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Who can join the U3A?
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Membership is not related to a specific age but to a period in one's life (the third age) after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility. Anyone in their third age can join the U3A, including people who are working part-time. There is no lower age limit for membership.
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How is the U3A managed?
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The overall management is the responsibility of the Management Committee, whose members are elected annually. However, most of the activities of the U3A are carried out by Interest Groups which manage themselves and are financially self-sufficient.
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How many members does the U3A have?
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Over 187,000 people in the United Kingdom belong to the U3A. The Matlock Area U3A currently has over 300 members.
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Can non-members attend Group Meetings?
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Visitors (non-members of the Matlock Area U3A) may attend meetings of any Group on up to three occasions, providing they have prior agreement from the Group Coordinator and pay £1 on each occasion. Normally they will be expected to join the Matlock Area U3A if they wish to attend further meetings.
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How much does it cost to belong to the Matlock Area U3A?
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£15.00 per year, £2.50 of which is paid to the National U3A organisation.
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What will my membership subscription get spent on?
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The £12.50 held by the Matlock Area U3A is used to:
- print and circulate a quarterly Newsletter to all members with up-dated information on Interest Groups and details of forthcoming social events
- hire venues and speakers for general meetings to provide an opportunity for members to meet socially and find out what other Interest Groups are doing
- publicise the activities of the U3A to encourage wider participation and increase membership (which helps cover the administrative running costs – stationery, printing, postage, etc)
- pay for the cost of hosting the Matlock Area U3A web-site
- support the establishment of new Interest Groups.
- maintain a contingency fund
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Are there any other charges?
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Interest Groups are self-supporting, and any costs associated with running the group are met by the members of that group. This would include, for example, cost of tickets and travel for visits to Theatres, Museums, Gardens, etc., fees for specialist speakers or tutors engaged to talk to or advise members, and the cost of room hire (usually £1.00 to £2.00 per member, depending on the venue and the number of members attending). A contribution of up to 30p per member for refreshments is recommended for all Group meetings.
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How many Interest Groups can I join?
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As many as you wish, although groups which meet in members' homes will have a limit on the numbers that can be comfortably accommodated.
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I'd like to find out more before I decide whether to join the Matlock Area U3A; who should I contact?
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Martin Eyre is our Membership Secretary. He can be contacted by email at membership@matlockareau3a.org.uk or by phone on 01629 582940.
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I'd like to join the Matlock Area U3A, what do I need to do next?
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Download a Membership Application Form and return the completed form with your subscription to the Membership Secretary.
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I'd like to apply for Gift Aid for my annual subscription, how do I do that?
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Download a Gift Aid Application Form and return the completed form to the Membership Secretary.
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I'd like to set up a new Interest Group. How do I do this?
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The new interest group must first be approved on a provisional basis. See here for full details about how to do this.
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