Westminster Bank plc. 73 High Street, Walton-on-Thames,

Surrey KT12 1DW

CCOA: Charity Funds, One Angel Lane, London EC4R 3AB

Independent Examiner:

Adrian Searle FCA ACMA CGMA Chartered Accountant

122 Thorkhill Road, Thames Ditton,

Surrey KT7 0UW

Structure and Governance

The governing document is a Constitution dated 26 March 1998, as amended 21 March 2003, 2 April 2014 and 4 April 2018

Management

As we entered 2023, we did so in a strong position. With Covid behind us and a determination to return to normal, coupled with a focused marketing campaign, we started the year with over 1300 members and 117 groups; our largest ever in both respects, yielding a positive groups-to-members ratio. At our first Group Leaders gathering since 2019, we were able to show our appreciation to our volunteers and helpers without whom we couldn’t exist.

Our monthly Speaker Sessions at Claygate Village Hall have slowly attracted increased participation with the January 2023 talk back to pre-Covid levels. The 2023 programme is already in place with a splendid variety of very interesting talks in the pipe-line.

The format of our Monthly Bulletin has been revised to improve its presentation and our much appreciated Newsletter continues to maintain a high standard with many interesting articles from our community.

Performance and Objectives

2022 delivered the recovery we hoped for following Covid.

We are pleased that a number of new groups were formed during the year including; Card Making, Discussion/Current Affairs, Folk, Play Reading, Book Reading (3), Italian, Bridge, Scrabble, Golf, Pickleball (3), Elmbridge Friends, Biography of Famous People and The Adventurers.

Elmbridge Friends now has over 140 members. Whilst some activities have been successfully established e.g. Local Theatre Group, Elmbridge Friends Pub Lunches, Supper Club, Weybridge Lunch Group and Pub Jazz, it is hoped that more will be created over the next year together with a programme of social activities. We have the largest u3a Pickleball Group in the country with over 80 members; it is continuing to grow from strength to strength and is one of our most popular activities. Two more coaching programmes for beginners were scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.

Our Technical and Talks Teams together with our Webmaster team have performed incredibly well over the year - not least when all our website data was deleted by the Third Age Trust’s server provider – largely working in the shadows to deliver the technical infrastructure that underpins the operation of Elmbridge u3a. During the year Phillipa Allison joined the Committee to oversee the introduction of a new website currently under development by a large team within the Third Age Trust. Successful implementation of an attractive, modern, flexible system will deliver significant improvement as a utility to our members and to both our internal and outwardly facing communications in the future.

Moving forward we will concentrate on helping new members integrate into the u3a and will implement ideas we have been developing in an attempt to minimise issues with full groups and waiting lists We will continue our public relations and recruitment campaign through marketing within the Elmbridge community and building relationships with other organisations. We have formed a good relationship with Elmbridge Borough Council, through the Social Prescribing programme and their Community Centres, and hope to build on this as we move forward.

We look forward to 2023/24 building on our growth and opportunities for all our members

Communications and Marketing

In 2022 we filmed and created a promotional video of some of the many activities and study groups offered by Elmbridge u3a. Its aim was to provide a taster to prospective members of how they might enhance their lives by joining our organisation. The video can currently be viewed via the Elmbridge YouTube channel. Eventually, when the current re-organisation of our website is complete, the intention is to embed the video in the welcome page. Already, discussions are taking place in Communications and Marketing about the possibility of making another replacement video covering more of our activities.

The monthly email Bulletins continue to play a vital role in keeping members up to date about our study groups and other activities. Photographs are extremely helpful in this work and we urge group leaders to send in photos of their members’ activities. Our regular Newsletters are also crucial to our aim of connecting and informing our membership. Important articles in the past year include the experiences of members who generously opened their homes to refugees from the war in Ukraine.

Also in the past year, considerable effort went into raising local awareness of Elmbridge u3a and the recruitment of new members. This included the manning of promotional stalls at Claygate Village Hall, Molesey Community Centre, Weybridge Library, Whiteley Village and the West End Village Show on August Bank Holiday, as well as establishing new links with Elmbridge Borough Council. We believe this work has helped us achieve our highest ever membership level.

