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. ##