Thames Valley Network Events Team

Thames Valley Network Events Team

21^st May 2010

11 Meadow Close, Goring

Present:

Ann Mary Ware - Leader (Marlow)

Martin McBride - Treasurer (Carterton)

Anne Gould – Secretary (Abingdon)

Susie Berry (Watlington)

Ian Clarkson (Faringdon)

Richard Hughes (Wokingham)

Joanna Hughs (Goring)

Pam Jones (Witney)

Pamela Palmer (Bracknell Forest)

Patsy Thornton (Wokingham)

Apologies

Topic

Discussion

Action

2.0 Brainstorming basic concepts and support tools

2.1 Ann Mary’s skills and leadership style

Ann Mary outlined her plan for leadership of the Committee. Once basic support tools are in place, the team will be self-empowered. If there is a difference of opinion, a vote will be taken. Ann Mary as leader will guide the team in the right direction and problem solve whenever necessary.

2.2 Roles we can provide for organisers of events

A lengthy discussion ensued as to what kind of support we should be able to give organisers of events.

We will provide advice on mechanisms of running events, particularly financial
We will work with/facilitate individual U3As who offer study days
The size of U3As should not be a barrier to them organising events and we would encourage smaller U3As to combine with one another to offer joint events (possibly up to 4 organisers)

2.3 Support tools

· Venues

· Guidelines for Study Days

· Mechanisms for Group Leaders to liaise

o Newsletters centrally held by Ann Mary

o Newsletters obtained during 2010 conference

o Ask Chairperson/secretary to ask group leaders to contact interested party

· Lessons Learnt/Best Practice

o Need car park attendant and all applications acknowledged

· Storage of documents

o Current version to be kept on TVN website as 2003 version

· Costs

o Lunches

o Speakers

o Venues

Ann Mary to keep all support tool databases up-to-date

All Event Team members to investigate venues in their local area and provide Ann Mary with information

Patsy Thornton to provide Study Day Guidelines after the Wokingham Conference

Patsy Thornton to request June Conference obtains < 25 copies newsletters from each U3A attending

Leader of each study day to obtain feedback and provide Ann Mary with relevant information

Ann Mary to create Lessons Learnt spreadsheet with

· What worked well

· What didn’t work so well

· What should be done in the future

Ann Mary to liaise with Len Smith about documents on the TVN website

Ann Mary & Richard Hughes to liaise about free databases

All Event Team members to provide Ann Mary with lunch & speakers costs

2.4 Publicity

· Any event should start to be planned at least 12 months in advance and publicity available 6 months at which time flyers and application forms should be available.

· A short précis of the Study Day including what, when, where and how, inc. names of speakers should also be prepared.

· Letters should be sent to Chairman/Newsletter Editors/secretaries advertising event.

· Chairman to also promote at monthly meetings

· Individual U3As to be asked to keep key email addresses, which avoids handover problems.

Leaders of each Study Day/Event to send Pam Jones any communication material

Pam Jones to ask each TVN U3A to have key email addresses

Richard Hughes to provide guidelines on how this would work

2.5 Mechanism for website updates	Flyers and application forms plus photos after the event to be sent to Web Master (Len Smith) for inclusion in website.
2.6 Speakers	A Database of speakers will be started (Study Days only) and should include name, topic, date and venue when the speaker last appeared. U3A coordinators to be encouraged to find speakers within the TVN U3As by talking to members, not via an email. This can be done as each topic crops up.	All Event Team members to provide Ann Mary with information
2.7 Equipment available within TVN	2.7 A Database of Projectors and other portable equipment should be started so that individual U3As could borrow equipment for Study Days, e.g. Projector, Laptops, Flipcharts	All Event Team members to provide Ann Mary with information
2.8 Boundaries between Events Team and the Network Committee	This Committee is solely for the purpose of ensuring events are organised well in advance by providing advice and support where required. The Leader, Ann Mary Ware, provides the link to the Committee.
2.9 Calendar of events	· Spreadsheets in Excel will be used for Events Team, but the Chairmen Contact Sheet will remain as it is. This spreadsheet will contain Regional meetings and study days organised by individual U3As. · We must make sure that no events overlap or clash. · A database of evenly distributed venues will be used · It was decided that 4 major Study Days per year is sufficient, the Riverside Project being an extra as are Conference and Training Days. There should be a maximum of 8 events per year. · The Events Committee must be informed of any events going on in the area	Ann Mary to keep the Events Team calendar up-to-date
2.10 Event Team members, 2.10.1 Skills they can provide 2.10.2 Amount of time prepared to commit	We should co-opt people for a particular event – a minimum of 2 people should be involved in the organisation of each event. Martin McBride and Joanna Hughes already too committed to lead Study Days/Events. Susie Berry is not available between November and April.	All Event Team members to try and find more people interested in helping out