Our Members

We truly value the loyalty of all our members and the contribution they make to Elmbridge u3a. We constantly need more voluntary support to keep the organization running smoothly and to spread the workload. The u3a is self-supporting, where we all help each other and learn from each other. Participation and volunteering are central to the ethos of the u3a and to its continued success. We welcome Peter Almond who recently joined the Committee.

Margaret Kyriakou, Groups Secretary, retires from the post at this AGM; we thank her for her excellent contribution and also David Rodway, for his magnificent work, who stepped down as Chair at the end of 2022. David, as Vice Chair, remains on the Committee and will continue with his many other roles as we move forward.

Monthly Meetings

Members have been able to enjoy a varied programme of live talks at Claygate Village Hall throughout the year, also recorded when possible on the Elmbridge YouTube channel for members who are unable to attend on the day. We are pleased to see that the number of members attending has gradually returned to pre-Covid levels. The talks could not be run without the assistance of a core team of volunteers who provide both technical support and help in welcoming members on the door, arranging the seating and providing refreshments. We’d like to thank all of them for their continued assistance in making these meetings such enjoyable events and hope to welcome many more members in the year ahead.

Membership

The member profile during 2022 was more or less back to normal. The number of new members was 247 which is above the norm, only exceeded by one earlier year. There was a successful promotion event in the summer at which 13 new members were recruited. Such promotion events are expected to continue into 2023.

Regarding renewals, at the time of reporting the amount of leavers was approximately 15% but late renewals are chased up over January and beyond, so the eventual total is expected to fall a bit. Normally, over 10% of our members do not renew due to normal life events e.g. moving, health/mobility, insufficient time to participate. In 2022. The renewals to date total 85% of the 1233 members due for renewal.

New member meetings are re-established on a bi-monthly basis in a local hall. This helps new members settle in. These meetings are well attended and aimed at encouraging new members to take an active part in joining groups and giving new members a taste of the social u3a environment. They also have potential for identifying future group leaders and helpers.

Financial Overview General Funds

The Accounts show a small excess of receipts over payments on General funds of £324 (2021: £588). The salient points were:

We benefitted from additional membership income of £1,602 reflecting the increase in membership.
• At 31 December 2022 we had received £12,725 relating to 2023 from 1060 members (2021: £12,577 from 1048 members).
We benefitted this year from exceptional Donations totalling £700.
Year on year there were increases in the Third Age costs and the Elmbridge Newsletter, due to the increase in membership and general costs.
The net costs of the monthly meetings fell by £352. Income increased as the meetings were in person throughout 2022 (four months in 2021), although costs were also higher.
Higher administration costs reflect timing of costs, the opening-up post covid and higher membership.
The group leaders meeting was re-instated following the end of covid restrictions.

Bank Balances and Membership fees

At 31 December 2022 cash and bank balances were £33,416, of which £12,725 relates to 2023 membership fees in advance. In looking at our membership fee for 2024, we must make a projection of our receipts and payments for both 2023 and 2024 and as you are aware inflation is running at over 10%. For example The Third Age Trust has increased in 2023 the per head affiliation fee to £4 and the TAM subscription has been increased to £3.65 per head. The increase in postage and other costs will increase the Newsletter costs by well over 10%.

Although we currently have funds to cover the anticipated excess of payments over receipts for both 2023 and 2024 (the shortfall will reach £4 per head in that year), without an increase in membership fees we will considerably weaken the finances of Elmbridge U3A. Accordingly the committee feel it prudent in the circumstances to recommend to the AGM an increase for 2024 from £12 to £14.

Ring-fenced activities

On the Ring-fenced activities the excess of income of £2,686. (2021: £1060) relates to timing differences, both from monies received from members in advance of trips and due to the late invoicing of costs.

