2023-01-31-accounts

The Third Age Trust 156 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8EN

The Third Age Trust: AGM 2023

The Third Age Trust: AGM 2023	The Third Age Trust: AGM 2023
Minutes of the 40thAnnual General Meeting of the Third Age Trust
Chair: Liz Thackray (LT)
Company Secretary and Chief Executive: Sam Mauger (SM)
Date and time	Wednesday, 18 October 2023 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Venue	Hybrid meeting and online at Kents Hill Park, Training and Conference Centre, Swallow House, Timbold Drive, Kents Hill Park, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ
Present	490 u3as with voting delegates were present at the AGM, which equals to u3as holding 1,068 votes.
Proxy Votes	137 u3as proxying to the Company Secretary, of which 29 u3as have given specific instructions to the Company Secretary, as to how they want their vote to be placed. One u3a hasproxied their vote to another u3a.

ITEM NO

AGENDA ITEM

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Liz Thackray welcomed everyone to the 40thAnnual General Meeting of the Third Age Trust. She extended a special thank you to the members of the Milton Keynes u3a, who have been assisting at the AGM. Before the AGM proceedings, members were provided with a video of the ‘Off the Wall’ event that took place at Hadrian’s Wall in May 2023. Also, Margaret Fiddes, Trustee, Yorkshire and the Humber, gave a presentation regarding the National u3a Festival, planned to take place at the York Universityfrom 18-20 July2024

	Sam Mauger also extended a warm welcome to everyone attending in-person and on-line. She then outlined the voting arrangements for those members present, as well as those on-line. Sam Mauger also advised the procedure for submitting questions and advised that if any questions did not get answered at the meeting, they will be afterwards, via email.
1	MINUTES OF THE 2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Resolution 1 – To receive and approve the minutes of the 2022 Annual General Meeting. Proposer’s Name: Ian Funnel, Proposer’s u3a: Fetcham u3aq Seconder’s Name: Phil Hawthorn Seconder’s u3a: Winchcombe Area u3a Total Votes: For: 553 Against: 6 Abstentions: 48 Result: Resolution 1carried
2	CHAIR’S REPORT, INCLUDING SHORT FILMS REFLECTING PROGRESS ON DIGITAL STRATEGY, FIT FOR THE FUTURE AND STRATEGY IMPLENTATION. Liz Thackray introduced her Chair’s report, advising that there will be three videos, which will showcase the areas of activity over the 12-18 months, central to becoming fit for the future: • ‘Digital Strategy’, presenters were Tony Smith (Ashby u3a) and Liz Thackray (Trust’s Chair), • ‘Strategy Development’, presenters were Allan Walmsley (Trust’s Vice Chair) and Sam Mauger, (CEO) • ‘Fit for the Future’, presenters were Margaret Fiddes (Trustee. Yorkshire and the Humber, Liz Thackray (Trust’s Chair) and John Bent (Co-opted Trustee.) Regarding the Pilot Council, (referred to in the last video) Liz Thackray advised that it has met three times this year and is not part of the formal structure of the Trust. However, it provides an opportunity for members to voice and discuss their concerns at these meetings. All the work cited in the videos is a snapshot of the current priorities of the Trust and their progression will be conveyed through various communication channels available to u3a members, seeking member’s views.

• 3 TO RECEIVE AND CONSIDER THE ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 2023

Derek Harwood, Treasurer, provided a presentation of key points from the published Group accounts (TAT and TATTL), under the following headings:

• Group consolidated, Income and Expenditure Account 2022/23

• Group Balance Sheet, 2022/23

• Third Age Trust Trading Ltd, 2022/23

• Group Reserves, at 31 March 2023

• Budget, 2023/24, Income and Expenditure

• Budget 2023/24

• Budget 2023/24, Services Provided

• Forecasts (with inflation)

Members were then encouraged to submit questions based on the Chair’s and Treasurer’s reports and the following emerged:

• a) On a question submitted by Richard Bedford, Stroud u3a, regarding what plans does the Trust have to use the healthy reserves to benefit u3as and members, Derek Harwood advised that there are current projects already in place I.e. Digital Strategy (for the benefit of u3a members and staff) and the development of Zendesk, as well as the development of networks. These projects will benefit members.

• b) On a question submitted by Adrienne Nicks, Welwyn Hatfield u3a, all presentations will be available and, loaded onto the YouTube channel.

• c) On a request submitted by Ian Funnell, Fetcham u3a, it was agreed that future statutory accounts will be available in formats that are printable. And, on an observation from the 2022 AGM minutes, Derek Harwood confirmed that the winding up calculation to the year March 2022 was

• £1.3m and for the year to March 2023 is £1.1m.

• d) On question submitted by a member on-line, regarding relocating the office outside London, thus saving money. The response to the question was that there had been an exercise to look at this. The results showed that there was not much of a saving, bearing in mind that the Trust will include redundancy, re-location and possible recruitment costs, along with significant disruption of moving the offices.

• e) On a question submitted regarding the recording of the AGM, it was noted that it will be available on-line after the meeting, along with all videos.

• f) On a question submitted regarding the capture of key characteristics of u3a members at recruitment stage, Liz Thackray responded, stating the capturing of this information, would be helpful. However, the local u3as have access to these details, as the Trust does not have the means to do this.

