Category: Announcements

November means we are well into the autumn months. An obvious sign all around us are the interestingly coloured leaves that slowly drop from trees and shrubs to blow about and carpet the ground. But why do some plants shed their leaves before winter? It turns out autumnal leaf drop is a form of self-protection. While evergreen plants in cold climates have thick waxes and resins to protect their leaves from freezing and fracturing, deciduous species generally have thin leaves that are susceptible to cold temperatures. By the end of summer, many leaves are insect-eaten, diseased, or otherwise damaged. Dropping them gives the plant a fresh start in the spring, and the nutrients from the decaying leaves are recycled to help grow the next leafy generation.

Some tree facts:
There are over 60,000 species of trees worldwide but in the UK we have just 32. A mature tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. They also prevent soil from eroding into our waterways, reduce storm water runoff, and lessen flood damage.
Some of you may have read that the u3a are hoping to plant 5000 trees in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the UK u3a movement.

u3a 40th Anniversary Woodland – Individual Trees
Choose to buy individual trees which will be planted to create our u3a Anniversary Woodland and help support the environment, wildlife and climate. Every tree sold makes a difference and helps the movement get nearer its target of planting 5,000 trees by the end of the planting season in Spring next year. You will receive a specially designed certificate to download as a memento of your contribution to the environment and to the u3a movement. Please select the number of trees you would like to buy then click customise to add your name to the certificate. *Please note the u3a Anniversary Woodland is located on the England/Wales border in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The trees – two-year old saplings – will be native, deciduous trees; a mix of native species will be appropriate to the chosen site. Your purchase includes planting the tree(s), plus 12 years of maintenance to ensure the tree(s) become established.
For individual members choosing to donate £7.50 for each tree, this is the link for further information and purchasing details. https://u3abrand.org.uk/catalogue/item/u3a-40th-anniversary-woodland-individual-trees

…and finally another type of tree

Hucknall Parish Church Christmas tree and Wreath ‘Competitions’
We are preparing an entry into both of these events.
Christmas Trees will be on display from Wednesday 1st December to Sunday 5th Decenber. The wreaths will be on show from Saturday 4th to Saturday 18th n December.

When in town please do call in the church and have a look.

David Rose: Chairman

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to any of them, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.

1. Have you been contacted out of the blue?
Cold calls or unexpected emails or messages should raise suspicion, especially if you’re asked to give personal or payment details. It’s very unusual for legitimate organisations to contact you and ask for sensitive information if you’re not expecting them to. If you’re not 100% convinced about the identity of the caller, hang up and contact the company directly.

2. Have you been asked to share personal details?
Never share your personal details with anyone if you can’t confirm they are who they say they are. Phone scammers will often try and get valuable personal data from you, and they can use this to steal your money, or even to use your identity to use fraudulently.

3. Are you being asked to keep it secret?
It’s important you can discuss any agreements with your friends, family or advisors. Asking you to keep quiet is a way to keep you away from the advice and support you need in making a decision.

4. Are you being pressured to make a decision?
Fraudsters often try to hurry your decision making. Don’t let anyone make you feel under pressure – it’s OK to take a break and think things through if you’re not sure. Sales staff should always give you time and space to make an informed decision; anyone who tries to rush you should not be trusted.

5. Are there spelling and grammar mistakes?
Emails or messages littered with spelling and grammar mistakes are a scam giveaway. Legitimate organisations will rarely, if ever, make spelling or grammatical mistakes in their emails to you because they’ve been put together by professionals and checked before they’re sent.

David Rose

We are collecting various items – Two to recycle and one to be reused and made into something new.

1. Crisp Packets
Thanks for keeping up the good work by bringing your empties to the monthly meeting. It helps the staff at Rumbletums if they can be packed flat (as most of you already do).

2. Medication blister packs
Siobhan will be collecting medication blister packs (not the made up trays). Please bring to the monthly meeting or contact her directly.

3. Wool:
Jean Green writes requesting donations of wool. I have been making twiddle muffs for charity for a number of years mostly for care homes and a few private due to love one’s having dementia – it seems to help them. Also I knit knee blankets for cancer patients and heart patients. I am very grateful to those who have donated wool but I am always looking for more. To contact Jean, please use the form below:-

3. Books
Please hang on to any books that you wish to bring in until we can arrange a book sale. Thanks to those who bought some last month they are now in temporary storage.

David Rose

The newly formed Litter Picking Group has got off to a great start with members having collected almost 60 bags of rubbish since its inception at the end of August. One member has even found what is believed to be stolen property – a bicycle hidden in bushes and a rucksack with its pockets open and emptied. The Police have been informed and if the items are not claimed they will be ‘recycled’ respectively to a good home and a deserving charity. Group members go out either individually or in small groups as and when they are free and have garnered a lot of public support in the process. It’s just a pity there are still litter louts out there too.
For further information or if anyone else wishes to join please contact the group leader Val Gant on litter@hucknallu3a.org.uk

Some of the litter pickers ready for action:

Fake meal vouchers for Wetherspoon pubs

These are being promoted on Facebook, despite the chain shutting all its social media accounts in 2018. Facebook users who comment on the posts published by the fake Wetherspoon pages are told they will win meal vouchers if they receive comments from Wetherspoon. But these comments come from scammers who have set up the pages.

The posts read ‘Congratulations for those of you who have received comments from us, you have the opportunity to win them’. You are then asked to like and share the post with your friends.

Luckily, the fake profiles don’t have large followings unlike other competition scams, but they do have the potential to reach a large audience. Two false Facebook pages claim to be legitimate Wetherspoon social media profiles, both sharing posts following the same format. If received report it: to the 7726 service – a free text service that enables you to report all spam texts.