The Learning and Group Support committee is set up to oversee the running of the nearly 100 groups in the U3A. They help in the formation of new groups and short courses, maintain contact with the group leaders or coordinators and provide guidance to them on how to run groups.
This page gives information on everything you need to know as a group leader, where to get help and includes downloadable forms which you will need as a group leader.
There is more information available on how to start a group or a short course and whom to contact. For any help or advice on starting or running a short course you should first contact Iain Smart, Chair of the Learning & Group Support Committee, to discuss your idea. tel: 01704 220 618 or email to groups@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk. Alternatively you can contact David Blanchflower on 01704 889736 or email courses@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk for short courses.
How to start a group
Group Support Committee
Publicity for your group
Running a group
Financial matters
Resources for group leaders
Equipment for groups
Communicating with group members
Group leaders meetings
Health & Safety
Insurance
Accidents
Copying/Photocopying
Downloadable forms
Starting a New Group
Any member can put forward suggestions for a new group they themselves would like to establish or suggest an activity/interest group they would like to see established. Ideas for new groups are always welcome and full support will be given by the Learning and Group Support Committee in order to ensure the new group becomes established and has an active membership. Read more on how to start a new group or short course
Group Support Committee Members : Iain Smart (Chair), Willem Wiechers, Eila Wall, Carol Potter, Jackie Roscoe, David Blanchflower (for short courses).
Go to top of page
Publicity for your Group
Publicity is achieved via the website, magazine, and the e-newsletter
Website
Leaders should ensure that their group page is on the U3A website is kept up to date and contains appropriate photographs. There is no limit to the information that can be added. A contact name and telephone number should be included. Updated information should be sent at regular intervals especially when requested.
Magazine
Groups should also insert details of group activities in the quarterly magazine. You will normally be asked for this 4 times a year in time for the next magazine. A contact name and telephone number should be included.
E-newsletter
Information for new groups, events, alterations in meetings, or anything else can be put into the e-newsletter each month
Horizons
Announcements can be made at Horizons
Publicity contact details:
Send info for the magazine to Bill Evans at magazine@aughton-ormskirk.u3a.co.uk
Send info for the website to web@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk
Send info for the e-newsletter to news@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk
Go to top of page
Running the Group
A Group may be run as the Leader and members wish but the following guidance may be useful.
The role of the Group leader will vary according to the type of group being run. In some Groups, Leaders follow a structured plan that might involve some degree of guidance and tuition, e.g. languages, aerobics, whilst in others the role is that of co-ordinating events and people, e.g. art appreciation, theatre visits,
The Group Leader is responsible for the content, duration, and administration of the Group’s meetings. The venue, frequency and timing of meetings, and other housekeeping details should be discussed and agreed by the Group. This should include the use of the microphone.
It is essential that the Group Leader maintains details of the group’s income and expenditure and at the year-end, 31st March make a financial report. This is particularly important in groups with paid tutors and large income. Leaders should be aware that group members are entitled to know the financial position of the group and group members should be fully consulted.
A Register of Attendance at all meetings should be kept, which should include membership numbers as shown on membership cards. A Sample “Attendance Register” can be downloaded here. The Group Leader should ensure that all members of the Group are members of our U3A as this is required by the insurance.t
If, during a group meeting, an incident occurs which results in an injury to a member or damage to property an Accident Report Form must be completed. See section on Accidents below
Go to top of page
Financial Matters
All Groups have to be self-financing.
It is a requirement that at each group meeting those attending must pay a minimum of 50 pence contribution towards room hire costs but in many instances a higher charge should be made to cover costs. Group leaders should hold no funds, all monies should be deposited with the U3A Treasurer at least on a monthly basis using the Paying in Slip. All room hire charges will be paid directly by the U3A Treasurer.
Groups can make application for financial support to purchase larger items of equipment to the Resources and Finance Committee using the “Funding Request” Form
There are financial and other risks involved when groups organise visits, holidays, theatre trips, etc. and the U3A produces guidance which helps organisers to minimise the risks. Groups should consult the Treasurer on these.
U3A policy is that the Organiser needs to get those who plan to attend to pay in advance with cash or a cheque payable to “Aughton & Ormskirk U3A”. This money should be lodged with the U3A Treasurer who will pay the venue with a U3A cheque. Group Leaders must not handle payments for trips through any other bank accounts. Receipts must be provided for trip payments made.
The paper trail of moneys in and out must lead back to the Treasurer, who has the overall responsibility for money in our U3A. For a small group, with relatively limited expenses, the recording of the financial affairs need be nothing more than keeping the contribution sheets mentioned above.
