CHARD, ILMINSTER & DISTRICT
 University of the Third Age (U3A)
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 Monthly Meetings

Meetings Programme

Summer 2008 Newsletter

****** Latest News ******

COFFEE MORNING IN ILMINSTER

We don't normally have a monthly meeting in August, but this year we are holding a coffee morning in Ilminster on our usual third Monday. It's in the Minster Rooms (opposite the main entrance to the Minster) and all are most welcome to come. We hope that a good number of non-members will come and find out about the U3A and all we have to offer. Members are also most welcome! Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served, free of charge. Time: Monday 18th August, 10.30am to Noon.  

 

SEPTEMBER 2008 MONDAY MEETING
 Please note that our September monthly meeting will be held on the second Monday of the month - 8th September - instead of the normal third Monday.

 

LOOKING BACK TO THE JULY MONTHLY MEETING

Our apologies to members who were disappointed by the very late withdrawal of our speaker, Graham Watson MEP, due to a funeral that he wished to attend.  At that late stage we felt we had little option but to accept an offer made by his office to send Dr Kay Barnard, prospective LibDem candidate for the European Parliament, to speak in his place.  

 

NEW GROUPS

Plans are afoot to start two new groups - a 'Natural History Group' and a third Reading Group. Watch this space for more details.

 

SINGING IN CREWKERNE?

We have been contacted by Crewkerne U3A to ask if any of our members would like to join with them in their singing group. They meet for practice on alternate Friday afternoons, singing all types of music. Please contact Maggie on 01460-234041 for more details.

 

FEES FOR GROUP MEETINGS IN HIRED ROOMS
Following general agreement at a recent meeting of group leaders, the committee has decided to introduce a different method of collecting members' payments for attending group meetings in rented rooms. The current fee of 50p per meeting will still apply, but as from October 2008 members will be asked to pay in advance for a six-month period of meetings. For meetings held monthly this will usually mean paying £3 in one go, instead of six payments of 50p. Meetings held in members' houses will be unaffected.

 

The reason for introducing this change is that the fees for rented halls are fixed in advance and have to be paid in full regardless of how many members actually attend. The committee fully accepts that many groups run at a 'loss' (i.e. their income is less than the cost of room hire), and we have no problem with this. However, last year the loss by some groups was more than £100, and the total loss to our U3A was over £700. We hope that this measure will ensure that the income from groups equates more closely to the number of members belonging to each group.

 

For the groups affected, the year will be divided into two periods of six months - April to September inclusive and October to March inclusive, and members will be asked to state in advance their wish to join or remain a member of each group. Members will then pay the total fee for the period at the first meeting. Group leaders will use their discretion when informed before payment of a member's inability to attend certain sessions, and late joiners will only pay for the number of sessions remaining, but fees will not be reimbursed after payment. Please contact the Groups Coordinator or Chairman you require any clarification.   

'AWARDS FOR ALL' EQUIPMENT
 The facilities are available for all members to use for U3A activities, so do please ask about them.  In summary, we now have: 'laptop' computer, digital projector, speakers, DVD/VHS recorder/player, portable telescopic screen, digital camera and camcorder.

 
   

Monthly Meetings

A general meeting open to all members and visitors of Chard, Ilminster & District U3A is held once a month (except August) in Chard Guildhall. The meeting normally takes place on the third Monday of the month, starting at 2pm and lasting to about 4pm, though at Christmas and some other times we hold a lunch gathering instead. The monthly meeting usually features a speaker who gives a talk on a subject of general interest. The meeting also gives members an opportunity to hear news and announcements, for example information about new groups starting up or details of forthcoming group activities. There is a break for (Fairtrade) tea/coffee and biscuits during the afternoon, giving members ample opportunity to talk to group leaders or chat among themselves. And all for 50p!

 


Monthly meetings programme, 2008-09:

2008    
21 July Gordon Watson MEP The European Parliament
18 August Coffee Morning The Minster Rooms, Ilminster, 10.30 - 12 noon. All welcome.