Trustees and Employees

No remuneration was paid to the Trustees during the year and no staff were employed directly or indirectly. Expenses incurred on behalf of Elmbridge U3A and re-imbursed to Trustees during the year were as follows:

General Funds £3,831 Ring-fenced groups £5,912

Groups and other activities

Group leaders are the life blood of our organisation. They give freely of their time, expertise, enthusiasm and, often, their homes. We are extremely grateful to all of them. Our Group Leaders represent about 6% of Elmbridge u3a. We would love to have more of you. If you think you have an interest you could share with others do talk to a member of the Committee about it.

Total number of groups = 117, 5 of which are associated groups. Group closures = 5 New groups formed = 16

Number of group Leaders = 78 of which 19 are leading more than one group and 4 groups have 2 leaders.

The Group Co-ordination Team remains the same: Groups Secretary Margaret Kyriakou and Groups Coordinators, Laila Eletre, Margaret Reynolds and David Rodway. They look after the groups between them. David Rodway is also responsible for the registers and records.

Groups by subject

Arts and Crafts, Music

Groups by subject Arts and Crafts, Music	Groups by subject Arts and Crafts, Music
Folk, Flower painting, Photography, Needlecraft, Jazz (2), Eu3a Band, Crafts, new Singing Group (still not
active), card making, and one associated art group (Drawing and Painting)	11
Reading, Writing and Talking
Book Reading (7), Writing your Life Story (2), Discussion/current affairs (3)’ Play reading (2)	14
Foreign Languages
French (6 groups), German (5 groups), Italian (3) Modern, Spanish	15
General Knowledge, Mathematics, Science
Aviation, Biography of Famous People (2), Geopolitics (2), Genealogy, History (2),	12
Military History, Philosophy (2 ), Exploring Maths
Special Interests, Life Skills
Film Appreciation, Explorers, Gardening, Plant Exchange, Travel Experience, Wine Appreciation (2 ) 7
Card, Board and other Games
Bridge (10), card club, Chess, Mahjong, Rummikub, (2), Scrabble (3), Quiz	19
Physical Activities
Circle Dancing, Croquet, Cycling, Petanque (Boules) (2), Pickleball (6 groups), Table Tennis (5),	30
Yoga, Adventurous Activities, Walking Groups (7) plus 5 associated groups (Bowls (3), Pilates,
Folk Dancing)

Social Activities

Social walking (3 groups), Lunch Clubs (3 groups), Theatre Trips, Di’s Days Out, Elmbridge Friends 9 Total:

ELMBRIDGE U3A
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS
for the year ended 31 December		2022

			2022			2021

	Note	General	Ring- fenced group activities	Total	General	Ring- fenced group activities	Total
RECEIPTS

Membershipreceipts duringtheyear	1	15,843	-	15,843	14,241	-	14,241
Gift Aid Tax refund	2	2,724	-	2,724	2,402	-	2,402
Donations	3	746	-	746	61	-	61
Advances to assist groups: amount repaid inyear	4	611	-	611	579	-	579

Miscellaneous
Deposit account interest		105	-	105	1	-	1
Monthlymeetings: income	5	883	-	883	340	-	340
Sale of U3A Merchandise		-	-	-	16	-	16
		988	-	988	357	-	357

Cash collected byRing-fencedgroups	13	-	19,117	19,117	-	6,593	6,593

Total Receipts		20,912	19,117	40,029	17,640	6,593	24,233


PAYMENTS
Third Age Trust affiliation fee		(4,824)	-	(4,824)	(4,036)	-	(4,036)
Third Age Matters		(3,024)	-	(3,024)	(2,438)	-	(2,438)
Beacon costs		(1,205)	-	(1,205)	(1,153)	-	(1,153)
Third Age Trust costs	6	(9,053)	-	(9,053)	(7,627)	-	(7,627)

Elmbridge Newsletter	7	(6,297)	-	(6,297)	(4,774)	-	(4,774)

Elmbridge U3A activities
GroupLeaders' events	8	(600)	-	(600)	-	-	-
Monthlymeetings: Speakers and room hire	5	(1,738)	-	(1,738)	(1,547)	-	(1,547)
Publicity& Advertising	9	(309)	-	(309)	(545)	-	(545)
New members' meetings	10	(324)	-	(324)	(304)	-	(304)
		(2,971)	-	(2,971)	(2,396)	-	(2,396)

