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COOKRIDGE & HORSFORTH

A GUIDE FOR GROUP LEADERS(2018 edition)

Walkers/Strollers Bridge/Mah Jong/ Table Tennis Scrabb

Welcome!Thank you for taking on the role of Group Leader. Groups are run by members for members, and we hope you will gain great satisfaction from group leadership. Remember that your key role is simply to organise the smooth running of your group. You are NOT expected to do everything for your group, which should function as a collaborative venture. Be aware also that the Committee and, particularly, ourselves as Groups Coordinators are here to help and support you in any way we can. Lorraine Harding & Margaret Underhill, Groups Coordinators

How to use the Guide

This Guide aims to be a comprehensive one stop shop for anything Group Leaders may need in running their groups and much of it is provided purely for information.

The Guide is in four parts:Part 1: Starting a Group

Part 2: Advice on the Running of your Group sets out advice and good practice which Group Leaders may find helpful. Leaders are invited to pick out anything which is useful to them and ignore that which is not.

Part 3: Essential Procedures sets out those things Group Leaders need to do in order to ensure(a) that they and their members reap maximum benefit from public liability insurance cover, which CHU3A enjoys as part of the Third Age Trust.(b) that best financial practice is adhered to, consistent with CHU3A’s status as a charity.(c) that any problems or grievances within the group are resolved as efficiently and amicably as possible.N.B. All Group Leaders are asked to comply with this part of the Guide and if they encounter any difficulty, they should contact either the Groups Coordinators or Chairman as soon as possible.

Part 4: Mini Reference Directory providing:(a) Contacts within CHU3A (b) Information on external resources, such as the U3A national website and the U3A Resource Centre.

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It is for each Group Leader and members to decide how best to run their Group and membership of a Group is at the discretion of the Group Leader. The Groups Coordinators, and the Committee generally, are always available to help if a problem cannot be resolved within the Group. Contact details are in Part 4.

PART 1: STARTING A NEW GROUP

1.1 Groups are the lifeblood of U3A, and members are encouraged to start groups on new themes/activities, or to start a new group for something already established where there is a demand (for example, we have multiple groups for bridge, books, canasta, family history, mah jong ,scrabble, walking and wine). Please talk to one of the Group Co-ordinators about your ideas for a new group, and try to assess member interest.

1.2 One way to do this is to place a notice/sign-up sheet on the table with the group notice boards at a general meeting. Another is to make a brief announcement, as part of the ‘notices’, at a general meeting.

1.3 When a reasonable number of members are interested, call an initial meeting at a convenient time. Note all group members must be members of CHU3A (or Leeds U3A members under our reciprocal agreement).

1.4 After an initial meeting, fix up regular meetings and agree a venue (see below).

1.5 A start-up grant of between £30 and £50 may be available for equipment and so on. This is a decision of the committee, and will only be considered once a group is up and running.

1.6 Venues - Most CHU3A groups run in members’ homes; however, sometimes another venue, indoor or outdoor, is required, and a hire charge is likely. This would normally involve individual members of the group making a payment which would be used to cover the hire charge. Please see para. 3.13 below for more details. Groups run on a self-funding basis. For advice on venues, please contact one of the Group Co-ordinators.

1.7 When established, the group will require a website entry - certain details will be required by the Group Co-ordinator to place on the website.

1.8 When more people wish to join than you have room for - consider various options such as finding a larger venue, setting up a wait list, or investigating the possibility of a second group.

1.9 In general, please keep the Group Co-ordinators up to date with how things are going.

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1.10 Note that a register should be kept of attendance (further details below).

1.11 In communicating with the group by Email, please remember that GDPR now requires that all addresses are place in the BCC field. (The TO box of the Email should contain your own Email address.)

PART 2: ADVICE ON THE RUNNING OF YOUR GROUP

Organisation

2.1 Group Leaders are advised to spread the workload among members. This not only reduces pressure on the Leader but also gets group members more involved in the Group, and helps ensure the continuity of the Group if the Leader is not available, for instance on holiday or ill.

2.2 Someone within the Group, not necessarily the Leader, will need to look after its finances if your group handles monies other than members’ 50p refreshment fee. This is very important and Part 3 of this Guide will set out in detail how Group finances should be organised. Depending on the size of the Group and the nature of its activities, it may also have:

• a deputy, to assist generally and stand in if the Leader is unavailable,• a contact person to liaise with the Groups Coordinators and Group members,• a future activities team from volunteers within the Group,• a liaison person, if the Group is subdivided (eg CHU3A Family History Groups).

