Category: Announcements

These texts tell you that you’ve been identified as being eligible for the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme. They invite you to click on a link to claim your payment. The websites detailed in these texts were all created recently, before being swiftly taken down and replaced by new pages.

The fraudulent site invites you to click on a link titled ‘Start Now’, which takes you to a page asking you to select your energy provider. This then leads to another page where you are asked to enter your bank details.

Welcome – our next monthly meeting is on Wednesday, 12th October, 2022 and we look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

Please ensure that you enter the building from the car park rear entrance and book in at the desk. Please try to remember to wear your name badges so that folks (especially new members) know who you are, if a group leader or committee member, again pleased wear your ID so that others know who they are talking to. Please remember to either silence or turn off your mobile phones.

The last month has been a very special one for so many people, the death of Queen Elizabeth the II, whilst possibly not totally unexpected, came as a very emotional shock to us all.
Whatever your beliefs, whether monarchist or not, none can doubt the service and duty that she gave to this country for seventy long years. She lived a very full and active life right up to the end; her quick passing can only be viewed as a blessing.

For those that watched the funeral we can only wonder at the organisation that had obviously been planned for many years. The pageantry was as always first class and something that the UK specialises in and performs to perfection. King Charles III has a daunting task ahead and must know that his mother will be a difficult act to follow, we must wish him well, and see what changes he will make.

Summer is well and truly over, with dark mornings (if you wake early enough) and dark evenings. My wife and I are now taking the dogs for their evening walk in the dark! Time to think about putting on the heating and getting the throws out to keep warm on these chilly nights, please remember, always keep warm whatever else, even with the terrifyingly high fuel bills, if you have any problems please speak to your supplier.

We are still searching for a Deputy Editor for the newsletter, please volunteer if you are able.

Advanced notice that we will not be having a formal monthly meeting in December, however, we are planning to have a ‘Film Afternoon’ for those that want to come and watch, these have been popular in the past.

Melvyn Francis, Chair

Fake “Mum and Dad” Scam
A recent scam that has increased by 60% this year relies upon parents wanting to help their children. You receive a text message allegedly from your son or daughter, giving you a new telephone number saying that they have lost their ‘phone and this is their new number. Shortly after comes a request for a smallish loan normally a few hundred pounds to be transferred to their bank as they are running short having bought the new phone. Their bank details are given. Not being a large amount, many are transferring money requested. It is of course a scam. Always check before acting.

British Gas email scam offering a fake energy refund
Scammers are impersonating British Gas with fake emails tempting recipients to click a link to get a fake energy refund. Although the email looks legitimate, it addresses you by your email address and not your name. This is a potential giveaway that it’s from a fraudster.

Think Five
If you get any cold calls or emails, always take five seconds, just to think, can this be true, sounds too good? Then usually is.

The 40th u3a anniversary finally took place on Highfields Park last Saturday, 24th September 2022 when we were blessed with good weather. Please see below the message from the organisers:-

“On behalf of the organising team, I’d like to thank all of you who participated in our Nottinghamshire Network’s 40th Anniversary celebrations for all your enthusiasm and hard work. You helped make it the successful event that it was during the week leading up to the Saturday finale at Highfields Park.

Worksop and District’s steel band really set the scene for an excellent afternoon with two great performances followed by speeches from the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, our Regional Trustee Jean Hogg and our network chair, Rosie Allen. The whole afternoon ended on a high note with a performance by the ‘Flash Mob’ led by Leslye Henstock from The Dukeries u3a who has sent me a link to a YouTube video of the dance.”