Administration
General administration expenses	11	(692)	-	(692)	(201)	-	(201)
IT related costs	12	(825)	-	(825)	(1,075)	-	(1,075)
Paypal fees		(223)	-	(223)	(176)	-	(176)
		(1,740)	-	(1,740)	(1,452)	-	(1,452)

Advances to assistgroupactivities	4	(527)	-	(527)	(787)	-	(787)
Purchase ofgoods for resale		-	-	-	(16)	-	(16)

Payments on behalf of Ring-fencedgroups	13	-	(16,431)	(16,431)	-	(5,533)	(5,533)

Total Payments		(20,588)	(16,431)	(37,019)	(17,052)	(5,533)	(22,585)

Excess of Receipts over Payments		324	2,686	3,010	588	1,060	1,648

Opening bank balances 1 January 2022		33,092	4,693	37,785	32,504	3,633	36,137

Closing bank balances 31 December 2022		33,416	7,379	40,795	33,092	4,693	37,785



_The notes attachedform an integralpart of _		these accou	nts

ELMBRIDGE U3A
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
for the year at 31 December 2022
		At 31 December 2022				At 31 December 2021
	General funds	Advanced membership (see note 1 below)	Ring-fenced group activities	Total	General funds	Advanced membership (see note 1 below)	Ring-fenced group activities	Total
	(£)	(£)	(£)	(£)	(£)	(£)	(£)	(£)
Funds

Balance brought forward at 1 January2022	20,515	12,577	4,693	37,785	22,064	10,440	3,633	36,137

Excess of Receipts over Payments in theyear	324	-	2,686	3,010	588	-	1,060	1,648
Change in advanced membership (note 1)	(148)	148	-	-	(2,137)	2,137	-	-

At 31 December 2022	20,691	12,725	7,379	40,795	20,515	12,577	4,693	37,785


Represented by Bank Balances

Bank deposit account	10,856	-	-	10,856	10,750	-	-	10,750
Bank and PayPAL accounts	9,835	12,725	-	22,560	9,765	12,577	-	22,342
Ring-fencedgroupbank accounts	-	-	7,379	7,379	-	-	4,693	4,693


TOTAL ASSETS	20,691	12,725	7,379	40,795	20,515	12,577	4,693	37,785

Note
1. Advanced membership: This is the Receipts in 2022 which relate to 202			3 Membership



Signed by two trustees on behalf of all the trustees	Signature					Signature

	8.3.2023				8.3.2023

ELMBRIDGE U3A

Notes to RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS for the year to 31 December 2022

Accounting Policies

The accounts are prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011.

These accounts show both the General and Ring-fenced Group Funds of Elmbridge U3A and are prepared on a receipts and payments basis so that these include:

a. all membership fees and other receipts,
b. all monies collected for Ring-Fenced activities and,
c. all expenses and costs

received and paid in the year, irrespective of the period to which these relate.

The General Funds: This covers the activities carried out for general benefit of Elmbridge U3A.

Ring-fenced Group activities: all Group activities are self-funding and independent of the General Funds of Elmbridge U3A. There is no contribution to or from General Funds and all monies collected by a group activity are used by and held for the benefit of that group. The Group activities include Jenny’s Jaunts, Theatre trips and also the Elmbridge U3A Choir.

Overview

There is a small surplus on General funds of £324 (2021: £588). On the Ring-fenced activities the excess of income of £2,686. (2021: £1,060) relates to timing differences, both monies received from members in advance of trips and late invoicing of costs

Receipts and Payments: Notes

Membership receipts: there was an increase in membership income in the year of £1,602 to £15,843. (2021: increase £1,661)
Our membership as at 31 December 2022 was 1317 (2021: 1230).
There was a significant increase in the number of new members compared to 2021
Membership received in advance at 31 December 2022 relating to 2023 was £12,725. The equivalent at 31 December 2021 was £12,577. A lower percentage of membership renewal occurred pre 31 December 2022 than in 2021.
The Gift Aid: The Gift Aid is claimed in arrears based on membership receipts in the previous 12 months to 31 December.
Donations: In 2022 we benefitted from 2 exceptional donations totalling £700. We are grateful to several members who also made donations for the benefit of Elmbridge U3A in 2022 and 2021.
Advances to assist groups: The General Funds, from time to time, provide short term funds to groups to facilitate their establishment or development, with the advance being repaid over an agreed period by contributions from members of those groups.

