YAHR News

November

2014

In this edition:

Letter from your new regional

trustee

Summer School 2015

Trips to South Africa and Spain

YAHR Poetry competition

News and photos from around

the region

Please send copy (articles preferably unformatted in Word and images in jpeg) for the

February 2015 Newsletter to shelagh@woolliscroft.com by Friday 30 January 2015

To request your own e-mailed copy of future newsletters sent please go

to www.YAHRU3A.co.uk

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YAHR Management Committee

Post Name Telephone E Mail

Chairman Shelagh Woolliscroft 01246 416139 / 07979 286324 shelagh@woolliscroft.com

Vice Chairman Alan Swann 01226 241200 / 07718 542607 alan.swann03@gmail.com

Secretary Kate Helm 01274 482495 / 07817 735784 kate.helm1@btinternet.com

Treasurer John Byrom 01765 450114 / 07539 579176 jbyrom447@aol.co.uk

Regional Trustee Neil Stevens 07976 928865 RT@yahru3a.co.uk

Member Hilary Baker 01729 840609 hilary@hilarybaker.plus.com

Member Bill Airey 0113 2759546 wairey@yahoo.co.uk

Member David Davies 01423 871673 davidwdavies@hotmail.com

Member Barbara Dransfield 01751 467179 / 07841 261026 barbara.dransfield@gmail.co

Member Hazel Ward 01482 849168 hazelwardhull@hotmail.co.uk

SLP Link Denise West 0114 2746797 / 07817890090 denisewest3@btinternet.com

Message from the Chair

It doesn’t seem three months since I was putting the August newsletter to bed, but the time

has really flown by during this wonderful summer. Once again we had a sunny day for our

big summer event, which this year was a multi-topic study day at Northern College in August.

This was voted a great success, as was September’s study day on the artist Laura Knight.

More recently a workshop on developing strategy was trialled in Harrogate and found to be

very useful by those who attended. Two more workshops are in the pipeline this autumn –

for newly-appointed trustees and IT managers.

At the national AGM in September our much respected regional trustee, David Morton, stood

down and it was announced that Neil Stevens had been elected to replace him. I am sure

that we all wish Neil well in his new role.

At last week’s general meeting for chairs and secretaries we had a lively exchange of

information. The idea of a regional travel group was mooted and a small group will meet to

take this forward. Meanwhile places are available on two trips in 2015 – see pages 10 /11.

Jean Stevens, Settle U3A, has kindly agreed to judge our first poetry competition – see p7.

Planning is now underway for the second YAHR summer school (see page 5) and we are

very grateful for the large number of offers from potential tutors. Expressions of interest are

now being sought so that we can choose with confidence which topics to run with.

Our regional committee really enjoys putting on events which enable members to experience

a wider range of activities or which support trustees with the day to day running of their

U3As. There will be vacancies on the committee next April – why not consider joining us?

Anyone interested is welcome to phone me for a chat or to arrange to observe at one of our

planning meetings.

With best wishes

Shelagh Woolliscroft

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YAHR Forward Plan November 2014 – October 2015

1.We will increase the number of people trained to assist the start up of U3As and to support

fledgling U3As and we will undertake promotional activity in at least three areas.

Lead : Neil Stevens

2. We will maintain the interactive regional website and build up our mailing list to assist with

the publication of YAHR events.

