Andover U3A

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Keep Connected, Keep Active, Keep Smiling

The Andover U3A will be emailing all members, for whom we have an email address, on a regular basis in order to swap ideas of activities to keep our members occupied during this period of social distancing.

Full details of suggested activities can be found on our Keep Connected, Keep Active, Keep Smiling page.

Letter from the Andover U3A Committee to all Members

ANDOVER U3A AND THE CORONAVIRUS

As at 18 March 2020

Dear Member,

As you are all aware the Prime Minister announced major restrictions on movement and social gatherings at 5.30pm 16th March 2020. Although termed as advice it should be taken as a directive.

All our decisions are based on Government advice and that changing advice takes precedence.

As a result of this The Committee has decided to close down all U3A related activities for the immediate future and we are initially planning on a 3 months cessation of group activities.

There may be some issues for those groups that have organised and paid for events. The group leaders concerned are, or will be, making attempts to recover any costs but please bear with them as they work on your behalf.

The only administrative events that concern us are the AGM, which we have postponed, and the payment of annual subscriptions. Assuming we could resume activities by July you are asked to pay your annual subscription as normal on 1st May. We need money in the bank to pay the Third Age Trust membership fees which cover insurance and to pay the postage for those members who receive their magazine. If we see that we are facing a surplus we will adjust next year’s subscription.

We will keep you updated on U3A related matters through this website.

We must also consider what we can do for each other. This will be a time of isolation and frustration for many. If you are aware of anyone in one of your groups who is on their own, give them a call to see if they need help or just a chat on the phone. If you are on your own and need help then give one of your U3A colleagues a call, they may be able to help or get an organisation to assist you.

The Committee

Coronavirus

Image by purpleshorts from Pixabay

The latest advice and guidance on the outbreak of Coronavirus can be found on the NHS's Coronavirus (COVID-19) web page.

Members who become ill and self-isolate should inform the Group Leaders of any group of which they are a member, so that those Group Leaders can then inform other members of their group. Group Leaders should also inform the Secretary, Richard Selley, by email to r_selley@sky.com

Members are advised to regularly check both this Andover U3A News page and their email In-Box for updates.

Suggested New Group

The Climate Change Group

Member Marie Dyke was reading through the Spring 2020 issue of the Third Age Matters magazine when an article caught her eye. The subject matter was one close to her heart: Climate Change. Marie says that she has done her best to reduce her carbon footprint by cutting out the amount of plastic that she uses, using the car less, upcycling and recycling as much as possible, but now she would like to do more.

Unable to find a local Climate Change group, she has offered to join with other interested members in setting up a Climate Change Group within our U3A.

Marie has suggested that the group could meet on a monthly basis, to share ideas on Climate Change, to think of initiatives to spread the word on Climate Change, and to work together as a group to promote this most important issue.

If you are interested in joining this Group, please get in touch with Marie by emailing her at mapmarney@hotmail.com.

Royal Holloway University

~ Partnered with the University of the Third Age ~

Citizens 800 Shared Learning Project

Background

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Citizens Project aims to provide a better understanding of the development of the relationship between the citizen and the state in Britain over the last 800 years.

Further information about the Citizens Project can be found on the Citizens 800 website.

U3A Involvement

Royal Holloway University is partnered with the University of the Third Age (U3A), and encourages U3A members to join Royal Holloway's programme of Shared Learning Projects.

Shared Learning Projects involve a team of U3A members carrying out research for an institution such as a museum, archive or gallery where there is a specific project to which volunteers can contribute. The emphasis is on partnership:   the host organisation working with members of the U3A team who are contributing to the project.

A number of articles produced by U3A volunteers as part of the Shared Learning Projects can be found here.

Upcoming projects include investigations relating to the Peterloo Massacre, Chartism, and the pre-World War 1 period of "The Great Unrest".

How to Volunteer

Further information and details of how to volunteer can be found on the U3A area of the Citizens 800 website.