For Facebook users, see the group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/U3AKeepingInTouch/
Lots of U3A members from all over the country, very friendly and fairly busy  group
Coming Soon: A NatWest and U3A Lecture series
Due to unexpected ill health, a new date is being set for the Robotics Lecture which will no longer be taking place this afternoon.
This new series especially designed for us by NatWest of live streamed lectures will launch next week with Investment Shams.
We are hoping the Robotic lectures will take place in a couple of weeks.  The lectures will take place every Thursday at 2:30pm - and each sessions will be delivered by NatWest staff with expertise in the topic. Any U3A member is welcome to join the lecture which will be live streamed on our Facebook channel or on NatWest's Youtube - links on how to join Youtube will be published nearer the time.
You can watch the live stream Facebook even if you dont have a Facebook profile (or without logging in). Follow us here
​And dont worry if you miss the live stream on next Thursday - we will host the lectures on our Youtube channel after the event. More details to come.
Hope to see you there at the first lecture next week on Investment Shams - 21st May at 2:30pm.
COVID-19    Coronavirus
 
​The latest information from our Secretary is now on the COVID-19 page

Please look after yourselves. 
I regret to inform you that Jean Francis, a long time member of our U3A, and a resident of Frith House.   has died at the age of 90.   
 Brian Matthews,  and Honorary Member and centenarian Peggy Bessant have sadly passed away since I last wrote, though as far as I know none as a result of Coronavirus.    Peggy's funeral was held on Monday 18th.

Tony Winterburn has been featured on BOS.com   
 https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/burnham-on-sea-war-veteran-receives-medal-for-his-role-in-ww2-arctic-convoys/
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​All the following are cancelled till further notice
 DAY TRIPS  ​     
HOLIDAYS
THEATRE GROUP
WALKING GROUP
​WELCOME AND INFORMATION
We  welcome  new members,  and we also answer many questions, keep a list of tradespeople and help generally.  Our main purpose is to “meet and greet” keeping a special eye out for newcomers.  We give them guidance and advice on Groups, introduce them to Group Leaders, make sure they have a cuppa and introduce them to others at the tables.  The success of this depends on the members making them welcome.
Also please inform us when people are sick, bereaved or any special occasion enabling us to send a card if appropriate.
I also circulate around the rooms making sure nobody is sitting alone.  Our main aim being to support, friendship and companionship at our U3A.
N.B.  If you are a member and you feel you would like to join our Group you would be very welcome.  Please contact me either at the coffee morning or telephone 792618.
 Rachael Rowse
Welcome & Information organiser   -    info<a>burnhamu3a.com
The Community Centre
The Community Centre, which is such an asset to the U3A, is having financial problems.  The roof needs repairing, and one of the outer walls needs work on it too.
For this reason, the Centre's Committee has decided to put up the rent we pay for the use of the Centre.  It will be increased by 5% from this April.
This will mean a small increase in the money we collect for Groups to use rooms, and also in the price we charge for drinks at the Thursday Coffee Mornings.   The actual amount will be determined by the Committee and will not happen until sometime after it and we  manage to open again.

Some members are under the impression the U3A owns the Community Centre.  This is not so, it belongs to Burnham via the Council.  It is an amenity for everyone, but the U3A would have a much more difficult time if it wasn't there.
​​It now has its own website  :   http://boscommunitycentre.btck.co.uk/​

