Dear Member,

(This is going to every member who signed up for "emails from the chair")

Congratulations and thanks to our newest team (the "Events" team) for their first event - a quiz evening in the Golden Lion. As well as thanking everyone who helped, I want to say a special thanks to Barbara, our quizmaster for the night. I know how much work and thought you put into researching the questions. It illustrates something often said: "Our u3a relies on all of us contributing", and I believe that everyone who went enjoyed the evening. I'm looking forward to the next events - there is already information about them on the website (u3aivo.uk), including how to book.

Something I have been working on recently is our list of possible venues for groups, and adding details about rooms, facilities, costs etc to a document. This "Venues" document is on our website, and includes quite a few places that we are able to use for groups for free as long as we buy drinks or food. You can find it via the menus, but maybe the easiest way to find it is by putting the word "Venues" into the search box (this is on the top right of every page). Members planning new groups could find it useful when considering where to meet. If you see anything there that is wrong, out of date, or missing please email venues@u3aivo.uk.

Lastly, I have news of a national u3a event that is open to everyone, even if they are not members.  Did you know that landlines in the UK are going digital by the end of January 2027? There is a Zoom session on December 11th from 3 to 4 pm entitled "What the future changes in landlines will mean for you". To sign up for this event, click on this link, and then on "Reserve a spot".  It is all free  - and feel to invite a friend.

If you know of fellow u3a members who don’t have access to join online but have a landline and might be interested in knowing more, why not team up with them so you can watch together or take notes and share with them? 

There is more about the Landline switchover on this page of our website.

If you want to comment on what I have written or anything happening in our u3a, feel free to click "Reply". If you want to talk, I will be in Wetherspoons every first Thursday of the month and at the Members' Open Meetings usually on the second Thursdays.

Best wishes

Peter Cooper, Chair, St Ives (Cambs) u3a, chair@u3aivo.uk