Go to top of page
Resources for Group Leaders
The Third Age Trust seeks to provide support to the U3As in all their activities. This learning support is co-ordinated by the Standing Committee for Education (SCE), whose role is to explore and articulate Third Age Learning. It has in recent years created several support services for use by U3As around the country. There is advice on starting and running a group on almost any subject. You will need to create an account on the Third Age Trust website before you can access the resource page
Additional study materials and resources can be found from the following:
Open Learn gives free access to course materials from The Open University. Details of the range of subject are available at openlearn.open.ac.uk/
Learn with the BBC: Links to a wide range of courses ranging from Art and Design to Sports and Fitness and a range of languages at www.bbc.co.uk/learning/
MIT opencourseware: Free course materials used at the MIT can be downloaded fromocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
The NorthWest region organisies Study Days on particular themes, which enable participants from U3As to study aspects of a subject in depth.
Each year the Third Age Trust organises one or more Summer Schools, which again give U3A participants the opportunity to explore a chosen subject in some depth while enjoying a residential experience.
Go to top of page
Equipment for groups
The U3A has purchased equipment for the use of Groups and for Official Administrative purposes. Check the Stock Assets page if you require any equipment for group use
Communicating with your group members
Group Leaders have three means of communicating with the overall U3A membership: the e-newsletter, the website, and the magazine. see above.
Group leaders use a variety of ways to communicate with their group members in between editions of the magazine. The email newsletter is sent out every month and can be used to let group members of any changes, cancellations, etc. of the published programme. Some groups ask for emails from group members and create a “group list” so that they can send out one email which reaches all group members. (Consult the Computer Advice on a Monday or Tuesday morning if you need help with this).
It is also a good idea if Leaders inform group members of any general U3A as a whole at the group’s regular meetings.
Go to top of page
Meetings for Group Leaders
Every year there is a Group Leaders meeting. This event gives Group Leaders an opportunity to raise issues for discussion with committee members and can also be a way of thanking the group leaders for their efforts during the year. This event enables leaders to mingle with fellow leaders, discuss best practices and share experiences.
Go to top of page
Health and Safety
A Group Leader needs to be aware of the Health and Safety regulations of the venue in which the group meetings are held, but in practice this usually means nothing more than making sure the group knows where the fire exits are. A Health and Safety Guidance document is contained in Appendix A.
In the case of the Scout & Guide HQ the security bars on fire doors should be removed at the start of each group meeting and replaced at the end of the meeting.
Leaders should ensure they are aware of the fire assembly point for the premises they are using. In the case of the Scout & Guide HQ it is in the car park of Christ Church Ministry Centre near the café.
You should have the postcode of the premises you are using on your attendance register as this will be needed if you have need to call an ambulance or the Fire Service. The postcodes are as follows.
Scout & Guide HQ, L39 5AS; Aughton Village Hall, L39 5DH: Scarisbrick Village Hall, L40 8HH
Insurance
Every member of every U3A in the country is covered by an insurance policy taken out by The Third Age Trust. What we have is known as Public and Products Liability Insurance. It insures a U3A member against compensation claims arising from injury or damage to property suffered by a third party, or claims arising from the failure of a product, for which failure a U3A member is held to be legally liable. The above is intended only to be a brief description of the insurance and is in no sense authoritative. U3A insurance
Go to top of page
Accidents
A requirement of the insurance is that in the event of a member of your group suffering an accident, he or she must complete an Accident Report form. as soon as is reasonably practical following the event and returned to the U3A Secretary. Accident forms should be returned not later than 24 hours after an incident, as if certain types of accident occur; the Health & Safety Executive has by law to be informed within 48 hours. This will ensure that an accurate record is kept should there be further consequences, either medical or legal. Completed forms should be returned to the U3A Secretary
Go to top of page
Copying/Photocopying
A photocopier is available in the computer room for group leaders if they need it. Please contact the group support chair in order to get a number for use on the copier before you use it.
A small amount of personal copying of copyright materials for specified reasons is allowed under the “Fair Dealing” arrangement made in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The broadly accepted guidelines for the amount of a work that may be copied under fair dealing permit the copying of:
one article from an issue of a journal
up to one chapter or 5%, whichever is greater, of a book
one poem or short story of up to ten pages from an anthology
Fair dealing does not apply to films, sound recordings or broadcasts
The photocopying of printed music is almost always illegal. See www.mpaonline.org.uk for more information
Recorded Music. The PPL licence supplied by The Third Age Trust gives U3As permission to play recorded music in public.
DVDs/Videos. The Third Age Trust has no blanket licence arrangement with film copyright holders or organisations. Groups are usually covered by an exemption in the Copyright Law which allows the use of videos or DVDs for educational purposes.
For more information, please check the UK Copyright Service
Go to top of page
All forms can be downloaded from here – otherwise please contact the Group Support Committee for a copy.
Paying In Slip – Attendance Register – Application for Funding – Group Course Budget