2 March 2018

Dear Member

NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM)

This letter is to give you notice that an EGM will be held at the start of our monthly meeting on Friday 6 April 2018 at 2.30pm (postponed from 2 March due to weather conditions).

We have been advised by The Third Age Trust (our National Office) that there needs to be an amendment to our Constitution.  The ‘objects’ clause (Charitable Purposes) must change to cover all our activities including those of a social nature.  The Third Age Trust has been negotiating with the Charity Commission over the last few months and has now agreed suitable wording. They have agreed to a ‘blanket opt-in’ arrangement whereby we advise The Third Age Trust that we wish to make the change and they will notify the Charity Commission.  There is a deadline of 20 March 2018 to do this.  Following the EGM and provided that members agree the Resolution, we would have to notify the Third Age Trust formally of the change.

While U3As do not have to accept this amendment, we are strongly advised to make the change so that all our activities are considered to be ‘charitable purposes’.  If we fail to do so then none of our social activities will be covered by the U3A insurance policy which, as you know, we pay for through membership subscriptions each year.  We very much hope that members will agree to the following Resolution:

THE RESOLUTION

To change the wording in paragraph 3 of our Constitution entitled Charitable Purposes from:

‘The charitable purposes of The U3A are to advance education and in particular the education of people not in full time gainful employment who are in their Third Age (being the period of time after the first age of childhood dependence and the second age of full time employment and/or parental responsibility) residing in Burnham on Crouch and its surrounding locality.

In this constitution ‘people in their Third Age’ has the meaning set out above. 

The charitable purposes of The U3A may only be altered with the prior consent of the Charity Commission’

To the following wording (which has to be exactly the wording agreed with the Charity Commission):

‘The charitable purposes of The U3A are:  The advancement of education and, in particular, the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work by all means, including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development’

The charitable purposes of The U3A may only be altered with the prior consent of the Charity Commission’

Yours

Barry Davis

(Chair)