Category: Announcements

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.

u3a Growing the Future

To mark the u3a movement’s 40th Anniversary in 2022, the Trust are creating a u3a anniversary woodland situated in the Brecon Beacons.

u3a member’s contribution to the u3a woodland will help benefit the environment, wildlife and climate for future generations. The movement’s target is for 5,000 trees to be planted between October 2021 and March 2022.

This project is launched in members’ magazine, Third Age Matters. u3a members can buy individual trees or a copse of trees and u3as are also encouraged to plant trees within their own communities.

The money for the trees goes towards establishing the trees and part of the cost for each tree is reserved as future payments for maintenance. Once they are fully established, they will be looked after as part of routine woodland management. We are fortunate to have secured the Woodland in an area of outstanding natural beauty and the trees will be expertly looked after by skilled arborists.

To buy u3a woodland trees, go to the u3abrandcentre.

The Choir desperately needs a musical director and accompanist in order to continue. The role entails a commitment of four enjoyable hours each month together with a little forward planning.

If you know of anyone who might be interested, perhaps a music teacher or piano player who would be willing to take on this voluntary role, please contact Christine Hemsley, the group leader, on the form below:-

Hello to all members. I hope some of you have managed to take a break from lockdowns and routines, perhaps a staycation or a visit to family and friends. Some may even have ventured abroad in spite of the reams of paperwork and threats of quarantine. But as summer fades we have much to look forward to. Autumn, after all, can be a lovely season.

When I was youngster I remember adults using the expression: ‘the nights are drawing in’. Being young and naive, I did not really understand that it meant that it is becoming dark at an earlier time in the evening, because autumn or winter is approaching. The days draw in and the mornings also get darker.

As we approach September it’s happening now as we leave the long summer nights behind. Fortunately we can begin the meet indoors and welcome the restarting of some of our much-missed Interest Groups.

However Covid has not gone away and although many restrictions have been lifted ‘Hands, face, space and fresh air’ is still relevant. To allow a degree of sensible social distancing, some groups are booking bigger rooms.

The venues we use for meetings have their own risk assessments in place for the use of the building for both Covid and generic risks and members are encouraged to consider personal risk and consider their own circumstances before joining any activity.

Sunday 22nd August was the John Godber Centre Open Day. The idea was for groups that use the building to set up a stall to display and advertise what they do. We had member volunteers Maureen Newton, Sue Foss, Rose Ridley, Barbara Ives ,Siobhan Lee and myself available to explain to visitors what we as a u3a can offer to people in their ‘3rd Age’. My thanks to all of them –see the article in this month’s newsletter.

David Rose, Chairman