Category: Announcements

u3a Chess Network – Chess can be enjoyable (and good for you)

After two successful u3a Zoom meetings, support has been gathered from u3a members
representing all parts of the UK for the start of the u3a CHESS NETWORK. The Network aims to promote the study and playing of Chess in the u3a – both in local u3as and nationally on web-sites and Zoom, etc.

Chess, unlike Bridge, has never flourished in u3a – probably because it has the reputation of being a difficult, aggressive, complex game, played in silence. On the contrary the rules are straightforward and easy to grasp and after a short while interesting, thought-provoking games can be played. Also, we have shown in the last few years that a Chess Club can be sociable, interactive and co-operative – where the intention is to explore the theory and play well but also to enjoy playing the game and meeting other people. There is little doubt that playing a game like Chess improves concentration, memory, decision-making and spatial comprehension – so a real advantage for all of us in u3a!!

In September, we are starting a nation-wide u3a Chess League which will be available to all members of all abilities from learners to experts.

The objectives of the new u3a Chess Network are:

– to help and encourage new Chess Clubs; (one of the most common questions we have received has been `how do I start a Chess Club?`)
– to collect, and make readily available, information relevant to u3a chess players and
clubs.
– to encourage Zoom or on-line u3a Chess groups or leagues; (another typical complaint to the Subject Advisors is that there are no u3a chess groups in my area!).

It is now possible to join the u3a CHESS NETWORK by going to: www.u3aChessNetwork.org.uk – where it is also possible to register for the u3a Chess League starting in September. We need as much publicity and support as we can obtain to help give this initiative a strong start.

David Castle, Chess Subject Adviser

You are invited to join, in July, for a month of weekly online webinars to expose the
truths behind scams.

The webinars are FREE to attend and are open to anyone who would like to know more about scams, the psychology behind scams, prevention and how a fraud case is investigated.

The webinars bring together experts in their field relating to online fraud, a topic which we are all too familiar with and can affect anyone and everyone, as our lives are played out more digitally.

The dates of the webinars and their topics are as follows:

6th July, 5pm
Exploring the psychology behind scams and how scammers are so effective at their crimes. Paul Maskell, Fraud & Cyber Crime Prevention Manager, Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU)

14th July, 5pm
Insights into how a fraud case is investigated and how not to be the next victim. Ben Hobbs, Detective Sergeant; and Catriona Still, Head of Fraud Prevention & Training, Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU)

23rd July 5pm
Scams awareness training from the Friends Against Scams initiative. The National Trading Standards Scams Team (NTSST)

30th July, 5pm
Don’t get hooked by scammers! What you need to know about flubot and phishing scams. Christopher Budd, Senior Global Threat Communications Manager, Avast.

How to book your place
To register your place you can go to www.ourwatch.org.uk/webinars and click on the webinar that you wish to attend. You can attend all of them if you wish but make sure that you complete the registration page for each of them.

As a new initiative across Notts u3a’s network of online groups, Carlton and Gedling u3a is sharing a:-

Film Study Group
Nearly all of us have computers, laptops or tablets. All of us have TVs, many with some sort of ‘smart’ capability. Many of us love films and there are loads of interesting films available for free on YouTube, BBC iPlayer and All4. What we do is select a couple of films to watch, then discuss and share our thoughts about them. Quite often, especially with classic films, we can find short YouTube videos to enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the film.

We meet on the fourth Monday in the month, 2 – 3.30 pm. We alternate a focus on a couple of classic films from the history of cinema with a focus on more recent films. We watch the films at times of our own choosing and then meet over the internet using zoom for the discussion and to choose our next films. To be able to join the Zoom discussion you will need a computer/laptop/tablet with a camera and microphone capability.

Opera Study Group
Our opera group has taken on a whole new lease of life since the lockdown started. We are now meeting twice a month, instead of once as previously. At each meeting we discuss an opera we have all watched in the preceding fortnight and one of us introduces the next opera we are going to watch in the next fortnight. So far, we have never had to pay to watch an opera, since there are so many operas available to stream for free.

We are a mix of opera novices and quite experienced opera fans and everyone is welcome whatever your level of prior knowledge. We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10.00am to 12 noon. To be able to join the Zoom discussion you will need a computer/laptop/tablet with a camera and microphone capability.

