CHAIR’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2024/2025
Firstly, I would like to thank all the Committee Members for their efforts throughout
the past year, ensuring that our u3a has been able to continue and even expand a little.
To Nick Andrews, our Treasurer, who keeps track of our finances, deals with room hire for our groups and , together with his wife Annie, helps to keep our website up to date.
To Janine Navarro who produces your Newsletter each month – and believe me, that is by no means an easy task! Janine puts many hours of effort into ensuring that the Newsletter is varied and interesting, and most important, that it reaches you on time.
To Judith Pattison, my Vice Chair who is a solid back up for the times when I’m not able to attend meetings, and a sensible, reasoning voice in our, often lengthy and complicated, discussions. Judith also keeps us up to date with the epistles emanating from Head Office, as well as attending regional online seminars on our behalf.
To Steve Baker, who has had to deal with several last minute cancellations from pre-booked speakers recently, but has nevertheless managed to provide us with replacements who have proved to be interesting and amusing. All of this, I might add, whilst dealing with his own ongoing health issues and those of his wife Christine. Thank you Steve, and we wish you both well.
To Sally Rooks, who joined the Committee last year and who very shortly thereafter, offered to take on the huge role of Groups Co-ordinator. I’m sure you will all agree that she has done a splendid job so far.
To Gill Postlethwaite who, for more years than I have been a member of EFu3a, has held the role of Membership Secretary, ensuring that renewal subscriptions are collected each year and that new members are welcomed and provided with a list of group activities. Not only that, but Gill has been instrumental in teaching all of the Committee Members how the Beacon system operates, for which we are truly thankful.
We were a smaller Committee than in previous years and are about to become even smaller, as our Secretary Trish Lockyer has decided to stand down after six years of dedicated service, and our Events Organiser, Heather Carnera is also standing down following many years of service to the Committee, as well as heading up the Events team. We will miss them both enormously, but of course we will hopefully still be seeing them at
the monthly members’ meetings, and I’m sure at various events throughout the year. Ladies, thank you for all that you’ve done over the years, as Committee Members and for our U3A in general, and we would like to offer you these gifts as a token of our appreciation.
All of us on the Committee, and many of you as well, were deeply saddened by the passing of Doug Pratt in July this year. Doug was a co-opted member of the Committee, which meant that he did not have a vote but was there because of his particular expertise in all things relating to the Charter and legalities of the u3a at national, as well as local level and, as such, he was a tremendous help to me when I found myself unexpectedly taking on the role of Chair two years ago. He didn’t say much, unless he was asked to, but he absorbed everything and his patience and willingness to assist, not just me but the whole Committee, was generous indeed and is greatly missed.
Next, my thanks must go to all those who beaver away in the background, helping to keep everything running smoothly: our wonderful Refreshments Team who do a great job of keeping us fed and watered at all our meetings and internal events; our welcomers, who stand outside in all weathers with a cheery greeting and a guiding hand for new members; Anne Pratt and Sheila Shulton who look after the Newsletter desk at the monthly meetings, and help with the annual Afternoon Tea; Julia and Paul Wilson who run the book swap and jigsaw stalls, Chris and Val Eagles who keep us supplied with beautiful hand made cards, John Carnera, Barrie Gunter and Mark Lockyer who sign you in when you arrive. My heartfelt thanks to all of you.
And then there are those who help with our internal events throughout the year – not just help but work hard to make these events a success: Chrys Hobbs and Anne Pratt who organize the annual Afternoon Tea along with Kim and the Refreshments team (although I hear that Chrys is now being head hunted as a bingo caller! So we might struggle to hold on to her); Barrie Gunter and Judith Pattison who organize the November Quiz Night; Steve Baker who books our monthly speakers and takes care of all the associated electronic equipment; Sally Rooks, our Groups Co-ordinator, who helps to organize the annual Group Convenors’ lunch; and all those who help with the New Members’ Coffee Morning each year. Grateful thanks to all of you.
And speaking of Group Convenors, we now have 45 groups for you to choose from, including four new groups started this year – Theatre, History, Friendship and Spanish Conversation - all led by members just like you, who give up so much of their time and
energy to organize the groups for you to enjoy. Having recently become a group convenor myself, I truly realise the amount of work that goes into preparing the activities we offer, so my sincere thanks to all of you who continue, year on year, to provide space in your homes or here in the halls, or out in the countryside - whatever you do to lead your groups, you have my heartfelt thanks.
And if there is something that really interests you and we don’t currently have a group offering it, then come and speak with Sally, and I can assure you that she will give you all the support and encouragement that she can in starting a group yourself. There is an up-todate list of groups available in the members area of our website and Sally usually has printed copies to hand out at the monthly meetings for those of you who don’t have online access.