8 September 
PLEASE NOTE DATE

David Hunt

Second World War defences around Chard and Ilminster

20 October

Dr A P Glanvill

Caving in India

17 November  

Mike Bolton

Hidden Somerset

15 December

Christmas Lunch at Noon 

Please bring a plate of savoury or sweet food for a shared seasonal meal

2009

 

 

19 January

Anne Sutherland

A Letter from the Past

16 February

Mr Walker

The Lunatic Express - African train stories

16 March

AGM

Speaker to be announced

20 April

David & Jenny Peake

Mercy Ships
18 May Awaiting information  
15 June Awaiting information  
20 July Awaiting information  
August No meeting  

 

 

Climate Change - response from South Somerset District Council
 

 

Date:

10 March 2008

Dear Mr Bamber

Your local District Councillor, Jo Roundell Greene, has passed me some copies of a letter dated 18 February, signed by many of your U3A colleagues, asking how South Somerset District Council is responding to the many aspects of climate change.  I am responding to you as Chairman and would ask that you make this reply available to all those who signed their name to the letter at your meeting next Monday, 17 March.

To answers your questions specifically: 

1.      Rising carbon dioxide levels.  We have appointed a Climate Change Officer,  Keith Wheaton-Green, who promotes sustainable construction and development, provides guidance and advice on renewable energy equipment, and contributes to planning policy as it relates to climate change.

      We are confident that as a local authority we are ahead of many in this respect and I enclose a copy of the Nottingham Declaration sign up, when we were the first in the county to show their commitment to addressing climate change.  You will also be interested to see an internal document called Carbon Update, which gives some details on what we have done in the last few months.

2.      Rising fuel prices.  This is out of our control, however we have policies to ensure that our vehicles are fuel efficient and we protect our budgets by ensuring that people take the most efficient routes to save mileage whilst carrying out their business.  I enclose a copy of the energy savings initiatives that we taken in our own buildings in order to reduce energy use. 

3.      Insecure supplies of fuel and electricity.  Our work on producing renewable energy locally is addressing this issue.  You may also be interested to hear that we purchase 65% of our electricity from either wind or hydropower sources.  Another document I enclose is about the South Somerset Hydropower project, where we are working with local people to produce renewable energy.  We have also just gained the capital funding to erect a wind turbine in Yeovil.

We hope that you believe that South Somerset District Council is responding to these three dangers with sufficient vigour.

Your letter then refers to resilience to three dangers:

·      Floods, droughts and storm damage.   The council has always supported those who are vulnerable to floods by providing sandbags.  We are looking into ways of empowering communities so that they are able to create Flood Emergency Plans and have local supplies of our sandbags so that they can have a speedier response to flooding emergencies. 

If your Group is interested in leading such an emergency plan, please contact us, as we would be pleased to invite you to a workshop in the next couple of months. 

·      Potential shortages of fuel.  I believe I have answered this question in No. 2 above.  However, I can also tell you that we are looking into the feasibility of wood heat boilers for our main buildings and we also provide advice to householders and businesses who require such help. 

·      Frequency and duration of loss of electrical power.  You really need to address this query to National Power (www.npower.com).  However, as a local authority, we support communities in emergencies and if there were a prolonged loss of power then our emergency procedures would come into action to protect the vulnerable. 

I was very pleased to hear of your Group’s interest and if we can support you in any initiatives towards becoming more environmentally friendly, then please contact us. 

Several towns in South Somerset are becoming transition towns and you may like to contact Ilminster, Langport and Glastonbury town councils to find out more.  In addition, there is a South Somerset Climate Change Action group based in Ilminster and I am sure that they would be pleased to have new volunteers.  The Chairman is Joe Burlington, of 27 East Street, Ilminster, TA19 0AN and he can be contacted on 01460 55323 and www.southsomersetclimateaction.org.uk

I hope you will find this information helpful, but if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Yours sincerely

Vega Sturgess

Corporate Director (Environment)

Copy:  Jo Roundell Greene, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Property

            Keith Wheaton Green, Climate Change Officer