We have been watching operas on YouTube, usually on the Operavision website. The Operavision operas are usually high quality in performance, picture and audio. There are 30-40 operas available at any one time and they are usually available for a couple of months each. ALL FOR FREE. The repertoire is, if anything, particularly strong on operas which are less well known although there are lots of popular classics as well. Although we are not terribly advanced technically we are making use of the zoom facility for the host to introduce the next opera by showing clips using the shared screen.

There are no affiliation fees

If you are interested please contact (pkmartinez14@gmail.com)

Hello everyone and welcome. While none of us want to tempt fate, and anticipating that the mutated variants will only have a limited, controllable, effect, most of the news regarding the fight against Covid remains encouraging.

I am therefore pleased to report that the committee is making plans for the summer and the remainder of our 2021/22 year. With the recent relaxation of the rules about meeting in small groups of six indoors and up to 30 outdoors some of our groups have started meeting in person. Members are already walking, cycling and playing Pickleball and the ukulele, all being very careful to keep to current rules and regulations. We always make sure we keep up to date with those.

Coming soon: The reading group is starting up again, in a garden if the weather is nice, and the lunch group is hoping to start up in June. There could soon other activities going on indoors too, if any group does start to meet then please let Siobhan know and tell everyone what you are doing.

Technology has enabled us to do far more indoors during lockdown, many of us have kept in touch using technology, others haven’t wanted to or have been unable to, and some of us have welcomed it, reluctantly at first maybe, but it has enabled some meetings and group activities to continue. Like many organisations, we’re likely to continue with a mix of online and face to face activities. First thoughts are now that it is possible to have informal get-togethers of mini groups of 6 indoors (and as the weather improves) 30 outdoors then interest groups can consider meeting in this way.

We are approaching a time when the government are liable to further relax regulations regarding the use of Halls, Homes, Libraries, Bowling venues and outdoor activities. Wherever our groups are meeting the paramount concern must be the safety of all members from Covid 19. When we consider returning to use our venues it is still important to ensure that we all continue to follow whatever government guidelines are relevant at that time, e.g. numbers, hand washing, hand gel and social spacing.

Finally a thank you from the committee to those members who have offered help and suggestions relating to storing equipment and alternative venues to the leisure centre for the monthly meeting. Especially thanks to: Christine Eagle, Margaret Cook, Jean Cragg, Christine Ashby and Susan Foss

David Rose

1. National Insurance number ‘compromised’ cold calls.
If you’ve received a pre-recorded message or phone call claiming your National Insurance number has been compromised, you can safely ignore it. It’s a scam.

Phishing emails
Fraudsters appear to be continuing to use the hook of National Insurance numbers as a means to exploit personal information from victims – the scam appears to have now moved to phishing emails:

This email, which was not sent by GOV.UK

2. Cold call ‘crime scam’

We’ve been made aware that an official sounding voice usually claiming to be from the National Crime Agency or ‘National Office for Serious Crimes’ has been cold calling unsuspecting members of the public, asking them to call back urgently. Fraudsters will then try to manipulate you into handing over personal information using a web of lies and threats.

There have been dozens of people targeted by this scam over the past few months. Action Fraud data shows it is the most reported phone scam of this year so far, having received more than 1,000 reports.

One victim reported that when he returned the call he was falsely told that someone had been using his National insurance number (NINo) to claim Universal Credit. The scammer told him that if he didn’t hand over his personal details so they could make a ‘correction’ he would be liable to repay thousands of pounds in fraudulently claimed benefits and could be sent to prison. At this point he realised something wasn’t right and put the phone down, but the scammers continued to try and get in touch with him for more than a week.

The scammers tell the unsuspecting victims to hand over their personal information as they need to be issued with a new NI number. Don’t be pressured for your details. In reality, there’s very little damage anyone could do with just your National Insurance number, even if someone had access to it. But your other personal details, such as your name, date of birth, address and bank details are much more valuable to criminals. They could use this information to target you with more personalised scams, or try to gain access to your accounts. No government organisation would ever pressure you to hand over sensitive information, and if you’re uncomfortable or unsure, just hang up the call.

Finally: Remember, you can visit Gov.uk which offers contact numbers and web chat support if you have concerns regarding your National Insurance number.

David Rose