13/06/2016

 U3As are bound by their Constitution  Committee members are all Trustees  Trustees are collectively responsible for the proper handling of U3A funds  All Trustees are covered by Trustee Indemnity Insurance provided by the Third Age Trust  The Third Age Trust is a Registered Charity and a Limited Company 13/06/2016

 Each U3A is a charity by virtue of its Constitution and is subject to Charity Law  U3As must register with the CC once their annual income exceeds £5000 All U3As have charitable status by virtue of their Constitutions whether they are registered or not U3As must never use the Third Age Trust’s registered charity number 13/06/2016

 Committee members / Trustees must ensure that their U3A complies with Charity Law, the Principles of the U3A Movement and their own Constitution  They must use U3A funds only to further the U3A’s charitable Objects (purposes)  They have a Duty of Care to operate in good faith to ensure the U3A is well-run and efficient 13/06/2016

Committee Reference File 13/06/2016

 The U3A movement  Trusteeship  Committee responsibilities  Finance  Insurance and Safety  Supporting your members  Raising awareness  Growth 13/06/2016

 All money collected must go though the books  Self funding groups must not bypass the U3A accounts  Contracts for hall hire must be signed by a Trustee  Groups may not set up individual bank accounts 13/06/2016

 An inclusive fee to include all interest group attendances. This saves cash handling but may discourage membership.  Money “up front” allows for easier financial planning  Smaller basic fee with interest group attendances charged separately.  Separate charges cannot be gift aided. Also, it is harder to react to sudden increases in venue costs 13/06/2016

 Annual subscriptions must be used to support the core activities of the U3A only  Annual subscriptions may not be used for social activities  Money cannot be moved from the main account to a social account unless it is a loan for the advance payment of tickets for visits (It is better to ensure that all moneys for tickets are paid up front) 13/06/2016

A Charity Account is necessary A mandate that all cheques are signed by 2 signatories who must be Committee members/Trustees 1 Have a pool of 4 or 5 signatories to cover holidays and emergencies 2 Inform the Treasurer in writing about every cheque not signed by him/her 3 13/06/2016

Should be confined to those banks offering dual authorisation 1 U3As should have the same level of financial control as they do with a cheque account 2 It is acceptable to have on-line banking for interbank transfers between accounts, committee authorised Direct Debit payments and for downloading statements 3 13/06/2016

Many theatres now accept card payment only 13/06/2016 Do not use personal credit/debit cards 1 Try for a debit card on your social account using 2 mandated signatories to obtain cards Credit cards offer more protection but are difficult to obtain 2 Trustees must set a clear policy for use which incorporates strict controls 3

A social account for theatre visits, outings, etc should have the mandate set up as for the main account. 1 Having a social account may delay the need to register with the Charity Commission for small U3As, 2 It simplifies reporting of non-charity activities to the committee, the national U3A and HMRC 3 13/06/2016

 If free places are offered, these must be declared and shared  Holidays should be booked through an ABTA bonded Travel Company  Field trips for study groups can be organised by your U3A and shown in your books Tour Operators Liability Insurance covers this 13/06/2016

 U3A members cannot be paid by any U3A  Payments to other charities are normally illegal: donations to a charity with different Charitable Objects is not allowed  Speaker payment, in lieu of a fee or the hire of a hall from a charity, is allowed but must be shown as such in the accounts 13/06/2016

 An Interest Group can be subsidized by the Committee as these are Core U3A activities  Self-funding must not imply that the money belongs to the group  Cross subsidies between groups is allowed 13/06/2016

When reviewing membership subscriptions, consider:  Funding one or more members to attend the National Conference and/or AGM  Direct mailing of Third Age Matters being included without extra payment  Building up adequate but not excessive reserves – 6 months should be the maximum 13/06/2016

 Capitation fees provide Public Liability insurance cover which protects U3A from claims from members or the general public  It only covers groups with unpaid tutors  Dangerous activities: consult National office  Attendance at another U3A’s activities is at the discretion of both committees 13/06/2016

 HMRC revised their paperwork in July 2015  Gift Aid is for donations and therefore membership subscriptions are not allowed for Gift Aid  Most membership charities have arranged their affairs so that Gift Aid is allowed by HMRC 13/06/2016

Consult Chapter 3.23 Valuing Donor Benefits Updated Inform HMRC in writing of all the details of your finances Get a written reply from them 13/06/2016

 Income under £25,000 pa: accounts do not need to be submitted to the Charity Commission  Annual income between £25,000 and £250,000 accounts must be submitted on an annual basis  Accounts should be prepared on an Income and Expenditure basis 13/06/2016

 Accounts need to be examined.  Annual income under £250,000: this should be carried out by an independent person with requisite knowledge and practical experience  Avoid inviting a member or close associate of your U3A to examine your accounts  There are advantages in matching the Trust’s financial year 13/06/2016

 Charity Commission The Essential Trustee (CC3)  HM Revenue & Customs HMRC Gift Aid and Practice Chapter 3  Trustee Declaration charitycommision/CSD /06/2016

Third Age Trust publications  Aims and Guiding Principles  Committees and Procedures  Group Leaders (Advice sheet 14)  More Time to Learn  Information for Treasurers  Gift Aid (Advice sheet 3)  Insurance  Paid Tutors  Committee Reference File 13/06/2016

Thanks to the committee members. For without you, U3A is nothing!

13/06/2016 CAM/MM

 Paid tutors are not within the U3A ethos  Groups using them are NOT covered by our Public Liability Insurance  If used, the committee must have written assurance from the tutors that they are registered with HMRC for tax and national insurance purposes and that they have public liability insurance Without this assurance you may be considered by law to be an employer. You have no insurance. 13/06/2016

Model Constitution for U3As in England and Wales /06/2016

 The charitable purposes of The U3A are:  i) 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 …………………………………… *[and its surrounding locality] (See note 1). In this constitution “people in their Third Age” has the meaning set out above.  If The U3A is registered as a charity in England and Wales the charitable purposes of The U3A may only be altered with the prior consent of the Charity Commission 13/06/2016

 MEMBERSHIP  Membership of The U3A shall be open to individuals who are in their Third Age and are interested in participating in and furthering the work of The U3A, provided that they agree to abide by this constitution and any membership conditions properly imposed by the Executive Committee and to pay the annual subscription as determined by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership at an Annual or Special General Meeting. No individual may be admitted to membership if the Executive Committee considers that they do not meet these conditions. 13/06/2016

Discuss the “What if...” questions for clauses 4&10 Feed back to your group Agree a set of group answers 13/06/2016

What activities, documents and processes need to be in place to ensure that new committee members/trustees feel supported, understand their role and can operate effectively?  Share good practice  Evaluate what could be added to that good practice  Reduce this wisdom to a bullet point plan 13/06/2016