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Monthly Archives: November 2018



Nov 29

April 3rd Wed – South East U3A Forum (Kent, Surrey & Sussex U3A Networks) South East Forum Conference 2019

 

Open to members of all U3As in the South East Region
Wednesday 3rd April 2019 at Meridian Hall, East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT

8th December 2018

Dear Chairman and Members,

A South East Forum Conference will once again be held in 2019, bringing together U3As across the South East Region. It will be held in the Meridian Hall on Wednesday 3rd April with registration from 9.15am. This popular and valuable event gives members across our large region an opportunity to meet, exchange news and views, and hear of innovations and examples of good practice. Please would everyone bring one recent success story and one current challenge?

We are very pleased to welcome a number of speakers covering a range of interesting subjects. Our Regional Trustee, Bob Duckmanton, will highlight recent activities in the South East Region and discuss new ways of organising the links between our many U3As. We will then hear from our new National Chairman, Ian McCannah, on the challenges facing the Third Age Trust as it develops a new Three Year Plan. There are then speakers on communication and the world-wide U3A Movement. After lunch there will discussion groups on current topics of interest. This will be followed by presentations on active projects from several networks. We conclude with feedback of the various discussions and a chance to discuss the best structure for the Forum in future years.

We continue to have support from the Trust’s Regional Support Budget which helps us communicate with our U3A members, so that we are able to offer free attendance and a light buffet lunch. Attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is open to all members in the South East Region.

The Forum Committee currently comprises John Hubbard and Helen Turner from Kent, Ian Funnell, Alison Gaitonde, Sheila Hill and Doreen Raine from Surrey, Isabel Baker, Jill Collins, John Pheby and Chris Senior from Sussex, and Bob Duckmanton, Trustee for the South East Region. We welcome offers of help, especially in organising our conference and the Chichester summer school, and thank those already involved.

A booking form is attached together with a map of the venue location; please copy more booking forms if they are needed and remember that members and group leaders are very welcome as well as the stalwarts on the committee. Please book early and by Friday 29th March 2019; booking forms should be sent to Alison Gaitonde. Your U3A is again invited to contribute to the display of work from U3As across the region; see the attached form which should be sent to Jill Collins.

I look forward to meeting you and your members at the conference. Chris Senior
Acting Chairman of the South East U3A Forum – csenior@ukgateway.net

South East U3A Forum (Kent, Surrey & Sussex U3A Networks)

South East Forum Conference 2019

Wednesday 3rd April 2019 at Meridian Hall, East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT Open to members of all U3As in the South East Region

Programme:

09.15 Registration: Join us for Coffee/Tea
10.00 Welcome & Introduction – Chris Senior, Acting Chairman of the Forum
10.05 Activities in the South East Region – Bob Duckmanton, Regional Trustee, will cover news and future

organisation of the region.
10.30 View from the Bridge – Ian McCannah, Chairman of the Third Age Trust, will give an overview of the

U3A movement; highlighting the Three Year Plan to achieve the Trust’s mission of supporting learning for

individuals and U3As, and raising the profile of and facilitating growth in the U3A movement. 11.20 Short Break

11.30 Successful Communications – Elizabeth Drury, National Office Communications Officer, will outline the importance of joined-up communications to raise the profile of U3As and discuss different platforms for U3As to maximise their communications.

12.00 The World-wide U3A Movement – Ian Funnell, former Trust representative on AIUTA, will talk about the various models adopted in different countries and the U3A Charter and present a video covering international conferences on China and Mauritius.

12.20 Lunch & Tea/Coffee Provided – View Exhibition of Work of Various U3As and Networks
13.20 Discussion Groups on sharing experiences – An opportunity for members to share experiences of promoting their U3As to the community, communicating with their members, and managing U3As through

committees responsible for interest groups, finance and communications. 14.20 Reports of interesting U3A and Network activities in the Region

Chichester Summer School 24th–27th June 2019 – Helen Turner will highlight this important event. Forum Workshops – Alison Gaitonde will describe the programme that ran for many years.
Sussex Myths, Legends and Spirit – Louisa Sewell will describe how various interest groups compiled fascinating results in a Shared Learning Project.

Surrey Network Exchange with Poznan U3A – Sally Baker will describe some of the highlights of our exchange group visits over the last six years.
Project 57 – David King and George Redgrave will talk on Membership and Ethnic Diversity in Crawley.

15.00 Feedback from Discussion Groups
15.15 Open Forum on the Future of the Forum
15.45 Close of Conference
The conference is free as the Regional Support Budget covers the costs. Please book by 29th March.
Applications will be on a first-come first-served basis. Please complete and send the slip to:
Alison Gaitonde, Flat 3, Pegasus Court, Bolters Lane, Banstead, Surrey SM7 2AR
For enquiries ring 01737 351782 or send an email to alisonmgaitonde@gmail.com …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I wish to attend the South East U3A Forum Conference on Wednesday 3rd April 2019 Name…………………………………………………………….U3A ……………………………………………………………. …………… Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Phone ……………………………………Email ………………………………………………….. Veg/Gluten-free …………………….