Register and Record Keeping

2.3 As Part 3 will explain, there needs to be a record of attendance at Group meetings. It is helpful if you also keep a simple record of what takes place at each Group meeting. This does not need to be detailed, its main purpose is help if leadership of the Group should change for any reason.

Copying Materials

2.4 CHU3A holds a licence that permits multiple photocopying and digital copying of small extracts from books, journals and magazines for educational purposes. Digital copies may be used in e-mails, faxes and Virtual Learning Environments. (An extract is up to 5%, one chapter or one article – whichever is the greater.) Entire works may be copied for visually-impaired members. Photocopying music sheets is illegal and financial penalties can be severe. Books of music that may be photocopied are sometimes available but, other than these, music should not be photocopied.

Using Recorded Music/sound

2.5 CHU3A also holds a licence permitting the use of recorded music for:

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• any physical activity group• monthly meetings• music appreciation.

Enquiries About Starting A Group

2.6 Any Group member, or person on the waiting list, who enquires about starting a Group should be referred to the Groups Coordinators or the Chairman.

Speaking at Monthly Meetings

2.7 To speak about the Group at a monthly meeting, please advise the Chairman, 48 hours in advance, that you wish to speak and please be brief at the meeting.

General Notice board at Monthly Meetings

2.8 If you wish to display anything about the Group, please advise Lorraine Harding (the Groups Coordinator who maintains the board) 48 hours in advance.

CHU3A Website

2.9 Please make full use of our website (cookridgeandhorsforthu3a.wildapricot.org), which is an important resource for all members. Every Group has a section, which we ask Leaders to keep up to date by forwarding all relevant information to Moira Greensmith, Dominique Lodge or Lorraine Harding.

Dogs and Grandchildren on Walks

2.10 CHU3A’s public liability insurance DOES NOT COVER CHILDREN ON WALKS. So - no grandchildren please. DOGS ARE COVERED ONLY IF ON A LEASH. It is up to the walks leader’s discretion whether dogs on a leash are allowed. It is strongly advised that you have no dogs on a walk (even on a leash) when walking through areas where there are livestock.

Organising Tours and Trips

2.11 The Third Age Trust has Tour Operator Insurance only for long weekends away. If organising a longer tour, Leaders should hand over all the arrangements to a travel agent or coach operator and have cheques made payable directly to this organisation. Leaders are advised to hand over the arrangements for short tours and day trips wherever possible. Please note that individual members always still need their own holiday insurance.

Equipment

2.12 CHU3A has the following equipment:

P.A. system & microphones Long Arm Stapler

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Digital Projector Sewing MachineMusic System Digital Camera & TripodScreens (large and small) Craft items - variousCable Reel Scores and Music BooksNotice boards Visualiser (digital document reader)

Family History Software Laminator + pouches4 Laptops

These items can be borrowed by Groups for their use. Please contact Arthur Ward (See Part 4). Printing facilities can also be made available, if required.

PART 3: ESSENTIAL PROCEDURES

KEEPING REGISTERS

3.1 N.B. The keeping of registers is necessary because:CHU3A is included in the Third Age Trust insurance policy for Public Liability and Products Liability which indemnifies U3A members against sums they could become legally liable to pay as a result of the:• accidental injury or death of any person.• accidental loss or damage to material property not belonging to you, which

arises or is caused in connection with the “business” of U3As.

The policy includes “member to member” cover, which means that if a member injures another member or damages their property, the Insurers will not refuse the claim on the technicality that both persons were “the insured”.If you need further advice, please contact Ron Greensmith (see Part 4).

3.2 Group Leaders must have an up-to-date list of Group members which should include:

• Name • Contact (either telephone number or e-mail).

For insurance reasons, it is essential that all Group members are current CHU3A members. Membership should be checked when someone joins the Group and at annual renewal time (April of each year).

3.3 Group Leaders must also keep a register of attendance (and, if appropriate, a record of any visitors to the Group). The register only needs to be as simple as the example provided at the end of this section – see page 11.People who are not members of CHU3A may attend one Group meeting only, as additional attendance would invalidate insurance cover for all those present.If a visitor makes contact, the Group Leader is advised to ask if they have already attended a CHU3A Group or general meeting.