Lead: Neil Stevens

3. We will produce four Newsletters - in November, February, May and August.

Lead: Shelagh Woolliscroft

4. We will organise three Regional meetings including the AGM.

Lead: Kate Helm

5. We will run at least four workshops on aspects of running a U3A.

Lead: various members

6. We will run at least one study day, probably in the Hull area.

Lead: Hazel Ward

7. We will maintain the list of recommended speakers.

Lead: Kate Helm

8. We will expand on the networking groups already established.

Lead: Alan Swann/Barbara Dransfield

9. We will explore relationships with other agencies in support of shared learning.

Lead: Denise West

10. We will run a second regional summer school at Northern College in August 2015.

Lead: Alan Swann

11. We will run a regional poetry competition.

Lead: Shelagh Woolliscroft

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Message from the Treasurer

John Ellison the Honorary Treasurer of TAT was our guest speaker at the General Meeting in October. YAHR have had issues around TAT funding to the Region for quite a while and it was useful for John to give us his interpretation. As many of you are aware our income streams are from two sources, TAT and YAHR sponsored events. We have held two of the latter in this financial year and both have made a small surplus. We have several TAT sponsored workshops planned so John's talk was very timely. > At the GM I presented the half yearly accounts. In response to comments at the AGM these were presented in a new format that allowed members to see how our retained funds were progressing year on year. We plan our activities and associated finances on an annual basis and you will be pleased to know that we are on budget. If anyone would like further information please don't hesitate to contact me.

John Byrom

From the New Regional Trustee

Handover from David Morton

Unfortunately I have been unable to talk to David in detail since August so if there are any issues that you lodged with him and are unresolved please let me know.

I would like to thank David for his contribution over the last three years. I often travelled with him to regional meetings and his understanding and enthusiasm for our movement was inspirational.

What’s on at the National Executive Committee (NEC)?

The NEC is the executive board of the Third Age Trust. The National Office implements policy and works for the NEC. I went to my first NEC meeting last week.

The NEC has a number of sub-committees that deal with issues in detail and make proposals for the main NEC to consider. I am on the Information Technology sub-committee and our first job will be to produce an advice sheet about membership systems. The framework for the sub-committees’ work is the 3 year plan which was unveiled at the national conference this September. I recommend this document to you. A copy was sent to your chairman and you can download it from the national website.

Two other documents I can recommend are More Time to Learn, a good read for Group Coordinators and Leaders, and also the Third Age Trust annual accounts. The latter is not just figures and contains a good insight into the other regions as well as the TAT. They are both available on the national website or with your Chairman or Secretary.

What’s on in our Region?

A key job for the Region’s Trustee is to help start new U3As. Holme Valley, based in Holmfirth, is our latest and officially joined the Third Age Trust this August. I have just had an enquiry from a village between Doncaster and Scunthorpe which I will be following up in the next week. If you hear of any enquiries or have any suggestions for new U3As please let me know.

Many regions have very active local groupings of U3As. There are few in YAHR and it is a subject that we should consider in more depth at a future session.

In addition to the workshops organized by your YAHR committee there is a “Managing Growth” workshop put on by the TAT this November 20

th in Doncaster. (You can apply

via the national website) This is an issue for almost all U3As so you may well find it helpful.

Neil Stevens

Y

5

YAHR Summer School

3rd – 6th August 2015

The topics on offer are yet to be finalised but will include at least 6 of the following:- (further detail s are on the next two pages)

Climate Change Feng Shui

Literature Ukulele

History Photoshop Elements Philosophy

Tai Chi The Romantics

DNA/Criminology Gift Wrapping

Painting and Drawing Singing for Pleasure

If you are interested in attending please email summerschool@yahrU3A.co.uk

We will let you know the final list of topics and send you an application form in January.

It will help us if you say which would be your favourite topics from the list above.

Or write to Denise West 18 Periwood Grove, Mill House Green, Sheffield, S8 0HX

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Climate Change [Mike Wiseman] Adapting to Climate Change - how do we manage our future?' 'What should governments be doing, what should industry be doing, what should householders be doing, and how should we guide the next generation?

Literature [Melinda Jackson] The Mid-20th Century English Novel. A resume for this would be: This theme will look at works by Laurie Lee, LP Hartley, Alan Sillitoe and others who reflect the changes taking place after the Second World War and their struggles to come to terms with a rapidly changing society.

History [Peter Palmer] Blenheim to Waterloo, including a contrast between command styles on the battlefield with em-phasis on Marlborough (Blenheim) and Wellington (Waterloo).

Philosophy [Beth Rudkin] An introduction to Philosophy including a look at some of the thinking of ancient and modern Philosophers and the chance to do a bit of thinking yourselves.

Tai Chi [Jim Butterfield] By the end of the summer school those with no Tai Chi experience will learn some simple ex-ercises useful for daily routines and have an appreciation of the 24-step form. Those familiar with Tai Chi will have the opportunity for a few days of intensive practice and to share their their experiences. All may expect to feel fitter and healthier at the end of the summer school.

