Our latest Group News Bulletin and Groups List
Our latest Groups List was sent direct to members on 2 November, and we try to ensure that any changes shown in it are reflected in the Groups list shown in the Groups section. If Group Organisers need to change or update anything, please let us know via the Groups link in the Contact Us section.
The latest Group News Bulletin (no. 7) was sent direct to members on 1 October. This gives details of a proposed new group ‘The Percussion Laboratory’ and another new group ‘The History Group’, there’s an article about the Bird Watching Groups, details about a recently-formed group ‘Caring for the Planet’, a feature on the Bowls Group, a proposed new Bridge Group, details about Knowle Village Hall as a venue – plus the search is on for a new Groups Coordinator in the New Year.
Our latest newsletter
Our latest Newsletter (the November edition) was published on 29 October. The public edition of it is in the Newsletter section. The members’ edition was sent direct to members and is also in the members-only view of the Newsletter section on this website – members need to be logged in to see this.
Our next Social Outings
For details of our next social outings, please take a look at our Social Events section. The final outing for this year is the Christmas Lunch, Sidmouth (and this has already sold out and has a waiting list). The date, costs and details were sent direct to members on 5 October. Further information about this are also in the members-only view of Social Events section on this website – members need to be logged in to see this and then click or tap on the individual trip.
Our next Monthly Meeting
For details of our next Monthly Meetings, please take a look at our Monthly Meetings section. At the next one on Thursday 12 December in Exmouth Pavilion Robert Hesketh will be giving a presentation on ‘The history of the Christmas carol’ with live music if requested.
Ian McLauchlin
It was with great sadness that we learnt that Ian McLauchlin unexpectedly but peacefully passed away on the evening of 19 October. Ian had been a very active member of our u3a and made a major contribution to our activities. He served on the previous committee as Secretary for some three years from 2020, when he also established our u3a Facebook Group. In the challenging years of the pandemic and various lockdowns he played a vital role in ensuring that our u3a could continue to function by facilitating meetings on Zoom, and was key in establishing the weekly sessions for all u3a members (now the Zoom Coffee & Chat Group). He also ensured that we could continue with our monthly speakers’ meetings when speakers had to present from their homes, and in recent years played an essential part in facilitating the live streaming of our monthly meetings from Exmouth Pavilion. In addition he helped run our YouTube channel from its inception three years ago, and he was an expert in editing our recordings – over 90 videos, many featuring Ian himself with some fascinating presentations and poems. He will be greatly missed. More details are in the latest edition of our newsletter.
A Dozen Words for Sixpence
u3a member and local author Leonora Wilson has just published a novel called A Dozen Words for Sixpence. Her story is based on an event in her grandparent’s lives in South Wales, when in 1923, in the great depression, her grandfather tried (unsuccessfully) to find work in London – and decided to emigrate to Canada without telling her family. Further details are at https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/24634988.exmouths-leonora-wilson-new-book-dozen-words-sixpence/ and on the Amazon website – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dozen-Words-Sixpence-historical-separation/dp/1068762209
October Monthly Meeting
At our October meeting Jonathan Hanbury gave a presentation on ‘Dementia – How can we keep our brains active?’ If this is something that interests you, Professor Sir Muir Gray has given a presentation on a similar topic as part of the national u3a’s Future Lives initiative, and a recording is available for anyone to see. The current topic on our own u3a’s Connect & Learn website (at https://sites.google.com/view/connectandlearn) is ‘Live Well Longer’ where there are a number of useful resources, including Muir Gray’s presentation. Here’s an extract from the Latest News section on our u3a Connect & Learn website which gives the links:
- Sir Muir Gray recently gave another excellent presentation, this time on ‘Reduce Your risk of Dementia’ as the latest offering from the national u3a’s Future Lives initiative. This is something that does or could affect us, our family and our friends and so is well worth a watch. You can see this by tapping or clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-L5dMklbGk&ab_channel=u3a
- Slides from a presentation from Patrick Holford, Founder of the Food for the Brain Foundation on ‘Upgrade Your Brain’ have just been posted on the national u3a’s Future Lives webpage – see https://www.u3a.org.uk/our-impact/future-lives and scroll on down to see this.