We have just completed our annual membership subscription renewal, and have once again managed to keep the fee at £20 per member, so my thanks go to our Membership Secretary Gill Postlethwaite for handling this task, as always, so efficiently and patiently, and to Nick Andrews, our Treasurer for dealing with the financial side of the renewal process.
To date we have 601 members and there are 33 who have yet to renew their membership. I must also thank Gill for her ongoing contribution to the development of our Beacon system and her continued work in enhancing and refining it further, and I extend my appreciation to her for agreeing to remain as a Committee Member for another year.
Our Events Team have, as always provided a varied and interesting programme of outings this year, and still to come we have our annual Quiz Night on 15[th] November, organized by Barrie Gunter and Judith Pattison, and, what is perhaps the crowning glory of our events year, the fabulous Christmas Lights display at Kew Gardens. My thanks to Trish Lockyer for organizing this event again – it was a sellout last year and if it’s not already sold out for this year, it will soon be, so speak to Trish today if you want to go.
This year, for our annual Spring Break, we took 48 members to Studley Castle in Warwickshire, and everyone agreed it was the best venue so far. So, in an effort to top that, and having listened to those who have been asking for a coastal resort, I have booked
a week at Warner’s Bembridge hotel and leisure centre on the Isle of Wight for May 2026. I now only have one room remaining, so if you are interested, let me know today!
And finally, but by no means least, I would ask you all to consider whether you might be able to help on the Committee in the coming year. We meet here on the second Monday of each month from 10-12am, or thereabouts, according to the agenda. You don’t need any special expertise, just sound common sense really, but with Heather and Trish standing down, we now only have seven Committee members, as compared to the twelve that we had this time last year. More importantly, the Committee cannot legally function without a Secretary and if we cannot appoint one soon, there is a real danger that this branch of the U3A will be closed down. As a temporary measure, two of the current Committee members have agreed to share the Secretary’s role between them – but of course they both have their own roles to fulfil on the Committee and this will be a lot of extra work for them, therefore it can only be a temporary arrangement.
So, we are relying on you, our membership, to ask yourselves whether you would be willing to step up and help us. It is not an onerous task, basically you just need to take notes at our monthly meetings and produce Minutes from them. Additionally, you would need to liaise with the Secretary here at the Village Hall regarding renewal of our annual bookings for meetings and special events.
Please think seriously as to whether you could help us, and if you are interested, we will invite you to attend a Committee meeting to observe what we do and how we do it.
I hope I haven’t left anyone out of my thanks and appreciation, which is of course also extended to every one of you for choosing to be members of Epping Forest U3A, when there are plenty of other local u3as that you could have joined, or perhaps have joined as well as ours.
Signed….. ……..Chair
| INCOME | 2425 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnnualSubscriptions | 13017 | 12506 | |||
| HallHire Charges | |||||
| TBVH | 769I | 6795 | |||
| TBY&CCeNtrC | t922 | l_503 | |||
| GiftAid-(f1859 Paidon24/9/24) | 1859 | 0 | |||
| Otherlncome | |||||
| SocialEvents/Outings | 49239 | 2624t | |||
| Totallncorne | 73727 | 47A45 | |||
| EXPENDITURE | |||||
| ThirdAgeTrust | 3309 | 3150 | |||
| MonthlyMeetings | |||||
| Hall Hire | 4792 | 4887 | |||
| HallSetup | 685 | ||||
| Speakers | 1321 | LA67 | |||
| Group&EventsAccommodation | |||||
| TBVH | 6224 | 7774 | |||
| TEY&CCentre | 1430 | 1350 | |||
| Newsletter | 1041 | 2350 | |||
| GroupLeader'sConference | 1758 | L577 | |||
| CoffeeMornirngs(newm,e,mber:s) | 90 | 100 | |||
| AdministrativeExpenses | 292 | 928 | |||
| MiscellaneousExpenses | 368 | 166 | |||
| SocialEvents/0utings | 48583 | 22414 | |||
| Total expenditure | 69895 | 45155 | |||
| Surpl:us/Deficit | 3832 | 1890 | |||
| AccountBalancesat3LstAugust2025 | at31st August2024 | ||||
| Main | 10990 | Main3867 | |||
| Membership9t | MembershiPLz'L | ||||
| Social4571 | Social8693 | ||||
| Creditors; Amounts falling duewithinl | year | 4602 | at 31st August20214 | ||
| <^n. Elizabethprice...%<**....,...,.Chai Datezz/rcfz{ |
rman | NickA Date |
/ | {- ..Treasurer |