The Newsletter of Harrogate
Registered Charity no. 1038457
Issue 30
Web Edition
This has been a year of consolidation and growth at both national and local level.
Each week new U3As are being created, and new members join Harrogate U3A. There are now over 680 U3As nationally with a membership of over 206,000. Harrogate U3A has over 700 members.
This increase in membership has brought challenges and opportunities.
The National Executive Committee has responded by rationalising the electoral divisions, creating two smaller Regions out of the NE Area. Harrogate U3A is now in the “Yorkshire and The Humber Region”, which will select its own Trustee to the NEC.
The Secretary of State for Universities, Innovation and Skills has recognised the importance of “informal adult education”, and has initiated a consultation process to look to the future.
Locally our response has been to aim to increase the number of interest groups, and we are launching at least nine for next year. Other initiatives to encourage involvement and social interaction across the growing U3A membership are the Going Places visits and Tea at the Cairn.
All this is only possible because there are members who are prepared to give their time and to share their interests, knowledge and skills.
Several of our Group Leaders have provided enthusiastic and inspiring leadership over a period of ten to fifteen years. This year two of this generation of Group Leaders have handed over the reins. Sheena Pawson helped by Gaynor Smith led both the Science and the Photography groups, and Daphne Fisher has taken many walkers to interesting and beautiful places. We thank them sincerely for all that they have contributed to Harrogate U3A.
They will be hard acts to follow, but it is reassuring that two relatively new members have taken up the challenge; one to take an established group forward, with an inspirational exhibition, and the other to start a new group so that you now have the opportunity to learn Spanish.
Will the membership also meet the challenge to deliver someone to shadow the Chairman and the Secretary, both of whom will retire in September 2009? I sincerely hope so. The future of Harrogate U3A depends upon a successful progression strategy. Without Officers and Committee members it cannot exist.
Thank you to all who work so hard on behalf of our members.
Best wishes for the new academic year
Janet Coatman, Chairman.
August 2008