The Way Forward Together
Before I explain what our U3A has been doing I want to address the question you are no doubt asking – “When can we return to face-to-face classes at U3A Nunawading?”
The answer, of course, is that we don’t know, but there are some details that I can share with you.
While we remain in shutdown mode, building at the new Nunawading Community Hub is continuing apace and is expected to be ready for occupation by early September (https://www.whitehorse.vic.gov.au/nunawading-community-hub). This does not automatically mean that we can return at that time – it will depend on government advice. What it does mean is that it is unlikely that we will return to classes at Silver Grove, but we will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
With this in mind, we have been identifying what needs to be moved from our current premises at Silver Grove, what can be distributed to other U3As in our region, what might be given to Op Shops, and what needs to be discarded.
We have discussed the matter of membership fees for 2021 and expect to provide a part credit for all those who have been members this year. The amount will depend on how long we continue to remain closed.
Meanwhile here are some of the initiatives we have taken to keep our members connected.
We have established a private Facebook Group for our members, which currently has over 250 members and continues to grow every day. It is a very active community with wonderful posts, many of which are deeply thoughtful, many hilarious, and others with helpful ideas on getting through each day with positivity and good humour. Instructions on how to join are on our website.
We’ve set up a telephone tree whereby each Committee member has responsibility for keeping in touch with those members who do not have email or internet. This has been greatly appreciated and will continue for members who have indicated that they want to be contacted regularly.
Team Leaders have connected with their team of Front Desk Volunteers to make sure they are all OK and that they know about many of the supports available. Class Leaders too have been busy with more than 35 classes being conducted online. Please see Elsie’s article for more information about what some of them have been doing.
Just before we closed Silver Grove, we displayed a magnificent patchwork doona cover made by Jill Bale, a member who had died, and whose family had generously offered it to be raffled with proceeds going to BlazeAid https://blazeaid.com.au, an organisation that helps those affected by bushfires. The raffle raised over $900, which the Committee rounded up to $1,000, has sent as a donation to BlazeAid. The raffle will be drawn once we are back together again.
We will continue to provide regular Updates to help our members stay connected and up to date with what’s happening. Our website has useful links to more information.
Our office will remain closed until further notice. Please do not phone, as there is no capacity for us to respond until the office has re-opened. Emails continue to be monitored remotely.
Thanks to all Committee of Management members for their continuous commitment to supporting our members. We are regularly using Zoom ourselves to host full committee and working group meetings. Thanks to all Team Leaders for staying connected to their teams and thank you to those Class Leaders who have taken initiatives to ensure continuation of their classes, albeit in a different format. Thanks to Ken Briscoe for administering Facebook for our members, and to Helen Smith our Network Zoom Mentor.
Finally thank you to you the members for staying connected to one another and to our wonderful organisation during this period. U3A Nunawading has been around for almost 30 years and we will come through this experience stronger together.
We wish all of you good health, as we find new ways to support each other during this challenging time. Stay well, stay safe and stay connected!
Warm Regards
Liz Hooper
President, U3A Nunawading
On behalf of the Committee of Management