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.