DNA/Criminology [Chris Woolven] Starting with the concept of what DNA is and how it determines our individual biological make

up, we progress to explain the nature of genetic fingerprinting from its conception through to

the most recent advances in the methodology and available technology. There will be discus-

sion on the controversial nature of keeping National DNA databases and we will look at the dif-

ferent approaches used by various countries around the world.

Painting and Drawing [Roy Ridsdale]

Still life drawing and painting and/ or buildings. All depends on the weather. Wentworth castle

is a lovely environment to draw.

Feng Shui [Christine Latham]

To provide a basic understanding of the principles with attendees developing the skills to use

Feng Shui in the home environment.

Ukulele [Sheila Metcalfe and others]

An opportunity for beginners to learn some basic chords and to join in and play with a small group of recent converts to the Ukulele

Photoshop Elements [Peter Higginbottom] A chance to learn how to make best use of the available software to enhance and dramatically change your digital photographs.

7

The Romantics [Dave and Margaret Alton] From Innocence to Experience, The Romantics in Verse and Pictures. We propose to match poems from the romantic poets with appropriate paintings by artists of the same period. For example, "Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey" by Wordsworth alongside a painting of the Abbey by Turner.

Gift Wrapping Learn how to professionally wrap your gifts including how to make beautiful bows and astonishing flowers out of simple ribbons.

———-

Have you visited the Wentworth Castle Gardens?

Most members attending the August Study Day took the opportunity of touring the gardens and many took part in a guided tour. The enjoyed the rose garden, the refurbished conservatory and Stainborough Castle, the folly at the top of the hill from where the Earl of Wentworth used to look down 9physically and metaphorically) on his rival at Wentworth Woodhouse. The visitor centre has an attractive tearoom where you can get coffee, lunch or afternoon tea at very reasonable prices.

Retiresavvy… ….is the name for an ‘on-line community’ to be launched shortly by Skipton Building Society. Watch this space!

Regional Travel Network

It’s been suggested that YAHR facilitate a regional network of local U3A travel organisers with the idea of offering places that are available on trips to other U3As in the region. Several benefits of the idea have been muted including for example, preventing planned trips from being cancelled due to lack of takers, keeping travel costs to a minimum, offering a much wider variety of travel options, and opportunity for networking. It may even give local travel organisers the courage to plan longer trips or be more adventurous, knowing that the Regional Travel Network can be there if required to help make it happen. A presentation was made to YAHR’s regional general meeting on 24

th October and

chairs and secretaries were supportive of the idea. The next step is for a small number of interested people to get together to discuss the issues involved and agree key points that can be drawn together into a draft protocol. It is important to stress that the region is not of itself organising trips but that the main purpose of the network would be to help reduce the risk for trips and holidays organised by member U3As failing to happen because of low numbers, and for individual folk who love to travel or even feel the urge, to get the best out of their membership of U3A. If your U3A was not represented at the general meeting and you would like to be involved, please contact Barbara Dransfield. Samina Aslam, Vice Chair of Sheffield U3A & Coordinator for Sheffield European Travel Group Barbara Dransfield, Travel Network Project Coordinator, YAHR

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Calling all poets!

You are warmly invited to enter the first

YAHR Poetry Competition

The competition is open to members of U3As in the Yorkshire and Humber

region. Jean Stevens, of Settle U3A, has kindly agreed to be our judge. Jean is

a recognised poet and has significant evaluation experience.

Members may submit up to three poems on any topic. Poems may not

exceed 40 lines, including the title. They must be original work and should

not have been previously published. They should be typed and in English.

Jean will judge the poems on their overall quality. Her decision will be final.

The results will be announced in May 2015 and the winning poem(s) will be

published, along with Jean’s comments, in the May edition of YAHR News

Poems should be emailed to alan.swann03@gmail.com or sent to Hilary

Baker by the closing date of 28 February 2015. Hilary’s address is:

Ivy End

The Green

Long Preston,

Skipton

BD23 4PE

9

10

Visit to South Africa including Volunteering Opportunity in Lesotho

From 15 January to early February 2015 members of Howden and Sheffield U3As will

combine a visit to Cape Town and a mini-safari with 11 days’ volunteering in a mountain

village in Lesotho. Places are still available! Our leader is the inspirational Ken Dunn .

