
Beacon, the membership magagement system for u3as, has recently reached a significant milestone, with 600 u3as now using the system.
Beacon enables u3as to manage members, groups and finances - all in one place. The system was created and is run by a group of u3a volunteers, who are responsible for migrating each new u3a onto the system.
Alison May is Head of Membership Services and works closely with the Beacon volunteer team. She says, "We are delighted that we have reached 600 u3as using Beacon. The system was developed by u3a members and continues to be managed by a group of extremely dedicated volunteers. This means that as a membership management system it is specifically tailored to u3as."
She continues, "We are also adding improvements all the time – most recently a package of additional features to the finance module to help u3as better manage their transactions. Beacon continues to grow and we are so pleased that more and more members are able to benefit from it."
The 600th u3a is Cheadle Hulme u3a, who were delighted to be told they were the 600th u3a to join the system. Neil, the Chair of Cheadle Hulme u3a, says, "The Beacon team made it easy to assess Beacon and in the end it was clear that it would make the tasks of our volunteers easier and, enable more accuracy for sending emails and letters to members. The migration was straightforward due to the help and assistance of the Beacon team."
Find out more about Beacon, and how your u3a can get involved, on the Beacon website.
Beacon is just one of the many volunteer-led projects within the u3a movement. Find out more on the u3a volunteering page.