Chalfonts u3a Report of the Trustees for the year ending 31st March 2024
The Trustees present their report along with financial statements of the Charity for the year end 31st March 2024. The financial statements comply with the Charity's Constitution. Chalfonts u3a is a Charity Registered with the Charity Commission under registration number 1168664
Objective.
The objective of Chalfonts u3a (cu3a) is:
“The advancement of education and in particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full-time work, by all means, including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development.”
This objective was adopted by cu3a at its Annual General Meeting on 11th May 2016. It’s wording follows the recommendation of the Third Age Trust, the national body for the u3a movement and complies with discussions held between the Trust and the Charity Commission.
Activities
Chalfonts u3a advances its objective by:
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Holding monthly General Meetings, where members listen to speakers on a wide variety of subjects.
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Operating activity and interest groups focused on specific topics, e.g., art, history, science, and technology.
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Organising educational visits to places of interest to the membership, e.g., historic houses, museums, and gardens.
Achievements and Performance
Chalfonts u3a continued to thrive during 2023-24, attracting new members and establishing four new interest groups over the course of the year. There are now 75 interest groups, running from the local Community and leisure centres, going on outings or meeting in members’ homes. New convenors have stepped forward to take on the co-ordination of interest groups from convenors who wished to step down after serving a number of years. Many interest groups have a core of active
members involved in running the group. The ability to identify new convenors and involve group members in organising and managing the groups ensures the groups are sustainable and shares out the tasks of running each group. Our groups booked over 500 rooms at our local Community Centre and over 800 court bookings at the local Leisure Centre over the course of 2023/24.
Despite the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis our day trips and visits have continued to prove very popular with a wide range of members. We have booked and paid for 3699 tickets/places, 47 coaches and completed 83 outings/events.
In January 2024 a series of workshops was held for convenors focussing on issues to do with running groups, keeping groups interesting and attracting new convenors to come forward. The smaller group format was well received, and feedback was positive.
The Committee continues to run monthly members meetings open to all members offering an option to attend via Zoom. Attendance at the monthly meetings in person varies between 100-200, depending on the topic, with 15-20 extra participants taking part via Zoom. Since Autumn 2023 there had been an increase in the number of members coming to monthly meetings in person, whilst numbers on Zoom continue to decline.
In June the Trustees set up a Planning for the Future Subgroup to examine organisational issues relating to data management, and to oversee the upgrading of the website content. As a result, the website underwent a major overhaul and was relaunched in October 2023. This is the first port of call for new members and those looking to join the organisation. We are seeing on average 1,600 unique visitors each month to the website. Plans to upgrade the audio -visual system in partnership with the Chalfont St Peter Community Centre are on-going. The Trustees decided to continue using the Beacon database following an investigation of possible alternatives.
During 2023/24 the Trustees have reviewed and updated Chalfonts u3a policies and procedures covering Accessibility, Membership, Data protection, Privacy, Finance policies and procedures, Advice for our Interest group convenors, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Complaints, Disciplinary matters, Health and Safety and Safeguarding.
Financial Review
The current financial position of cu3a is presented in the appended accounts.
The membership fee of £20.00 was retained for the 2023/24 year.
The subsidies policy adopted in 2022 has bedded down successfully, offering each interest group one free meeting per month at the Community centre or Leisure centre.
Reserves Policy
The Trustees continue to follow the advice provided by the Third Age Trust in maintaining an operating expenditure level commensurate in dealing with unforeseen costs and/or to ensure an orderly dissolution of CU3A should it ever prove necessary. The Trustees believe that the present reserves are adequate.
Membership
Total membership of Chalfonts u3a for the year 2023/2024 was 1051. This compares with 931 for the year 2022/2023. It was pleasing to note a continued growth in the number of new members.
A regular New Members Coffee morning has proved very popular in welcoming and introducing new members to the organisation. This is organised by the Vice Chair and Membership secretary with support from other Trustees.
Future Plans
The last nine years has seen Chalfonts u3a grow from its embryonic stage to become a very vibrant, energetic organisation of over 1000 members sharing similar values. New members bring fresh ideas and a vibrancy that is infectious. We continue with our policy of never wishing to close a group activity to new members and always seek to establish a new group from within an existing group activity.
In Summer 2024 Chalfonts u3a will be participating in the local community Arts week culminating in the annual Feast of St Peter in late June.
Structure, Governance and Management
The Trustees are appointed at an Annual General Meeting for a period of one year. The Trustees may seek re-election for a further one-year term. At the AGM in 2023 it was agreed that Trustees and officers serve for a maximum of four consecutive years (instead of three as previously). We remain affiliated to the Third Age Trust, u3a National Organisations, and the u3a Thames Valley Network.
All Trustees are volunteers and receive no remuneration or other benefits in return for their services.
This is my final year serving as Chair of the Trustees. I would like to record a huge thank you to all my fellow Trustees for all the work they undertake to make our u3a a successful, inclusive, outward and forward-looking organisation. It has been an honour to serve such a wonderful local community-based organisation and to contribute to its continued success in some small way.
Chalfont u3a is managed for its members by a committee consisting of the following Trustee positions:
Chair Jane Barker Vice-Chair Eileen Powell Secretary Chris Hardwick Treasurer Chris White Membership Secretary Maureen Green Group Coordinator Lesley Bedford Webmaster Gary Tomlin Beacon Administrator Vince Barker Speaker Coordinator Geoff Clegg Newsletter Editor Val Darbyshire up to January 2024;David Powell from February 2024 Finance Officer Christine Hillis Projects Officer John Krushner Honorary Co-Presidents David Burbidge & Val Smith
Interest Group Convenors
Each of the activity groups has a Convenor to organise their programmes, source, and book venues, arrange subject speakers etc. In turn, they are hugely supported by the Group Coordinator in particular and by the Committee in general.
Approvals
This report has been approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf.
Name: Jane Barker
Position:
Chair
Signed: Date: June 2024