• g) On a question submitted regarding the reserves and restricted

	funds, Derek Harwood responded, stating that some of the reserves, are ringfenced for specific projects, with probably two years left of spent. However, if inflation continues to rise, it may impact on the spending level, which may result in a review taking place earlier. h) On a question submitted by Hilary Davidson from Salisbury u3a, regarding the subscription fee of £4.00 not increasing, Derek Harwood responded stating that £4.00 per member will be in place for the next year, but it may be under review sometime in the future. i) On a question submitted regarding the top three hardest challenges, Liz Thackray responded, stating a) Membership/strategy – that the way we work is relevant to its members, b) Digital – catering for a diverse group of members and ensuring that all u3a members are included, c) Recruitment – encouraging new members and to take up volunteer roles within their u3a as well as at a national level.
	Sam Mauger advised again that those questions which were submitted but were not answered due to time restraints, a response will be provided via email.
4	APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS Resolution 2 – To appoint Goodman Jones LLP as the Auditors and to authorise the Board of Directors to set their remuneration. Proposer’s Name: ~Tony Cheetham Proposer’s u3a: Preston & District u3a Seconder’s Name: Marion McCrindle Seconder’s u3a: Watford Park u3a Total Votes: For: 608 Against: 0 Abstentions: 11 Result: Resolution 2 carried

5 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW TRUSTEES The following Trustees have been appointed following an on-line ballot: • East of England – Maurice Austin (contested)

• Northern Ireland – Valerie Cobain (un-contested)

• Northeast – Jean Cubbin (un-contested)

• Northwest – Tony Cheetham (un-contested)

• Southeast – Susie Berry (un-contested)

• Southwest – Susan Parker (un-contested)

• Yorkshire and the Humber – Margaret Fiddes (contested)

LT announced the following: Those u3as who are celebrating 40[th] Anniversaries:

• Dunstable

• London

• Nottingham District

• Oxford

• Wakefield

• Yeovil

The new u3as, since the last AGM:

• Upper Eden

• Ipplepen and Surrounds

• Isle of Bute • Glasgow Southside 6 VOTING ON THE ORDINARY RESOLUTION 3 Liz Thackray outlined the procedure for voting, as well those proposing and seconding the Resolution. She then read the Resolution: ‘Now that the u3a has in excess of 1000 u3a’s, with the South East Region representing around 20% of the National figure, we request that the organisational review of the Third Age Trust is mandated to consider a mechanism to give greater status and input to smaller networks/clusters. ‘ Proposer: Hastings and Rother u3a Seconder: Hailsham and District u3a. On behalf of proposer Hastings and Rother u3a and seconder Hailsham and District u3a, Richard Collisson read the supporting statement, via video. Total Votes: For: 143 Against: 440 Abstentions: 31

	Result: Resolution 3 not carried.
7	VOTING ON THE ORDINARY RESOLUTION 4 Liz Thackray read the Resolution: ‘This Annual General Meeting calls on the Third Age Trust to: 1. Adopt as a key strategic priority an increase in national u3a membership to at least 500,000 by the end of 2028 2. Implement regular and substantial national promotional activities that enable this goal to be achieved 3. To report on the implementation and impact of promotional activities at Board meetings and in Annual Reports.’ Proposer: Royston u3a Seconder: Tring u3a. On behalf of the proposer and seconder’s u3a, the following read the supporting statements via video: Jackie Gellert, Chair, Royston u3a Rob Jones, Chair, Tring u3a Total Votes: For: 405 Against: 187 Abstentions: 25 Result: Resolution 4 carried.
8	VOTE OF THANKS TO THE RETIRING TRUSTEES On behalf of those attending the meeting, Liz Thackray thanked the following retiring Trustees: • Northeast – Sandi Rickerby • Northwest – Neil Stevenson • East of England – Barbara Cordina Liz Thackray also thanked Michaela Moody, John Bent and Jeff Carter for their service as co-opted Trustees. Liz Thackray also thanked the Board of Trustees, Trust staff and volunteers for their support during the year. She also thanked everyone for attending the meeting on-line and in-person. There being no further business, the AGM closed at 1:15 p.m. Following the AGM, there was a plenary session via video by Clive Grace,Chair of Third Age Trust TradingLimited Board.

Charity No. 1120043

Stafford U3A Accounts February 1st 2022 to January 31st 2023

Expenditure	£	Receipts		£
Third Age Trust Payments
Capitation Fees, ,CLA licence renewal,	8,047	Subscriptions		11,257
U3A News Direct Mail, Beacon		Gift Aid reclaimed		0
Sub-total a	8,047	Group Income		17,239
		Monthly Meeting		1,793
Asset Costs – see Note 1		Donations		26
Newsletter editor's laptop	399	Sundries		66
Sub-total b	399	Hostelling & Trailwalking receipts	20,562
		Hostelling & Trailwalking outgoings	-21,385	-823
		Days Out & Theatre Visits receipts	20,767
Running Costs		Days Out & Theatre Visits outgoings	-18,693	2,074
Room Hire	11,420	HF Holidays receipts	23,989
Group Expenditure	5,507	HF Holidays outgoings	-24,828	-839
Committee Costs (Print, post, meetings)	2,156
Group Leaders Lunch	220	Bank interest		10
Sundries (ICT support, honoraria)	256
Sub-total c	19,558	Total Receipts		30,803
Social events
Monthly Meeting	3,789
Sub-total d	3,789	Add Deficit: Expenditure over Receipts		989
Total Expenditure ( a + b + c + d)	31,792			31,792
Liabilities	£	Assets		£
Cheques not presented (No.1)	60	Balances as at 31-01-23
Cheques not presented (No.2)	357	No. 1 account		4,416
		No. 2 account		3,964
Sub-total	417	Reserve Account		11,064
		Cash/post in hand		29
		Credits to be paid in		0
Funds brought forward from 2021-22	20,044
Less deficit for 2022-23	989
Funds as at 31-01-23	19,055
Grand total	19,472	Grand total		19,472

Notes to Accounts

1 Costs of Equipment is charged in full in “Expenditure”, and written off in full. No depreciation of assets is therefore required. An Asset custody book is maintained

2 All figures are rounded off to the nearest pound, as per the Charities Commission accounting guidelines.