3.4 Members of other U3As are not entitled to attend CHU3A meetings unless specific arrangements between the two U3As exist. At present, CHU3A has such

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an arrangements with Leeds U3A, but it is for the Group Leader to decide whether or not to accept members from this U3A into the Group.

3.5 A carer who attends meetings solely to look after a member is included in insurance cover.

3.6 Where members rarely turn up to Group meetings, Leaders may suggest that if three successive meetings are missed without good reason (eg. ill-health or holiday) the absent member withdraws from the Group.

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EMERGENCIES

3.7 In the event of an accident or emergency, the emergency services should be phoned immediately. If a First Aider is present, they may then administer assistance as directed by the emergency services. All members of CHU3A have been asked to include an ICE (in case of emergency) number in their mobiles and carry an emergency contact card. They have also been asked to provide an emergency contact number for the Directory in the Members area of the website. Any accident should be reported on the U3A Accident Report form (copy at the end of this section - see page 13 - or downloaded from the national U3A website – www.u3a.org.uk). Group Leaders are advised to have a copy to hand in case of emergency. Leaders are advised to call 112. for assistance/an ambulance in the event of being out in the countryside.

3.8 Completed Accident Report forms should be forwarded to CHU3A Secretary, Pat Pascoe.(See website for contact details)

3.9 Leaders of walking groups should ensure that all members sign a Walks Disclaimer (copy at the end of this section – see page 12). Other activity-based groups will need a similar disclaimer, if any risks to individuals may be involved.

FINANCE

3.10 All members of CHU3A Committee are trustees of that charity and are legally responsible for the proper handling of all its funds. In this capacity, the Committee requires that clear procedures are followed in the handling of, and accounting for, monies by Group Leaders and all other members.

GROUP ACTIVITIES

3.11 Groups are self-financing, all costs (room hire/materials/photocopying etc.) being shared among the members of the Group. The Committee might, however, help with the purchase of capital items. Any request for funds should be made in writing to the Treasurer in the first instance and should include the following information:

• what equipment is needed• how much it will cost• how many people are expected to use it• whether the equipment might be useful to other Group(s).

Purchases of less than £30 can be approved by the Treasurer. Larger purchases will have to be considered by the Committee and Group Leaders should allow time for the Committee to meet (which could be up to six weeks) in this case.

3.12 Where Groups meet in members’ houses, a donation of up to 50p should be made to the host to cover the cost of refreshments. Any excess may be used for the benefit of the Group (e.g. to offset some of its running costs).

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3.13 Where Groups meet in hired premises, Leaders are advised to make provisional bookings initially, while they assess demand. It should be made clear that the booking is on behalf of CHU3A. Individual Groups or Leaders must not enter into any contract to bind CHU3A, as it is a requirement of the Charity Commission that contracts are entered into only by trustees. N.B. Therefore Leaders should pay the cost of rental through the CHU3A Treasurer.

Leaders should therefore take payment for room rental in advance from members. If this is not possible, they should try to arrange to pay a deposit for the first session and remit the balance when monies are collected at the first session. Always keep a careful note of payments received.

If income from the Group members falls short of the room rental costs, then the Leader should consult the Treasurer or the Chairman. It might be possible for the Committee to cover a moderate shortfall from central funds – for example, to give a new Group time to establish itself.

3.14 Leaders should not pay for U3A activities from personal bank accounts or on credit/debit cards (except for very small amounts, which can be reimbursed from group monies collected). Nor should they, or Group members, pay members’ money for U3A activities through their personal accounts.

3.15 Where members give each other lifts to meetings or on Group outings, drivers might like a donation (up to 10p per mile is suggested) towards petrol costs, where this is compatible with their own insurance.

SPEAKERS AND TUTORS

3.16 A one-off fee to a guest speaker is permissible. However, Third Age Trust advice is that Groups should not hire a freelance leader/tutor/specialist to run a class on a regular basis as there could be legal consequences of this. The reimbursement of reasonable legitimate expenses is permissible on a regular basis, but tuition fees are not.

GROUP FINANCIAL RECORDS

3.17 A Group member (who need not be the Leader) should keep a simple record of income, expenditure and the balance in hand. [This is not necessary for 50p refreshment donations.] Appropriate receipts and payment vouchers, etc. should be retained. Group financial records should be available to pass to the CHU3A Treasurer at the end of the financial year.