It was in 2009 that Ken began to reach beyond mainstream teaching and build on the success

of the community-linking with southern Africa he had established throughout the previous

decade. Having resigned from his post as assistant head teacher at a school in Sheffield, he

set up Connecting Communities Worldwide, a social enterprise that does just that; it connects

people from one part of the world to another, on real projects – projects that are life-

enhancing, life-changing, and in some instances, life-saving.

Ken considers that a lot of well-intentioned work carried out in Africa has been done badly and

believes it would have been better had it not been implemented at all, because all it has done

is perpetuate a dependency culture. But rather than working for the community, what Ken is

doing, is working with them – such a huge difference – and something that is far from easy, as

there is much that needs to be done. As a consequence, Ken has been extremely selective

with the groups that he is working with, both in Africa and the UK. First and foremost, he

wants people to come and give human kindness – to give of themselves – and if they have

skills and knowledge, that’s wonderful – that can be weaved into the mix - but come and see

another person in a different circumstance, and have good grace.

The visit will be provided through a strategic alliance between Connecting Communities

Worldwide and Face Africa, a UK registered, bonded & insured tour operator with over ten

years’ experience of working with UK school and community groups on expeditions to Africa.

The visit is not exclusive to U3A members and is suited to others who also have the desire to

engage with the community in Lesotho and build relationships with people.

What better start point for the 20-day itinerary than the ‘Mother City’, Cape Town. Organised

visits to Table Mountain, Robben Island, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, Cape Point

and the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, will all create lasting memories of the first days of

the African adventure. The journey continues on day 4 with a flight to Bloemfontein in the

Orange Free State and the party then travel by road to Lesotho for a stay of 11 nights at

Malealea Lodge in the Maluti Mountains. Accommodation is provided in ‘Farmhouse’ rooms

or Rondavels, all with en-suite bathrooms. Work days will depend on the project to be

undertaken but there will be opportunities to head out and explore – a hike to the spectacular

Botsoela Waterfall - a pony-trek along the ridge of the Makhaleng River. With the project work

completed and an abundance of memories to treasure, the group then fly from the capital

Maseru to Johannesburg for a two-night stay in the Pilanesberg National Park, the ideal

location for viewing game from an open vehicle, before heading back home .

The base cost per person for a group of 12 people will be in the region of £2400. For a group

of twenty people, the base cost per person would reduce to a sum in the region of £2000.

Optional add-ons at stated additional costs are available, such as an extra day in Cape Town

or a guided tour of the Apartheid Museum situated just south of Johannesburg.

Anyone interested in obtaining further details of the visit should contact Kay Phillips, telephone 01405 752444 or email kayatairmyn@hotmail.co.uk

Brian Curtis, Howden U3A

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Sheffield U3A’s 2015 Big Holiday

The Rioja and St James Pilgrim Trail

8th

– 18th

September 2015

On this remarkable tour of Northern Spain we travel from Sheffield to Barcelona by train, where our adventure begins. After an overnight stay and free morning to experience this cosmopolitan city we leave by train to Logrono, the Capital of the Rioja region. From Barcelona we travel by rail to Santiago de Compostela, through the very heart of the La Rioja wine region. We taste the famous wines of the region including the Marques de Riscal estate, visit the cities and sights on the pilgrimage route of St James, then onto Burgos which holds the burial tomb of El CID and finish at the elegant 2016 European City of Culture, San Sebastian for 2 nights before travelling back to Sheffield.

The holiday includes 10nights bed and breakfast, 6 dinners and a 1 lunch. Return rail travel from Sheffield, coach trips to vine villages and all transfers and most gratuities and guided

walking tours of Leon, Santiago de Compostela and Burgos.

Please note. The first and last day of the holiday will be spent on trains with changes in London and Paris. Whilst the seating is spacious and comfortable with plenty of opportunity to move around, it can be demanding - Carrying your own luggage, getting on/off trains, changing platforms, walking to hotels and coaches.

