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Committee Meeting 28th November 2025

Registered Charity No.1192380  

Meeting Details

  • Date:  Wednesday 26th November 2025
  • Time:  09:30 to 11:00am
  • Venue:  Withnell Fold Sports and Social Club
  • Present:  Ann Furlong (Chair); Bronwen Hastings (Acting Secretary); Paul Brooking (Treasurer);  Kay Aldred (Accessibility Officer);  Geoff Tittensor (Membership Secretary);  Lynn Worden (Publicity Officer);  Clive Bass (Web Editor);   Mike Smith;  Lynn Robinson (Speaker Secretary);
  • Apologies:   Graham Green;  Maria Brooking

Agenda

  • 1. Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • 2. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
  • 3. Review of action items from previous meeting
  • 4. Reports and Updates
  • 5. Any Other Business
  • 6. Date of Next Meeting
  • 7. Actions to be taken and by whom

1. Welcome and Opening Remarks

The chairperson called the meeting to order and introduced two “observers” who may / may not wish to join the committee.

2. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the previous meeting, held on Wednesday 8th October were reviewed. Attendees were asked if there were any corrections or additions. After a brief discussion, the minutes were approved unanimously as an accurate record.

3. Review of Action Items from Previous Meeting

  • DIGITAL SKILLS
    This is all going well with two very good sessions taken place to date.  The atmosphere is very relaxed which is conducive to members participating and asking questions without feeling awkward in any way.
  • It is now clear that things need to move forward more on an individual need rather than a group need and members have been asked to submit areas in which they feel they could benefit from with a little more help.
  • LW will mention it in the newsletter.  PB will send her a paragraph or two.
  • The next session is scheduled for 10th December.
  • Brinscall Baths

Brinscall Baths Facebook page has noted that new opening times will be coming soon.  We will keep an eye on this.

  • Shared drive “session” for committee members

PB ran this session on 20th November.  6 / 7 committee members attended.  Everyone felt it was informative and helped therefore a success and no further tuition is required.

  • Group emails

MB has been in touch with most of the group conveners and has said that they are now responding to enquiries from new members.  There are only one or two that may be having difficulty and PB has offered to run a session with them. 

  • Group web pages

Nothing further to report.

  • Generic Risk Assessments

Bronwen Hastings is on with this.  Nothing yet to report.

  • New Groups suggestion

There has been no response from the newsletter shoutout to anyone making suggestions for new groups ie. Walking Football etc.  Possibly could be that members thought they would have to run the group if they came up with the idea and didn’t want to or just that no ideas were forthcoming.  Suggestion was made that a more direct approach is maybe required.

  • MS to look into walking football.
  • Lapsed members follow up

Various committee members have followed up members who have not renewed and for various reasons they have decided not to.

  • List of Past Speakers

It was suggested at a previous meeting that a link be created to direct members to a speakers page where past speakers, their subject and a brief synopsis of the subject could be viewed.  However, CB has investigated and it is quite a difficult thing to do both technically and timewise.  Plus LR not sure about whether the amount of time etc is worth it.   A suggestion was put forward to create a list on the website as the Film Club show a list of previously viewed films and the Theatre Group show a list of previous visits.  LR to look into the viability of both.

  • Truncated Minutes
  • It was agreed that BH would send out the minutes and GT will publish them on the website removing any irrelevant information first.

4. Reports and Updates

  • Treasurer’s Report
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0AKJ1-Jrwu9JTUk9PVA
  • Membership Update
    There are 254 members.
  • There are circa. 30 members not renewed their membership.  10 have been followed up and  will not be renewing and 20 haven’t responded to various emails.
  • Speaker Update

Budget is running really well.  Speakers have all been booked for next year with the exception of a couple of months.

  • The microphone doesn’t seem to be working properly – PB will look into this.

.

  • Groups Update

Shakespeare Group – A lady from Mawdsley will be running a Shakespeare Group on a Friday afternoon for 5 weeks at the end of which a play will be performed.

  • Potential Singing Group – A shout out is going out in the newsletter to see if there is enough interest.
  • Power of the Mind – PB is of the understanding that the Group Convener is going through to August with sessions but as yet there isn’t anything in the calendar – PB will follow up with Group Convener.
  • Christmas Quiz

LW to buy Mince Pies, Stollen, Napkins for approx 60 people (assuming 10 teams of 6 people per team).

  • Start at 10am and do 3 rounds then break for refreshments then another 2 or 3 rounds.
  • Prizes will be a hamper for 1st prize then wooden spoons for other prizes.
  • Committee members to dress up on Christmas outfits / jumpers.

5. Any Other Business

  • Policies for Review

Trustee Code of Conduct – AF – No changes required.

Standing Order Policy – GT changed section 12

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – Needs to be Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – KA will

change, PB will publish

Safeguarding – KA – no changes required.

Health & Safety – PB – all good.  AF – Remove checklist part of policy

Social Media – CB – To clarify use of Whatsapp.  Communication via Whatsapp within groups isn’t 

an official U3a group communication and therefore no policy is required.

PB – last sentence has been amended.

Facebook – not an official use of communication by U3a.

Complaints Policy & Procedure – MB – No changes required.

Finance Policy – PB – No changes required.

Privacy & Data Protection Policy – CB – small change to refer to the legal framework in which we

are operating.

  • Committee and Group Conveners need training on policies on an on-going basis.  A training session needs to be set up.
  • An External Speakers Policy needs writing as it is a Charity Commission requirement.  LR will look into it.
  • Campaigns & Political Activity Policy needs writing as it is a Charity Commission requirement.  LR will look into it.
  • Internal Risk Management Policy – PB on with it but will take several months.
  • All relevant policies need to be on the Website – PB
  • Funds Surplus
  • AF suggested buying laptops for The Treasurer and Secretary.  After discussion it was deemed unnecessary but should any future Treasure or Secretary require a dedicated laptop that one would be purchased for them.
  • AF suggested a thank you to the Group Conveners in the form of an afternoon tea, lunch, etc.
  • KA is looking into the purchase of a music licence to enable the duplication of published music for the chimes / Ukeli group.
  • KA / GT have asked to explore the purchase of metal music stands.

6. Date of Next Meeting

Wednesday 21st January 2026 at 9.30am at Withnell Sports and Social Club.

7. Actions to be taken and by whom

PB – Send paragraph or two to LW for Newsletter re Digital Skills

LW – Publish above in Newsletter.

BH – Generic Risk Assessments.

MS – Walking Football – investigate starting of new group

LR – List of past speakers 

BH / GT – Truncated minutes

PB – Look at broken microphone

PB – Follow up with POM Group Convener re dates on U3a calendar.

LW – Purchase prizes for Christmas Quiz

LW – Purchase Mince Pies / Stollen / Napkins for Christmas Quiz

Committee – Training session date and time re Policies

LR – External Speakers Policy

LR – Campaigns & Political Activity Policy

PB – Internal Risk Management Policy – ongoing

PB – Publish policies on website

KA – Music Licence

MB – Conveners “Thank you”

KA – Look into costs of metal music stands