5. Monthly Meetings:

The receipts from meetings at Claygate Village Hall were £883 (2021: £340). Face to face meetings resumed in August 2021, although initially numbers of attendees were limited. Numbers attending in 2022 have been disappointing although these now seem on an upward trend.
Monthly meeting costs, which include those of the speaker and the rental of Claygate Village Hall were £1,738. (2021: £1,547). The higher costs were the result of resumption of the monthly rental of the Hall offset by lower Zoom costs.

6. Third Age Trust Costs:

The Third Trust charges an annual affiliation fee calculated on the actual number of members as at 31 March. The higher charge in 2022 reflected higher membership
The Third Age Matters is paid in May, based on the number of copies despatched in the year to the previous February.
The Beacon licence is also membership based.
Newsletter: With a resumption of group activities, higher membership and increased costs, the newsletter costs increased from £4,774 in 2021 to £6,297 in 2022.
A Group leaders’ event (£600) took place in the year, the first since before the pandemic (2021: £nil).
Publicity and marketing spend included a successful stand at the West End summer fair.
Spend on new members meetings totalled £324 (2020: £304).
Administration costs increased to £692 (2020: £201). The costs in 2021 were exceptionally low and part of the increase in 2022 is due to costs incurred in 2021 being paid in 2022.
IT related costs: this covers the Dropbox subscription and development Zoom licence costs. In 2021 a new PC was acquired.

Ring- fenced group activities

The Theatre group had restarted in 2021 and Elmbridge U3A Jaunts recommenced in 2022. Both groups ran several successful trips during the year. The Choir re-commenced meetings in late 2022 Payments are the costs incurred by the groups in carrying out their activities, such as admission fees, theatre tickets and coaches, hire of venues and music.

ELMBRIDGE U3A Independent Examiner’s Report

I report on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). An independent examination is required by the Charity Commission as the Receipts exceed £25,000.

It is my responsibility to:

examine the accounts under Section 145 of the 2011 Act;
follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a true and fair view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 130 of the 2011 Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or 2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed: 8 March 2023

Adrian Searle FCA ACMA CGMA Chartered Accountant 122 Thorkhill Road,

Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0UW

MINUTES OF THE 24th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF ELMBRIDGE u3a

Held at CVH 1.30 Wednesday 6[th] April 2022

Present: David Rodway Acting Chair Andrew Craig Treasurer Meg James Committee Secretary Margaret Kyriakou Nikki Lindsey Gillian Adams Mark Dowdney Nigel Cudby

The Chair thanked all those who had come to the AGM and supported us throughout the year. He reminded the members present that the AGM allows the existing Committee to report on what happened in 2021 and to say where we stand at the start of 2022. It is also an opportunity for the members, to question it, to raise issues and concerns both about 2021 and about 2022 and beyond.

1. Apologies Tony Wharton

2. Minutes

Resolved that the Minutes of the 23rd Annual General Meeting of Elmbridge U3A held on 2nd June 2021 be approved and signed by the Chair.

Proposed by: Susan Dev Seconded by: Sylvia Rodway Passed: nem con

3. Matters arising

There were no matters arising.

4. Chair’s Address on behalf of the Trustees (Committee)

Management

The efforts especially of our group leaders and technical team have ensured that our loyal members have not been disappointed by what we have been able to deliver. We found ways to operate effectively despite the Covid pandemic which, even now, continues to disrupt our activities. There is, understandably, still some nervousness amongst members about face-to-face meetings but they are now returning to more normal levels of engagement with our day-to-day activities. In the second half of the year, we made a special effort to welcome new members and some of them have already been helping us by introducing new activities or by stepping into the shoes of long serving stalwarts who wanted to reduce their commitments. The new Committee members have earned their spurs and are now instrumental in driving us forward. Renewals held up well as they did in 2020 but happily, unlike in 2020, recruitment in the second half of 2021 returned to pre pandemic levels. As a result of this and of careful management of our costs our financial position is strong, and we can look to the future with some confidence.