The cost of this 11 day, 10 night stay will be approximately £1735 per person with a £400 single supplement. This price is based on a minimum number applying. Should we have more applying the price will be reduced

For a more detailed itinerary/ application form please Contact Brian Cave, at bpcave@hotmailcom / 73 Highcliffe Road, Sheffield S11 7LP/ Tel:0114 230 5312

Samina Aslam, Sheffield U3A

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Hornsea & District 5th Birthday Celebration

**Barbara Lewis and Doreen Shuttleworth

(Courtesy of Hornsea Gazette)

Hornsea U3A celebrated their 5th birthday at the Sacred Heart Church Hall with a picnic. Barbara Lewis, Chairman of the Third Age Trust, opened the proceedings having travelled from London via train that morning. The U3A in Hornsea started with just 40 people who wished to continue learning in retirement in a social environment and now has just under 200 members.

Doreen Shuttleworth entertained us with a monologue dedicated to Yorkshire pudding, After this the Folk Dancing Group showed us a very good way of improving our memory and fitness, whilst enjoying ourselves through country dancing, and encouraging other members of the U3A to join in. As you could see from the mayhem you need to re-member what to do next! Spectators and dancers alike thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Thanks to David & Hazel for all their hard work in arranging the display.

Many members enjoyed their Irish Coffee and a small flutter on the horses, the racetrack being a large green jigsaw and the horses made out of cardboard. The winning group shared the kitty of £16! Winners of the raffle prizes of 12 months U3A membership, afternoon tea for two at Williams Farmshop, a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine and a large box of Thornton chocolates received them with delight. Doreen closed the proceedings with another monologue..

Sadly, the afternoon came to an end all too quickly. All agreed the picnic was a success and we look forward to our next 5 years with enthusiasm.

Suzanne Jones, Hornsea U3A

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A Reason to Celebrate—20th Anniversary of Doncaster U3A

On Tuesday 16th September, 2014, Doncaster U3A celebrated its' twenty years of existence with a luncheon at the Trades Club, Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster. Over ninety members were present, together with guests. Round tables had been hired for the occasion, each centred by attractive floral arrangements provided by some of our groups, and outside caterers provided an efficiently served and perfectly satisfactory three-course meal.

At shortly after 12.30pm our Chairman, Chris Woolven, welcomed everyone, especially our two honoured guests, The Deputy Mayor of Doncaster, Councillor Glyn Jones, and our guest speaker Dr. Alex McMinn, J.P., M.B.E. Chris also welcomed a number of present members who were 'founder members' twenty years ago.

The Deputy Mayor admitted that when he had received the invitation to attend he knew little about the U3A, but he had done his research and his encouraging talk indicated that he understood and supported our aims and objectives. He was well received.

After the meal our Chairman introduced Dr. McMinn. Those of us who have heard him speak before were not disappointed. Alex McMinn, of Ormskirk and District U3A, has been an eloquent and informative advocate all that the U3A means for many years. At over eighty years of age he illustrates in himself the main thrust of his enlightening, stimulating and often funny talk, that we are not only living longer but staying active and energetic longer than we were even twenty years ago, and that the well-being fostered by U3A activities is helping significantly in this. He underlined the importance of how 'belonging' can combat the loneliness experienced by many people as they get older, and concluded by making the admonitory point that we must not rest on our laurels because the world is changing rapidly and we in the U3A must embrace this and change with it in order to best serve our communities.

Our talented Chairman then surprised us with some relaxed and melodic renditions from 'the great American songbook' finishing in style with some attractive umbrella twirling by Jill, Diane and Betty to accompany 'Singing in the Rain'. Our vice-chairman, David Allen, then entertained us with some amusing poems and monolgues in the Stanely Holloway mould, and the afternoon's entertainment was concluded by 'Sing Along With Harry' - song sheets provided - in which we followed Harry Santuiste's lead and gave voice to some real old favourites from our childhood and beyond. I think I can say, on behalf of everyone present, that the occasion was a resounding success, and I have already heard requests for something similar at Christmas.

Colin Brown, Doncaster U3A