General News

AGM

AGM Election of New Committee

Thursday 2nd March was election day for our new committee and a full house on members turned out to vote – or because they heard that the Goodwill Team were arranging for scones, with jam and cream, to be available after the AGM!

Our U3A is making a good recovery of membership numbers after the major effects on the British expatriate population of Brexit immediately followed by the Covid pandemic’s disruption of everybody, expatriate or national. In 2022 our association got back into full swing and with a progressive committee our meetings, groups and trips restarted. We now have:

  • some 24 active social activities groups, with Dru Yoga and Allotment being the latest,
  • many trips planned by TCET, from a recent shopping in Valencia to five days in Cordoba and Seville,
  • many local activities by the Goodwill Team, with a ‘Let’s Dance’ exercise session and BYO ‘Magical Night with the Stars’ this week [5-10th March].

So it was with much expectation that our new committee were voted in:

  • President – Bob Welham,
  • Vice-President – Paul Corazzo,
  • Treasurer – Roger Bentley,
  • Assistant Treasurer – Gillian Ward,
  • Secretary – Sandra Welham,
  • Assistant Secretary – Sally Ellis,
  • Groups Coordinator – Teresa Tilbrook,
  • Membership Secretary – Barbara Bentley,
  • TCET Representative – Sonia Higginson,
  • Hospitality Officers – Mary & Jerry Bacon,
  • Vocals – Christine Rowland,
  • Speaker Coordinator – Vacant.

The meeting concluded with the representatives of the charities, funded from the 2022 Goodwill collections, giving a brief description of how the U3A donation was being used. These charities are:

  • PAWS (Xalo) represented by Jayne Webb & Kate Morton,
  • Children’s Home Benissa represented by Ainhoa Cano Ramirez (Dir. RAGIA Benissa),
  • Jalon Valley Help represented by Pam Brooks,
  • Caring for Cats represented by Sarah Gulliver & Susan Prescott,
  • Alzheimer’s Centre, Tuelada represented by Wilhelmina Hardee,
  • Jalon Valley ARC – could not attend due to sickness, and
  • Bomberos of Castells – could not attend on duty.

So let’s support the Goodwill Team to raise even more this year – I made a start with a second scone which brought the day’s fund raising to €163!!

Also, our members donated toiletries for Caritas.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to say, for all U3A members, happy 90th birthday to Edward MacDonald for his special day on 23rd March .

Article by Peter Sockett
Photos by Dolly Sockett

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