Objectives, Activities and Performance

Our committee members, group leaders and technical team gave us the means to keep things going and to take advantage of a gradual relaxation in Covid restrictions. Our group leaders made great efforts to keep in touch with their members and found ways to keep in contact with them to continue their activities. When the first lockdown was eased, we were able to restart some of our outdoor activities, including country walks and rambles, group meetings in members’ gardens, and open-air tea

parties for new members. Some activities in public halls were able to resume, and, although further lockdowns soon followed, the experience showed us how to get things back on track quickly as restrictions eased. The use of Zoom, WhatsApp and other applications, and later, of mixtures of faceto-face and online working all helped.

We expect 2022 to be a year of recovery. We look forward to the time when the relaxations can be extended to all our popular activities.

Communications and Marketing

We reworked the appearance of our website and, in 2022, will continue to improve it to keep it attractive and up to date and of more immediate utility to members.The monthly email bulletins continued to keep members up to date about our study groups and other activities and the regular newsletters reflected on earlier crises, with members reporting on their wartime experiences as children. The internal Facebook group has slowly accrued members sharing stories and raising matters of interest. With Marketing and Public Relations activities covered by two new Committee members we have increased the awareness of Elmbridge u3a and the benefits we offer, helping to attract new members after coming out of lockdown.

Monthly Meetings

Until July, monthly speaker meetings were run virtually with speakers giving illustrated talks remotely. Where possible we recorded the talks, keeping them available on the Elmbridge YouTube channel which meant that they were enjoyed by far more members than could ever have been accommodated in Claygate Village Hall. However, there is no substitute for the mutual enjoyment of gathering together and enjoying the talks live and from August we were able to restart meetings at Claygate under controlled Covid-safe measures and by regulating the audience numbers. We were slowly able to increase the audience size over the ensuing months as the restrictions were relaxed. Where possible we continue to record the talks for those members who prefer to watch from home.

Administration

Tech Team and Talks Team have provided a wide variety of support to all aspects of administration, not least to the take up of online conferencing by groups and by the Committee.

Our Members

As a Committee, we pay tribute to the loyalty of our members, but we need more of them to become more actively involved in the running of our u3a. We need more fresh faces to help us to meet the challenges of the future. There are still some important posts being filled by too few of us. We cannot repeat too often that Eu3a is a voluntary organisation, relying on the skills and commitment of its members for its success. We hope that 2022 will be the year when we are able to make better use of this potential and move forward to better times ahead.

Groups and other activities

In late 2021 we restarted Theatre Trips and now we have restarted day trips, restyled Di’s Days Out. In the same way as 2020, 2021 continued to be difficult because of the COVID pandemic. We have had lockdowns, social distancing and limits on numbers meeting, both indoors and outside. Our Group Leaders have overcome these difficulties by meeting virtually via Zoom, communicating via email, snail mail and telephone, and some just waiting it out. We cannot thank the Groups Leaders enough for their

resilience and patience during this time. As restrictions have eased the majority of groups have resumed face-to-face meeting, being flexible and abiding by whatever current guidelines have been in place to ensure the safety of our members. A few of our older group leaders have taken the circumstances as an opportunity to retire and have closed their groups. We thank them for their years of service to the u3a. I am pleased to say that we have had 10 new groups forming during the year and we are always happy to welcome more.