Online learning
Every month there are free nationally-organised learning sessions for u3a members to attend. Recent topics and topics coming up include:
- Mindfulness and Meditation
- Sustainability
- Flight Inspirations Aviation Meeting
- Live cookery demonstration: Hearty comfort food
- Summing up the 19th century
- Exploring world faiths
- The drifting continents: A lesson in geology
- Laughter yoga
- A deep dive into the 1921 census
- Collective Housing for healthy ageing
- Artificial Intelligence news
- What is social class?
For more details and to register for each event, please go to the national u3a learning events website – https://www.u3a.org.uk/events/educational-events
Pickleball and pickleball life within our u3a
A welcome addition to our website from Nigel Day is the Pickleball webpage. This gives an introduction to the game and an outline of the basic rules and regulation, together with a number of useful links to further information. It also provides direct links to all of our u3a’s pickleball groups and the latest local u3a pickleball news. You can see this by clicking or tapping on Pickleball information in the Groups list or on this link.
Video – Guided tour of our new website
John Hunt, Website Manager, has created a video tour of this website which you can view on our YouTube channel at Website Tour. Please take a look. We hope you find it useful.
Exmouth & District u3a AGM 2024
This year’s AGM was held at Exmouth Pavilion on Thursday 9th May 2024 at 10:30 am. The agenda and other documents for the AGM were sent direct to members on 18 April and all of the papers are also in the Documentation section on this website for members to see – members need to be logged in to see these. The officers and members of the committee were re-elected, and details of our current committee are in the About Exmouth u3a section. It was also agreed that the annual membership fee would remain at £12. A recording of the AGM is on our Exmouth & District u3a YouTube channel – AGM video
Would anyone like to become involved in a new Facebook Group?
As you may be aware from the AGM in May and from previous posts in our Exmouth & District u3a Facebook Group, this Facebook Group has closed following the committee’s decision earlier this year, but there is the opportunity to create a successor Facebook Group which is not an official u3a Facebook Group but which could still include items relating to our u3a and items of general interest, plus some local issues too. You can view the article about this that was in the July newsletter by clicking or tapping here – Newsletter Facebook article. If you would like to become the Facebook Administrator of this new Facebook Group, or if you would like to help out in any other way, please contact John Hunt, Website Manager, via the Website link on the Contact Us section and he will pass on your interest to the u3a members who may wish to develop this.
Latest documents
The minutes of the u3a committee meetings held in May, June and July have been published, together with the Members’ Code of Conduct, the Accessibility policy, the Equality & Diversity policy and the IT policy. They are in the Documentation section on this website for members to see, and members need to be logged in to see these.
April blossom on one of our u3a 10th Anniversary trees
To see the wonderful photos of these trees taken by Christine Chittock, please click or tap here – April blossom
Photos and photographers wanted
We are always looking for suitable photos for this website. We can always utilise photos of venues that we commonly use and groups undertaking their usual activities. What we could really do with though are general photos of older people talking, socialising and generally enjoying themselves. When you peruse this website, what kind of images would you expect or want to see? Please get in touch via the Website link in the Contact Us section.
First Aid course
We are hoping to organise a First Aid course in the future. There will be a small cost (around £40 per person). If you would like to know more, please contact the Secretary via the Contact Us page.
Latest news from the u3a nationally (The Third Age Trust)
You can read the latest news from the u3a nationally at The Third Age Trust’s news page. The latest edition of its podcast is available at National u3a radio podcast. In addition you can sign up for the u3a National Newsletter for Friends of u3a at Sign-up for u3a national newsletter
A new CEO for the Third Age Trust (national u3a)
Iain Cassidy has been appointed as the new CEO of the Third Age Trust. He has replaced Sam Mauger. Iain joins the Trust from a role as CEO of Open Age, a London based charity that champions an active life for older people. With a background in fundraising, and experience of leading charitable organisations through times of change, Iain is motivated by the deeply held belief that everyone should be afforded the same opportunities in life. More details are on the TAT website – https://www.u3a.org.uk/latest-news/new-ceo-for-the-third-age-trust
Summaries of the Third Age Trust’s Pilot Council meeting and Board meeting
Summaries of the Third Age Trust’s May Pilot Council meeting and June Board meeting have been published, and you can see them by clicking or tapping on the links to them (underlined here in blue).