3.18 Cash held by the appropriate member should be kept to a minimum. It should not exceed £300 and should be clearly labelled as U3A funds.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND ONE-OFF EVENTS

3.19 If you wish to make use of the CHU3A bank account facilities when making payments for social activities and one-off events (e.g. theatre visits, outings, Christmas lunches), please discuss this with the Treasurer before arranging your event.

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3.20 Paying into the account

• All payments must be made in advance, by cheque payable to Cookridge and Horsforth U3A or online.

• Always keep a detailed record of cheques given to you.• Write the name of the Group on the back of the cheque/s before handing to the

Treasurer.• Group totals only will be shown on the Treasurer’s books.

3.21 Requests for cheques

All requests should be given to CHU3A Treasurer, in writing, using the cheque request form (see following page), stating:

• the name of payee/s• the amount/s required• whether the cheque/s is/are to be given to you or posted direct (please

supply address).

Free trips when organising travel

3.22 “Freebies” are sometimes offered to the organiser of a tour or outing as a “thank you” for bringing in the business. These should be shared among all the participants on the excursion.

HANDLING PROBLEMS / GRIEVANCES WITHIN THE GROUP

3.23 There may well be differences of opinion within a group, possibly even problems or grievances. Any Group Leader who becomes concerned about the dynamic of their group, or about a developing situation, should seek advice and support from the Groups Coordinators in the first instance.

The aim should always be to resolve any problems amicably and the Groups Coordinators / Committee will assist in dealing with any difficult situations or “people issues” brought to their attention. CHU3A will follow advice published by The Third Age Trust where formal action needs to be taken to resolve any such situations or issues.

Please note that a Group Leader should NOT unilaterally exclude a member from their Group, only the Committee may do this. The Leader should immediately consult the Groups Coordinators if any problem or grievance develops which cannot be resolved within the Group.

3.24 Depending on the nature of the group, some Group Leaders may wish to negotiate / establish “ground rules” at the first meeting of the group – particularly where discussions or attention to a speaker will be involved in sessions. Any such procedure (and the nature of the “rules” established) is entirely at the discretion of the Group Leader and the Group.

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CHEQUE REQUEST

Group/Official requiring cheque ………………………………………..

Account cheque to be drawn on:

Made out to …………………………………………….

Amount …………………………………………….

Date cheque required ……………………………

Signed …......................................................

Date …......................................................

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Sample register

(There is no need for this to be word-processed. A handwritten register is fine.)

EXPLORING ENGLISH AUTUMN 2014

NAME 1st Oct

8th Oct

15th Oct

22nd Oct

5th Nov

12th Nov 19th Nov

Malcolm Johnson ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

etc. ✓ ✓ ✓ x x ✓ ✓

etc. x ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ x ✓

(Groups such as Stroll to Lunch, iPad Users, Bridge or Mah Jong at the Willows, where the membership of the group is not fixed, may wish to use a Signing In book as an alternative.)

U3A WALKING GROUP

WALKS DISCLAIMER

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Walking is one of the healthiest and safest of outdoor activities.

However, neither Cookridge & Horsforth U3A, nor the Walk Leader/Organiser of the walk(s) has control of the environment of the walks, the weather, any animals or indeed any of the walkers themselves and, whilst taking normal precautions, providing reasonable help and assistance as necessary, they cannot accept responsibility for any circumstances affecting the health or safety of the Walkers in the party.

Walks organised by U3A Groups automatically receive Public Liability Insurance cover, provided the leaders are U3A members, through the Third Age Trust. This is designed to protect leaders against claims for damage to property and for injury or death which might have been occasioned on the walk. This is NOT a personal accident insurance and accordingly participants on walks are responsible for their own health and safety and the safe keeping of their equipment, clothing and belongings.

Participants on walks should follow the advice/instructions of the Walk Leader in order to minimise any risk to themselves and should also ensure they do not endanger any others in the party.

I have read, understood and accept the foregoing Disclaimer.

Please print your Name(s) in Block Letters, then sign and date below.

NAME(S) SIGNATURE DATE(Block letters)

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ACCIDENT REPORT FORM COOKRIDGE & HORSFORTH U3A

Name of Injured party/address/telephone number:

Name/address/telephone number of others involved:

Date/Time of Accident: Location:

Nature of Accident/ Circumstances:

Injury Details/Property Damage:

Name/address/telephone number of person causing injury/ damage:

Witnessed by:

Address:

Telephone number:

Action taken:

Was any specialised assistance required at the scene? If so give details.