Adoption of the Annual Report of the Trustees (Committee) for the year ended 31 December 2021

Proposed by: Jennifer Simpson Seconded by: Joanna Rand Passed, nem con

5. Treasurers Address on the Examined Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021

The accounts of Elmbridge u3a for the year to 31 December 2021 are available online and I propose to focus selectively.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and thank you for joining us for our AGM. The accounts of Elmbridge U3A to 31 December 2021 are available online. Printed copies are also available today. Numbers and accounts are not everyone’s cup of tea so I apologise in advance as I explain the key points Our accounts are prepared on the receipts and payments basis. Receipts are monies paid into our bank accounts and payments are monies paid out of our bank accounts. This means that 2022 renewals received before the 31st of December 2021 are included in our 2021 receipts attached. The payment of our expenses is shown as and when paid and these are not related to the period to which those costs relate. At 31 December 2021 the bank balances of the general funds were £33,092, an increase of £588 over 2020 as receipts exceeded payments by that amount in the year to 31 December.

Of our bank balances at 31 December 2021 £12,577 relates to 2022 renewals received by 31 December 2021. The comparative 2021 renewals received in advance at 31 December 2020 was £10,440. The increase clearly reflects the benefit of the increase in membership fee from £10 to £12. This increase was proposed and accepted at the AGM a year ago, which was a time of much uncertainty as to the future. Without an increase our forecasts painted a picture of an increasing deficit of receipts over payments.

Our principal source of income is our membership fees. Although at 31 December 2021 our membership was lower than 2020, thanks to the increase in the membership fee and a very positive level of renewals for 2022 prior to 31 December 2021 there was an increase of £1,661 in membership receipts. This exceeded our expectations.

Of our payments the largest group relate to the Third Age Trust, costs of which are outside our control. Positively overall payments to the Third Age Trust were £2,078 lower than in 2021. This partly is the result of lower membership numbers but also the Third Age Trust changed the calculation basis for the affiliation fee which benefited us significantly. Previously it was based on the highest number of members in the year to March, whereas it is now the number at 31 March.

Our lower spend on the Elmbridge newsletter reflects partially lower group activities but also the lower membership.

The increase in the monthly meeting costs is due to the fact that monthly meetings were run throughout the year whereas in the previous year, 2020 we had only commenced zoom monthly meetings part way through the year.

The increase in the IT related costs is a result of the purchase of a small laptop for use by the IT team. In 2022, like all organisations, we are faced with increased costs. For example the Third Age Trust affiliation fee is increasing. The cost of the Elmbridge newsletter is increasing, both due to rising print costs and also to postage charges.

At the AGM we set the membership fee for the following year, in this case 2023. We find ourselves in a strong position financially so we can keep the 2023 membership at £12. Finally I would like to say we all owe a special vote of thanks to Adrian Searle for conducting an examination of the accounts and to all individuals, who behind the scenes make Elmbridge U3A so successful and vibrant.

Adoption of the Financial Report for the end of year 31[st] December 2021

Proposed by: Mike Tripp Seconded by: Joanna Rand Passed: nem con

6. Membership Fees for 2023

There will be no increase in Membership Fees for 2023.

Proposed by: Susan Dev Seconded by: Paula Day Passed, nem con

7. Election of Committee

The following members were offering themselves for election:

Nigel Cudby Margaret Kyriakou Meg James Andrew Craig Nikki Lindsey Gillian Adams Mark Dowdney David Rodway Tony Wharton The Chair asked that these members be elected. Proposed by: Elaine Cowan Seconded by: John Larcher Passed, nem con

8. Appointment of Independent Examiner

Adrian Searle has indicated that he is happy to continue acting as Elmbridge U3A Independent Examiner for next year.

Proposed by: Jennifer Simpson Seconded by: Susan Dev Passed, (nem con)

9. Any other business

Questions were asked on the following:

a. A vote of thanks to the committee for their hard work was received from a member.

b. Should there be a different entrance fee for Non members to the talks at CVH

Answer : No because this is against Charity Commission ruling with regards to Gift Aid .

c. Can you give a precise definition of Ring Fenced Funding

Answer: Any group activity is Ring fenced in that each group is self-financing by members of that group There is no contribution to or from group activities other than when general funds provide short term loans for the purchase of equipment. Such loans are then fully re-imbursed to general funds over an agreed period.

General funds are used for the benefit of all members of Elmbridge U3A

The Chair closed the meeting at 2.15

The next AGM will take place on Wednesday 5th April 2023