3.0 Programme for 2010
3.1 Network Conference	June. The numbers for the Conference at Emmbrook School are at the moment disappointing but it should just break even with no losses if the numbers go up a little.
3.2 Music-Development of Classical Music	June. Good attendance received so far.
3.3 Riverside Project	Going well so far. The next planning day is 17^th September. This time attendance will be paid for before the event and the cost will be £4.00 plus £5 lunch. Lunch will be provided by the W.I. as previously. Henley are organising an Activities Day on 18^th August, flyers will be sent out. There will be an initial meeting at the River and Rowing Museum, where free parking will be made available, and afterwards groups will tour various parts of Henley studying various things in and around the River Thames. The fee will be £5.00.
3.4 Wokingham Study Day	August. Patsy distributed Programmes.
3.5 Look into the History of Oxford University	September. Mike Price is organising this. Numbers are low but the event is still going ahead.
3.6 Food science Day at the Museum of English Rural Life, Reading	October. The question of changing the venue was raised as the Museum may not be quite what we are looking for. Susie will look into moving it to Cuddesden once all information about the venue is available.	Susie Berry to investigate an alternative venue/date
3.7 Architecture – the attraction of Gothic	November. The title has been changed to “Gothic Phenomenon from Finial to Folly”. Flyers and application forms have been produced.	Ann Mary Ware to provide Joanne with contact information
3.8 Regional meetings	Colin Mitchell has arranged 2 more in 2010. 27^th Oct at Wellington College on Health Issues and 13^th Oct at Tonbridge, Kent on finance & services
4.00 Programme for 2011
4.1 Chairman and Officers Training Day	February. Pam Jones is leading.
4.2 The Global Economy	March. Richard Hughes is leading working with Len Smith.
4.3 Historic Towns of Thames Valley (2)	April. Ann Mary is leading. Venues and lead speakers are being investigated. Ann Mary will liaise with TVN U3As for more speakers. Ann Gould has already agreed to speak about Abingdon.	Ann Mary to lead
4.4 TVN lunch	There was no support for this so it is cancelled
4.5 Network Conference	June. Pam to speak to Agnes Budagowska about programme.	Pam Jones to liaise with Agnes.
4.6 Bridge Tournament	July. Ian Clarkson gave his initial thoughts on this. It will be held in Faringdon. It will be for “newish” players not seasoned players. There will be 30 tables, 120 players. Initially U3A will be asked to provide 4-6 players. There will possibly be an initial seminar followed by competitions. Initial cost £12.50 including refreshments.
4.7 Arts and Handicrafts	End May/early June. Rita Fidler from Thames & District is very keen on being involved. Marlow is interested in helping out.	Ann Mary to work with Rita Fidler
4.8 Philosophy	We will discuss this again, but possibly maybe postponed till 2011.
4.9 New and prospective committee members	Having one training day/day was felt enough. So this will not go ahead.
4.10 Riverside Project Study School	The dates will be 26^th - 28^th October 2011. The cost for residents will be £45 per head per night for full board. The Committee considered this is very reasonable.
4.11 Four Opera Masterpieces	November. Anthony Burdall is leading.
5.00 Programme for 2012	This will be discussed at the next meeting.
6.00 Any other business	There was no other business
7.00 Date of the next meeting	The next meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday 13^th August 2010 at 11 Meadow Close, Goring. Many thanks to Joanna for volunteering to host the meeting again.