Information Board

Communication Policy
Data Protection and Privacy Policy
Health and Safety Policy
Risk Assessment
Insurance Matters
Members giving talks to their or other u3as
Interested in joining a group?
Making new members of groups welcome
Groups with no vacancies
Newsletter and Bulletin Distribution

Below, you can find useful information and links to all of our policies and necessary legal requirements, referring to the following topics:

Communication Policy

When completing the application form, please bear in mind these points:

From time to time, we will need to communicate with you in order to effectively manage our u3a, and to inform you about events and other relevant activities in our u3a. Our preferred method of communication is email since it is cheaper and quicker than post or hand delivery. We advise every u3a member to provide an email address, as you may otherwise miss out on vital information.
Occasionally, we may need to telephone you or send you a text.
We produce a short Newsletter every month, for every member, which contains essential information and lists forthcoming events. We would usually deliver this by email.
‘u3a Matters’ is a magazine produced by the Third Age Trust five times a year. You can elect to receive it in printed form for a small extra fee. It is also available online F.O.C. through the main u3a site.

Data Protection and Privacy Policy

- We will ask you for personal and contact information when you apply for membership and when you renew your membership.
- We will keep that information securely in a database or in other electronic or paper files.
- Your information will be used to communicate with you, manage your membership and run our u3a.
- Your information will not be used for purposes other than our u3a business and communications, and will not be passed to or shared with people or organisations outside our u3a.
- You have the right at any time to check with us the information we hold about you and to change or withdraw all or part of it; but withdrawal may affect your ability to remain a member of our u3a.
To view our policy, please see Grantham u3a Data Protection Policy

To view our privacy policy, please see Grantham u3a Privacy Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Grantham u3a is not a place of work, and its activities do not fall within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work Act. However, we all owe a duty of care to each other within our u3a activities as in other aspects of our lives. Each member of Grantham u3a is responsible for his/her safety and well-being at all times. Grantham u3a will take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and well-being of its members at u3a activities.

Risk Assessment

See the risk assessment link below for more information

Approved Minutes of our Committee Meetings are available from the Secretary at the Monthly Meetings/Talk on request.

Insurance Matters

Recently, the Third Age Trust has had concerns expressed to them on two insurance matters, which they wish to clear up. These are:

Using your car to ferry u3a members does not affect your ‘social, domestic and pleasure’ insurance cover and does not require you to pay an additional excess or upgrade to business cover. In addition, accepting a contribution towards petrol is perfectly acceptable. If any of the members experience problems regarding this, then you should contact the CEO/Company Secretary of the Third Age Trust, currently Iain Cassidy, on 020 8466 6139.

Holding u3a meetings in your home should have no implications whatsoever on your home insurance, as it is no different from having regular dinner parties or coffee mornings with your friends. The problem emanates from insurance companies not understanding the nature of u3a and its activities. Again, if there are any problems, do contact the CEO/Company Secretary of the Third Age Trust on 020 8466 6139.

Members giving talks to their or other u3as

The Third Age Trust has drawn u3as attention to recent situations where u3a members giving talks at other u3as have asked for and received a fee. They ask members to be reminded that from the original principles of the u3a ‘no salary, fee or financial reward shall be paid to any member of the university’ and ‘all members of the university shall be expected to offer voluntary service to it’ so only legitimate expenses are appropriate.

Interested in joining a group?

If there is a group that interests you in the list of groups, email the Groups Co-ordinator via the Contact Button on the Website. If there are no vacancies, you will be informed and possibly put on a waiting list.

It may be the case that you cannot find a group covering your interests, and if so, please contact the Groups' Co-ordinator. There can be no guarantees, but they will always take steps to gauge the level of interest for either to supplement a group that is full or to provide something new or different. If there is sufficient interest, they will do their best to get the new group established.

Making new members of groups welcome

The social aspects of u3a are very important, and it is therefore of paramount importance to remember that the primary purpose of u3a is to allow members to explore their interests as part of a shared learning process in welcoming and supportive groups.

Groups with no vacancies

Group sizes are often limited by the space available at the venue e.g. private residence. However new members are not turned away unnecessarily. Perhaps an extra group could be created if a new leader could be found. Waiting lists are in use.

Newsletter and Bulletin Distribution

Newsletters are sent to all members via email, but a limited number of printed newsletters are made available for collection on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Guildhall meeting.

Any uncollected newsletters are deposited with the Guildhall staff at the Box Office after the meeting ends. Any uncollected newsletters remaining at the Guildhall 4 weeks after the Guildhall meeting will be recycled.