The organisation of Aughton & Ormskirk u3a is managed by various volunteer committees, teams and individuals who can be emailed via the Contacts page.
Management Committee (MC) Officers
Chair: Chairs the AGM, the MC meetings, represents Aughton & Ormskirk u3a to other u3as, the Region and the National u3a and gives a sense of direction that motivates the committee and the whole u3a. The chair gives a report each year to the members at the AGM.
Vice-Chair: Deputises where necessary for the Chair in any of the Chair’s duties and provides an alternative source of motivation to the committee and the whole u3a.
Honorary Secretary: Draws up the agenda for the AGM and committee meetings and maintains the record of the decisions made. On receipt of the minutes from the Minutes Secretary the Hon. Sec. will make any necessary amendments before forwarding them to the MC Members for approval at the next committee meeting. The Hon. Sec. also acts as contact person with the National u3a, the Charity Commission and local associations providing services to the whole u3a. The Hon. Sec. also replies to general correspondence with the u3a including email received via the website contact forms (or passes them on to a relevant person to deal with).
Treasurer: Responsible for the records of all financial transactions associated with the u3a. The Treasurer will ensure that all financial records are inspected on an annual basis by the appointed auditor and prepare an annual report and presentation to members at the AGM. The Treasurer will act as the officer of the u3a when dealing with the appointed bank, HMRC (for Gift Aid) and the National u3a (for the Capitation Fee and any other financial matters arising). The Treasurer, in conjunction with the Finance & Resources Subcommittee and the Management Committee, is responsible for recommending financial policy for the u3a.
Minutes Secretary: Takes notes at the AGM and Management Committee meetings and then produces draft minutes which become a final record when approved, after amendment if necessary, at the subsequent meeting. These minutes are forwarded to the Secretary and to the Web Manager.
Membership Secretary: Helps to maintain the database of members, collects the membership fees and renewals, produces membership cards and sends out welcoming information to new members. The Membership Team is the point of contact for people applying to join the u3a.
Committee Chairpersons
These MC members represent the following Committees and act as Chair at their meetings:
Communications: Manages/oversees/reports on the various communication channels available to our u3a. It publicises u3a events and activities to the local press; makes arrangements for publicity material to be disseminated around the local area. Working with, and supporting, the Magazine, enews and facebook Editors and the Speaker Secretary, this Committee facilitates awareness of u3a activities within the membership.
Finance & Resources: Responsible for financial planning and policy for the u3a and for the buying, use and maintenance of all equipment (apart from IT). They receive requests from group leaders for the provision of equipment and convene meetings of the committee to discuss the feasibility of such requests. They report to the Management Committee any proposed requests.
Group Support: Oversees the running of the many groups in the u3a. This Committee helps in the formation of new groups and short courses, maintains contact with the group leaders or coordinators and provides guidance to them on how to run groups. It also helps to cascade information down from the Management Committee to group leaders and to the group members and reflects the concerns of group leaders and members back to that Committee. It also informs the Magazine Editor and Web Team of any new groups or short courses.
Social: Coordinates u3a social events, especially the Summer Social and Christmas Lunch and organises the coffee rotas at Horizons and, on request, at other events.
Non-Committee Roles
There are also some Teams and individual members taking on the following roles:
IT Manager: Advises on the purchase and maintenance of all computer equipment and software and advises on their use; also ensures that the u3a wifi system is maintained.
Magazine Editor: Responsible for the editorial content and presentation of the u3a magazine and arranging its printing.
enews Editor: Collates and edits the items for the monthly enewsletter and distributes it through the Beacon Membership System.
Web Manager: Manages the maintenance and development of the u3a website content with the assistance of the Web Team and the Web Authors Group.
facebook Editor: Runs the Aughton and Ormskirk presence on facebook.
Speaker Secretary: Selects a list of varied and entertaining speakers and events for our Speaker Meetings throughout the year. They provide relevant promotional information for Horizons Slideshow, Announcements and Fliers and items for the u3a Magazine, website, enews and facebook. They finally ensure that the speakers are looked after at the event. (The Speaker Secretary also arranges for occasional Guest Visitors to attend Horizons to promote topics of particular interest to our membership.)
Welfare Representative: Encourages non-discriminatory behaviour and assists with enabling as many members as possible to join in activities regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability etc; also acts as a point of contact if any safeguarding issues arise.