Leading a Group

Group Leaders and Group Contacts

Our u3a wouldn’t function without our Group Leaders and Group Contacts. Thank you! The volunteers in the Groups Team are also here to support and work with you, on groups@farnhamu3a.org.uk. Let us know if you have questions that aren’t answered here.

Using Beacon

You’ll find an introduction to Beacon (the u3a database) below. Please ensure you use Beacon to keep an up-to-date list of who’s in your group, and to send group messages out to them. This helps you comply with GDPR, avoids you accidentally sharing members’ personal email addresses, and ensures you have everyone’s latest contact details.

Publicising your group and filling spaces

The Groups Team will contact you periodically to check information about your group for the annual programme, the website, noticeboard and open morning.
If you need to get information about your group on the website updated at other times, contact the Web Team (websupport@farnhamu3a.org.uk).
If you have vacancies in your group and would like help filling them, let the Groups team know. We can publicise vacancies in a number of ways.
Let us know if you if you’re interested in becoming a Group Leader, or have ideas for setting up new groups.
If your group is oversubscribed, please ensure that you keep a waiting list in Beacon in line with our guidelines on Allocating Places in Groups (on the Joining Groups Page).

Room bookings

The Programme Manager manages the room hire budget for groups (which comes from membership fees) across the Maltings and the other venues we use. The Groups Team handle any changes to room bookings and layout requirements once the annual programme has been published.

If you need to cancel a session, please let the members of your group know, plus any external tutors.
If you have a room or court booked for the session you’re cancelling, contact the Groups Team too (venues@farnhamu3a.org.uk) so we can alert the venue.
If you are cancelling a session at the Maltings on the day, please contact the Maltings Box Office (01252 745444) yourself, so they can handle queries from any members turning up.
If you need to reschedule a room booking, please contact us on venues@farnhamu3a.org.uk and give as much advance notice as possible, so we can find out if another room can be made available without additional cost for u3a.
Please don’t hold group meetings in the Maltings café or foyer unless this has been specifically booked.

Safety

Please ensure you are familiar with the latest Fire Safety and Evacuation procedures, which are on the Using the Maltings page.
Take a Register at each group session so you know who is in the room, and take this with you in the event of an evacuation.
Please follow our Trip Guidelines if you are organising a trip.
Note our Carers Policy, and the advice on Managing Incidents and Problems in Groups below. Please contact groups@farnhamu3a.org.uk if you have any questions or concerns.

Insurance

Our Public & Products Liability Insurance policy is provided by the Third Age Trust, but please note that the Trust does not provide personal accident insurance cover, or cover for any professional negligence by external tutors who aren’t members of u3a.
Member-led groups such as Cycling and Rambling provide information about the activities undertaken by their groups, and then rely on members to make an honest assessment of their own fitness level before joining.

Our External Tutors Policy requires professional tutors engaged by groups to have their own valid third-party insurance cover, and procedures in place to help members confirm the classes are suitable for their fitness levels (such as a PAR-Q form or similar), which the tutor should get members to complete and sign each year.