To access your group member list, add/remove members or convenors, and email group members, click here
How to set up a new group
1.Initial Research
If you have joined u3a Bath recently and wish to start a new group, contact the Groups Advisers who can suggest formats which have proved successful. Also, chat to the Convenors of groups to which you already belong, or activities similar to the one you have in mind, to benefit from their experience.
2. Advertise your group and recruit members.
Write down the basic details of the new group and ask the Newsletter Editors to advertise it in the Newsletter. Ask the Webmaster to put a notice on the website as well.
3. Involve the members in the initial planning of the group.
Group members should all be prepared to share in the responsibilities of running the group. It is not fair to ask one person to take on everything.
4. Plan an agenda for your first get together.
Decide on the following:
- Group name
- Day of meetings
- Time of meetings
- Frequency of meetings eg second and fourth week of the month
- Name(s) of the Group Leader(s) i.e. “Convenors” who will be the contact between the group and the Groups Advisers. Consider having several “Co-convenors” to share out the jobs e.g. to handle enquiries about joining the group, arrange venue hire and the collection of subs, “facilitate” meetings to ensure everyone is involved or organise a programme for the year.
- Venue: Decide where to meet. You may rotate between members’ homes, or hire a community room. If this is not known, or will vary, it can be “as arranged” or just give a locality.
- Maximum group size - this is used to calculate and display the number of vacancies on the Beacon database.
- How the Convenor responsible for answering enquiries wishes to be contacted. Email is best because the website keeps email addresses hidden whilst allowing people to contact them via a Contact Form. Phone numbers cannot be hidden so always ask the permission of the person concerned before publishing their phone number or indeed any personal details on the website.
5. Send an email to the Groups Advisers and the Webmasters with the above information.
The Groups Advisers will add the new group to Beacon (our membership database), and create a list of members. The Webmaster will add it to the List of Groups on the website and create a group webpage. The Groups Advisers will then give you a password and username for Beacon, so that you can keep your list of group members and details up to date.
6.Compose the text for your group webpage and email it, plus any photos you want included, to the Webmaster.
He/she will create your group webpage, and can update it whenever you want to make a change. However, if you wish to edit your group webpage yourself the Webmaster can give you permission to do this. You will need a Username and Password for Siteworks, the website system, and will need to familiarise yourself with the basics of group webpage editing (see How to edit your group webpage) .
Running a group
1. Set an annual (or more frequently if you prefer) meeting to plan the programme.
2. Decide how to rotate or share jobs
Remember - if you make a change in Convenor or contact details at any time, don’t forget to contact the Groups Advisers.
3. Keep a register of attendance at group meetings.
Keeping a register enables you to identify regular non-attenders who are blocking places for others. You can print off a register here.
4. Keep your list of group members on Beacon up-to-date.
When you have a new member to add to your group, either update your list of members on Beacon, or contact the Groups Advisers with the details. It is important to keep your list of group members up to date as it:
- ensures that those attending your group are members of u3a in Bath.
- enables members to see clearly where there are vacancies
- enables members to see clearly where there are oversubscribed activities suggesting the need for a new group
- is important for insurance purposes
N.B. For data protection reasons please check with individuals before sharing their details with other members.
5. Paying for a venue
Agree what your ‘subs’ will be to cover your costs. When meeting in a member’s home, the recommended amount to cover refreshments and on-street residential parking is about 50p-£1 per person. If you need to hire a room, agree an acceptable contribution per head, and who will be responsible for the hiring arrangement, collecting “subs” and liaising with the Treasurer to arrange payment.
6. Decide how you will communicate with members of your group:
- By using the Beacon messaging system which does not enable members to see each other's email addresses.
- By using your own and group members' personal email accounts. You will need the group members' permission to do this. You must always use bcc to hide members' email addresses from other recipients (unless all members of the group agree otherwise), and to minimise the risk of hacking and receipt of junk mail.
- Some groups prefer to communicate using a messaging app such as Whatsapp.
7. Please respond to the annual audit request from the Groups Advisers
Once a year (usually in January) the Groups Advisers will ask you for confirmation that your online list of group members and any waiting list are accurate.
Ways of learning
Consider how your learning is going to take place. The u3a is intended to be a co-operative and mutually supportive organisation, not a service provider with courses delivered by experts. Some groups may require at least one member with particular expertise, while other groups will enjoy working together from scratch, or researching information to contribute to a meeting. Successful groups share the learning, which might be by:
- a discussion, perhaps introduced by one member, possibly in turn
- a demonstration and shared expertise
- following instructions together from a book, magazine, YouTube or DVD
- asking the occasional expert to provide some input (but you may need to pay a fee, so this is only feasible on an occasional basis)
- arranging a visit
- using a published course
- using one of the u3a online learning events
For more help - The Third Age Trust website has a Members' Area page where you can find useful information on various subject areas - scroll to the bottom of the page and click on 'Subject Advice' and 'Subject Networks'. u3a - Members area
Using Beacon
Beacon is the u3a's database where all the groups data is held. The Groups Advisers will give you a username and a password which you can change to something memorable. To log on, use the button at the top of this page or go to u3abeacon.org and click on u3a Administration. When choosing your u3a, click on the down arrow, type Bath and select "u3a in Bath" from the two options.
The u3a Trust provides user guides on its website covering various aspects of using Beacon. The sections relevant to Group Convenors are section 5 "Groups" and section 6 "Emails and letters". Here is a link to the Beacon User Guide.
How to edit your group webpage
The Webmasters are happy to make any updates to your group page. Just contact Webmaster 2 with details of what you would like to do, including any text, photographs or pdfs that you would like to link to from your group page.
However, if you would like to edit your own group webpage you will need to be issued with a Username and Password by the Webmaster. Siteworks provides a comprehensive guide to editing for Group Convenors on their website. Click on "The Siteworks Groups Updating Guide" to find out more. If you would like help with any of the functions please contact Webmaster 2.