South East U3A Forum (Kent, Surrey & Sussex U3A Networks)

South East Forum Conference 2019

Wednesday 3rd April 2019 at Meridian Hall, East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT Open to members of all U3As in the South East Region

Show Us What You Do

As an additional attraction at the conference, there will be an exhibition of work done as part of U3A activities. We are looking for items which are likely to be of interest to those attending. These might include paintings, needlecraft, photographs, books, reports on studies, wood or metal craft, archaeology, geology etc., etc. What fascinating things do U3A members do in their groups? The exhibitions have been a significant feature at previous conferences.

Please give details about your proposed exhibit on the form below and return to: Jill Collins, 12 Brookway, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0LL
For further information send an email to jillcollins@uwclub.net

There will be tables for display boards; please provide your own labels and descriptive information as in previous years. Items should be brought to the meeting on the day and set up in the lecture hall from 9.15am where members will be present at all times. The organising committee cannot accept responsibility for the items on display.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Show Us What You Do

At the South East Forum Conference – Wednesday 3rd April 2019

Name ……………………………………………………… Name of Your U3A ……………………………………………………… Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Phone …………………………………………………….. Email ……………………………………………………………………….

Description of items:
Size:
Any comments about the items and their display?

South East U3A Forum (Kent, Surrey & Sussex U3A Networks)

How to reach the Meridian Hall
East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead RH19 3LT

The Meridian Hall lies in the north-east sector of East Grinstead and the map below shows how to find your way there from the local major roads. There is plenty of free car parking adjacent to the hall. The hall has been carefully designed to integrate with the magnificent Grade II listed building, East Court Mansion, which is immediately adjacent. Great care has been taken to ensure sympathetic architectural design throughout, and the needs of users, including the disabled, have been taken fully into account. There is a sculpture with a meridian line on the terrace behind East Court Mansion from where there are fine views over the Sussex countryside. The hall holds 220 for lectures.

Nov 26

27June to 1July 2019- Heritage and Art of Holland – KU3A Trip

We board an executive coach at our designated pick-up points with our Tour Manager and travel to Dover for the P&O Ferries Channel crossing to Calais. We then continue approx. 130 miles to The Hague and the 4* Marriott Hotel for a 4-night stay on half board.

The next morning we visit the Panorama Mesdag, a cylindrical painting over 14 metres high and 120 metres in circum- ference. Depicting the vista of the sea, the dunes and Scheveningen village, this is the largest painting in The Nether- lands. It was painted by Hendrik Willem Mesdag, the most famous painter at The Hague School.

After spending some time at leisure in The Hague we visit the world famous

miniature city of Madurodam with a re- markable selection of Dutch monuments and landmarks rebuilt on a scale of 1:25.

On arrival in Amsterdam on day 3 we enjoy an included boat trip to admire some of the city’s architecture from the picturesque canals. We visit the Rijksmuseum for a guided tour of this world-renowned art collection, the most famous of which is Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’, it also includes many

Dutch Old Masters like Jan Steen, Frans Hals and Vermeer. As well as paintings the collection includes sculptures, clocks, Delft Blue, porcelain and Asian and Oriental art.

We begin day 4 with some time at lei- sure in Leiden and then continue to Zaanse Schans, an old hamlet on the banks of the river Zaan with characteris- tic wooden houses, small bridges, trade- men’s workshops and historic windmills.

In the morning of day 5 we visit the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles in Delft. This – the Royal Delft – is the only remaining factory of the 32 earthenware factories that were established in Delft in the 17th Century. We take a guided tour through the history of Blue Delft and Royal Delft and its development and production process. We see a master

Kingston U3A Winter 2018 Newsletter Page 6

painter at work, visit the dining room of Vermeer and the Dutch Royal Family Chamber, the museum with antique Delft pieces, the historical courtyard and visit the factory. The showroom has a comprehensive collection of handpainted Delft Blue by Royal Delft, as well as an extensive selection of Dutch earthenware and souvenirs.

After our P&O Ferries Channel crossing from Calais to Dover we continue back to our original pick-up points.

Dates: 27 June – 1 July 2019

Cost: From £ 759.00 – includes 4 nights HB accommodation, all excursions, some entrance fees, professional Tour Manager throughout, P&O Ferries Channel crossings, Executive Coach, local accommodation tax.

Single room supplement: £ 129.00

If you would like to join this holiday please complete the enclosed application form and send it together with a stamped addressed envelope (not too small, please) to Gisela Zuercher-Feiss, 37, The Byeways, Surbiton KT5 8HT – Tel. No. 020 8399 4990