Welcome to Ringwood U3A, which was formed in 2012. We are a friendly club with some 200 members and more than 20 interest groups. Please take a look around the site to discover what we can offer to those who are no longer in full time employment. New members are always warmly welcomed.
Monthly meetings take place on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 2-4pm at Greyfriars. Please click the 'Meetings' button for more information.
All groups are organised and led by members with most taking place in members' own homes so that they are small and friendly. Full members may join as many interest groups as they wish at no extra charge unless the group has to hire a room when there will be a small additional cost.
Please click the 'Group Info' button to see details of all groups. If you would like to know more or after joining wish to join a particular group please contact the Group Leader - contact details are on the Group Info pages.
Please contact any of the Committee Members for general information.
Latest news
The Committee would like to wish all members a very Happy Christmas and to say that we are looking forward to seeing 80 of you at the Christmas party.
The Membership Application Form for Sept 2018 to Aug 2019 is available on the website. Printed copies will be available at the monthly meeting. This form is longer than previously due to the new GDPR rules on privacy - please help us by completing it in full at home before handing it in with your payment of £24 in order to avoid a traffic jam at the Welcome Table. Please do not continue to hand in forms once our Speaker has begun his talk. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 2 MONTH RENEWAL PERIOD IS NOW AT AN END SO ANYONE WHO HAS NOT RENEWED THEIR MEMBERSHIP WILL BE REMOVED FROM OUR RECORDS AND WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE THE EMAIL NEWSLETTER.
The very latest updated 2018-2019 Programme Leaflet is available on the website. Printed copies, which may not be the most current, will be available at the monthly meeting. Please advise Hazel if you notice anything that needs amending.
If you have a mobility issue, either short or long term, that is preventing you from coming to the monthly meetings or a group please contact a member of the Committee to see if we can find a local member who could provide a lift.
We are delighted that 3 people have now come forward to take on Committee roles which are becoming vacant. We still need another 2, 1 of which is for the key position of Secretary. Audrey Salter has been co-opted to take over as Groups Co-ordinator from June at the end of the year, Mary Newbury will be co-opted to shadow and assist Val in the role of Meeter and Greeter. Chris Pentelow will stand for nomination to the role of Speaker Secretary at the AGM in April 2019. Connie Froud has also offered to help when needed but in a non-committee role. If you think you would like to be more involved in the club please do come and talk to one of the Committee.
At November's meeting we had a collection for the BBC's 'Children In Need' appeal, which raised £30. Thank you to everyone who donated.
We are delighted to let you know that Rob Forrester-Addie raised an amazing £1,855.20p for the 'Kisses 4 Jon' Appeal by doing a Tandem Skydive - well done Rob.
Our next meeting will be the Members' Christmas Party. Entrance is strictly by ticket. If you would like to attend and have not already applied for a ticket please email June Edwards asap. Once all tickets have gone June will put names on a reserve list in case there are any returns. If you have a ticket but you are no longer able to attend please let June know so that the ticket can be reallocated.
Following the excellent presentation on Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in August we have decided to donate the proceeds of this year's Christmas Raffle to them. As the Christmas Party is a free event with entertainment and buffet it is hoped that all attendees will wish to buy at least £2 of raffle tickets to benefit this worthy cause. Tickets will be on sale at 50p each or 5 for £2.
A Post Christmas Walk of 3 miles will take place on Friday 4th January. Starting at 10am from the Alice Lisle, Rockford Green, BH24 3NA to walk round the Rockford Bowl then back to the pub for coffee.
Greyfriars Challenge Quiz - Monday 28th January 7.15 for 7.30 The format has been changed so will now be a pen and paper quiz run on just the one evening with teams of 4 conferring. Teams can be from any Greyfriars Club, Affiliated Organisation and Classes. We've registered to enter a team which will consist of Maggie Jerome, Lesley Walter, Deidre Halliday and Sandra Ghent. If interested in taking part please Email Maggie who has agreed to be Team Leader - maggiejerome@hotmail.co.uk or ring her on 01425 540914
OPEN MORNING, Saturday 16th February from 10.30 - 12 noon, in the Ann Rose Hall at Greyfriars. Come along for a chat and coffee to find out about what the Ringwood U3A Club can offer you. Our 'Interest Groups' will be represented along with displays of activities.
The craft group would be grateful for any unwanted knitting yarn - it doesn't matter how small the ball is, what colour or what thickness we can find a use for it.
Unfortunately we no longer have a Spanish group as no-one has come forward to lead either group. If anyone would like to take on this role please contact June Edwards.
There has also been interest in a French group but we need a Leader to come forward. If anyone would like to take on this role please contact June Edwards.
Interest has been expressed by several people regarding a Theatre Group - to do so we will need a Group Leader - please talk to June Edwards if you think you might like to do this.
With the return of our pianist, Peter, we are delighted that the 'Singing for Fun' group is now in full swing at Greyfriars from 1pm on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. And we have some new tunes. All members are welcome to join - no audition required! Men would be particularly welcome to bolster up the deeper tones! Feel free to just turn up on the day for a 'taster' session. A small charge per 'term' is made to cover room hire and refreshment costs. If interested please contact June on june.edwards1506@gmail.com.
Appeal for new photos for the website - many of our group photos are several years old and it would be lovely to update our gallery so if you can take a nice picture when you are part of a group or event please do so (having first established that everyone is happy to have their picture published) and email them to Hazel.
Please remember that we have a RED Suggestion Box at our Monthly Meetings? We would love to hear any of your ideas. In particular we are thinking about what to do in July 2019 when we again won't be able to use Greyfriars - would you like to have a speaker again in Trinity, have a Summer Party (if so any ideas on where) or perhaps a group outing such as a Coach trip or Poole Harbour boat trip. We'd love to hear from you.
Don't forget to look at the Members' Only Page (Noticeboard) on our website which gives members the opportunity to publicise non-U3A events that they have a keen interest in or to invite others to join them for something particular like a cinema trip or garden visit etc. It will not be used for 'selling' items. If you would like something posted to the Noticeboard please email full details to Hazel via the contacts page. Inclusion will be at the discretion of the Committee.
How to join
If you are no longer in, or looking for full time employment you may join Ringwood U3A by downloading a membership form using this link or by emailing our Chairman, Pete Jackson.
When you have completed the form you may take it, and your £24 membership fee, to the Thursday monthly meeting.
Please also read the
RINGWOOD U3A CODE OF CONDUCT
Ringwood U3A strives to be a friendly and welcoming organisation, available to all who are no longer in full time employment. Our main aim is that our members enjoy the experience of being a member. We do realise, however, that problems sometimes occur and, whilst we do not want to control every potential difficulty with a raft of rules, we have prepared the following statements to cover any situation that may arise.
If any member or prospective member's behaviour or presentation causes distress or offence to other members, the Committee have the right to ask for that behaviour or presentation to change. If this change does not take place the Committee will have the right to rescind or refuse membership to that individual. In order to maintain our informal and friendly atmosphere, we would strive to deal with problems of such nature in a quiet and discreet fashion. If a member feels that certain behaviour is detrimental to our organisation or themselves, please raise the issue with a member of the Committee.
Pete Jackson
Chair
June 2018
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