 
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A warning from our Treasurer Les. He says:
"I have just received a scam e-mail aimed at the over 75s. It informs the recipient that their direct debit in respect of their (previously free) television licence has failed. It then has a very convenient link to reset the debit which goes I know not where.
"The free licence has been extended by the licencing authority to the end of July and they confirm on their website that there is no need for a current free licence holder to do anything at the moment as they will write to everybody concerned in good time. Whilst there are a couple of giveaways it will probably be all to easy for a number of our, sorry my, age group to happily send their bank details to whoever is organising this.
Les"
And another scam message has surfaced this week, titled "Quick Action" and purporting to be from Chairman Harriet. It asks the recipient to do her a favour by getting a £200 Playstation Gift Card for her nephew. I doubt if anyone will have fallen for something so out of character, and we think it has only gone to committee members, using email addresses harvested from our website, but if you have received one we would be interested to know.
Chris Owen reminds us that this kind of attempted fraud should be reported to: report@phishing.gov.uk    This goes to the National Cyber Security Centre at GCHQ
If you are in touch with any of our members who don't get emails, perhaps you would pass on these warnings to them; particularly Les's.
DVDs 
The Third Age Trust (TAT) has been rationalising its stock of DVDs and have passed on a number to Rod Winfield who is TAT’s subject adviser for Classical Music.  These are being shared with other members of the six classical groups now current.
 He also received a rather smaller number of Jazz DVDs and would like to place these with a Burnham U3A member who would share them with other like-minded people.  He wonders, in particular, if there is anyone prepared to set up a Jazz Appreciation group?
 The jazz DVDs include a 4-DVD set on the History of Jazz, but most are about Modern Jazz.
Any requests, comments or offers for the Group to 
​rwinfield36<a>.gmail.com

Rod Winfield

RUNNING BURNHAM U3A
​We have a Committee, which has 3 important officers, the Secretary, the Chairman and the Treasurer.  The rules of the TAT have limits as to how many years one person can hold an office without a break.  There is good reason for this, it stops an individual from taking over and it encourages other members to get involved in running the U3A. 
Now I have agreed to be Chairman for one year.  I have enough to do with producing the magazine, running the website and also my Groups to agree to do it any longer than that.  
Gary is asking for someone, maybe new to U3A, to ‘understudy’ what the Secretary does for when he has to stand down.  We do have a nearly full committee, but most of those have been doing it on and off for a long time.
What this boils down to is, we really would welcome new ideas. We know we have new younger members, many of you must have had some experience of Committees during your working life, and your expertise (however small) would be valued.
If at any time we have no-one to be an Officer, the whole U3A would have to close.  Whichever bit you joined for will no longer exist.
You would be very welcome to attend committee meetings as an observer, just to see what goes on. 
We have over 600 members, of whom at least half should be reasonably young and fit!  So where are you ?   
GROUPS LATEST​​
Please contact your Group Leader to find out if your Group is running or has been cancelled
GROUPS Online
Creative Writing
Kim says that they are now having their monthly meetings via Zoom and also making regular phone calls to their members without email. In her inimitable way she reports on “…the tale of the first ever ZOOM MEETING for creative writing. With myself in as host, a new Smugphone, -er sorry Smartphone, I wasn’t too confident. First attempt I hadn’t realised the invitation email hadn’t sent; poor Jane, Brenda and Kathy were waiting to join in. We had to abandon to the following day. All a bit of a blur now, but it was 3rd time lucky. Apologies to Brenda for having to drop out due to timing. In the end, I was able to admit the 2 ladies and we were all on screen and interacting, as excited as a 3 year old on a birthday! We read stories, poems and talked and laughed. I was having an alcoholic beverage (medicinal, just one) I was pleased when ZOOM popped up a message to say we had no time limit and if we scheduled another call, the same applied. I will be better prepared! I had time to read a poem from Annette too. Once you see what to do, I highly recommend this way of socialising!”
ZOOM Tutorials
Anyone who has dabbled in Zoom will recognise Kim's account of the first try-out! For Group Leaders who would like to know more, live tuition is now available online, free from the Third Age Trust (advance booking required)
In fact there are extensive suggestions on the TAT website for Group activities during lockdown covering Living History, Table Tennis, Mindfulness, Painting for Pleasure, Classical Music, a Virtual Coffee Morning and more. There are also numerous other articles posted pre-Covid (remember then?) and more are added regularly, so it is worth bookmarking the page and checking it from time to time. 
Yoga
Laraine says “To add to your list of 'home schooling', I am still sending out a weekly yoga programme which is now on week four and happy to include anyone not on my current list.  I still have the previous editions.”
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You will be given all the support you need to start a group so why not give it a go?..........after all the success of our U3A is in the strength of the groups.
Please register your interest by signing the flyer in the Community Centre
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