Was medical advice sought afterwards? If so give details.

Name of Group Leader ………………………… ……Tel number…………………………

Signed ……………………………………. (injured party)

Signed ……………………………. …. (Group Leader)

Date ……………………………………

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PART 4: MINI REFERENCE DIRECTORY

CHU3A contacts (Contact details found on website)

Chairman Dominique Lodge Website

Vice Chairman Betty Pearson Publicity

Secretary Pat Pascoe

Treasurer David Dewhirst

Membership Secretary Maria Sinclairchu3amembership@gmail.com

Programme Secretary Andrina Mapplebeck

Group Co-ordinators Lorraine Harding Margaret Underhill

Set up team Steve Bates

Newsletter Editor Moira Greensmith/Pearl Lewis Dominique Lodge

Equipment Arthur Ward

Insurance Adviser Ron Greensmith

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SUPPORT AND INFORMATION FOR GROUP LEADERS

The U3A national website

www.u3a.org.uk Tel: 020 8466 6139

No computer? Perhaps use those in your local library or ask one of your Group members.

You need to be able to access the Members’ Area of the website. To do this, click on ‘Register’ and follow the instructions to create your user name and password. Once your user name and password have been set up and verified, you will need to make a note of them for future reference as U3A cannot reset them for you. You will then be able to view the Members’ Menu. From this you can access all manner of useful information.

Under Subject Advice, for example, find:

Start up leaflets on over 20 subjects (and increasing) from Architecture to Walking and including Drama & Theatre, Genealogy, Languages, and other subjects CHU3A covers.

Subject Advisers - there are over 50 subjects (and increasing) listed from American Archaeology to Wine Appreciation. Each subject adviser can be contacted directly for ideas/materials. Some send out regular newsletters, so do contact them.

You can also print off accident forms, etc.

Web-sites of other U3A Groups - read what their interest Groups are doing and get ideas for your own Group - or start another Group in addition! Perhaps telephone the Group Leader and hope to find someone helpful!

Shared Learning Projects - perhaps link up with other U3A Groups covering your subject and work on a joint project.

Online Courses -a) tutored courses with specific start dates and duration (usually about 8 weeks). Build up your knowledge of your subject - or learn about another subject on which to run a course laterb) untutored courses – a number of subjects currently available, from Great North European Artists to Writing for Publication - another way to build up your knowledgec) The U3A website can also direct you to “Future Learn”, for a more academic study of a range of subjects.

Summer Schools - details on website as they become known.

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The U3A Resources Centre

Tel 0208 315 0199; open Tuesday - Thursday only, 09.30 - 16.00e-mail: resource.centre@u3a.org.uk

The Resource Centre in the National Office in Bromley has a collection of non-book materials available for all U3A groups to borrow free of charge, except for the cost of return postage. There are slides, videos, audiocassettes, CDs and DVDs available in many subject areas. Lists on all subjects are free and available on request. Lists currently available include - Architecture, Art, Biography, Environment and Transport, Gardening, Geography and Travel, Health and Exercise, History/Family History/Archaeology, Languages and Foreign Films, Literature and Poetry, Music: classical,/opera/ballet/jazz, Philosophy and Psychology, Recreation (incl. walking, dancing, fashion, wine appreciation, cinema, photography, antiques), Religion, Pure Science, Natural Science. (The Groups Coordinators hold some of these lists).

You access the Resource Centre via the Members’ Area HomepageBefore you can borrow items from the Resource Centre, you need a USER NUMBER supplied by The Resource Centre. Please note that when you register with the Resource Centre it takes some days for the number and instructions to arrive. Once you have your number, you can begin to borrow items by following the information and instructions on the “Welcome to the Resource Centre” page.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can ask the Centre for a copy of their list of subjects - or that section of the list which deals with your subject. Once you have your registration number you can telephone or write to request materials. Address –

Resource Centre, The Third Age Trust, 19 East Street, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1QE

Libraries

As well as local branch libraries and Leeds City Library, which are available to all Leeds residents, anyone who lives within five miles of Trinity University College, Horsforth, may use the College library free. To join, take along a passport size photo + ID + utility bill.

Publications

Each of the following contains useful items which may stimulate further ideas, and come to you by post automatically as a CHu3a member:

THIRD AGE MATTERS - published five times a year.SOURCES - published three times a year.

“Sources” normally concentrates on a single subject per issue. Many sources / references included. Back copies of “Sources” may be viewed online.

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