Dear Members,
I am writing this short message sitting on our terrace on a beautiful evening, in what is perhaps my favourite time of the year. The heat of the summer has passed, as have the recent rains, the colours are softer but short-sleeve shirts or polos are still all that is needed, at least in the daytime.

Visit to the Franciscan Shelter for Men at Palma de Gandia

The day-to-day work is performed by just three monks supported by a team of volunteers who together care for the residents around the clock. As you may be able to see from our photos the buildings and gardens are beautifully maintained.

We suspend walking during July and August, when it is just too hot to enjoy even short walks.

After our long summer break it was great to see so many members, old and new, at our September General Assembly. We have been approaching for a while our informal target of having 100 people in the room and this time we finally broke through and reached 105.

Tuesday 20th May saw 120 u3a members, Paws supporters and friends gather in our garden for a quintessentially English afternoon tea on a rather hotter than English day!

The charity Jalon Valley Help (JVH) was originally formed over 25 years ago to buy Ambulances but as you now know there is a system in place and that is no longer necessary. What is necessary and a fundamental part of the service to the community is the provision of medical beds, mobility aids and equipment such as hoists to provide a hospital in the home.