Guidance for IGO Group Members
General
IGO groups are run by members for members. The people who run groups are volunteers who freely give their time, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm for the benefit of other IGO members and should be supported and encouraged by members, IGO Trust Volunteers and Third Age Trust staff.
IGO encourages self-help learning and members help to decide their own learning direction which is not directed towards qualifications.
A very wide range of subjects is available to members, including games, languages, physical activities, conversation and crafts.
Some groups are intended to be forums for discussion about a wide range of issues including political and religious topics. However, members should refrain from promoting particular religions or political beliefs and should always be prepared to listen to the opinions of others.
IGO groups are open to all members from any background. IGO groups are offered at many different ability levels and Members are advised to try out groups to find out if they will be suitable for them.
Most of our groups meet on Zoom. A few groups use other platforms – WhatsApp, Facebook, email.
Beacon is a software package which is used to manage IGO. It is used by members and Group Leaders to manage groups in line with GDPR. Detailed help about how members use it can be found at the Beacon Members Portal.
When you become a member of a group, the Group Leader will let you know how to join the groups’ activities.
Group Membership
Membership of groups must be open to all members provided there is a vacancy. Exceptions may be made when there is a prior knowledge requirement, for example, language learners – beginners or advanced.
The maximum number of members in a group may be limited by
- The practicality of enabling all members to contribute to the discussion.
- The organisation & administration required to run a larger group
Members apply to join groups using Beacon; this enables the Group Leader to manage membership.
When a new member applies to join a group, they are put on a waiting list and the goup leader is notified. If there are vacancies, the group leader should admit them to the group and if not, the member will remain on the waiting list. If a vacancy arises, then the group leader should admit people to the group on a first come/first served basis.
When a member joins a waiting list, a group leader often sends out a welcome email asking if the member still wants to join and with an outline of the group requirements. Where possible, members should respond to these emails to ensure their place in the group.
A member who misses three consecutive group meetings or is absent for two months without any explanation may be asked by the Group Leader if they wish to continue their membership. If they do not reply, or miss the next meeting without explanation, the Group Leader may remove them from the group.
Members who do not renew their IGO membership are allowed a month’s grace period and should then be removed from groups to which they belong. If they re-join IGO, they can apply to join the group again but may have to go on a waiting list if the group is full.
Third Age Trust Code of Conduct
Mutual respect, supporting and learning from each other and effective communication are key elements to our work. u3a staff, members, Volunteers, Trustees and Council Representatives have the right to carry out their responsibilities without being bullied or abused either verbally or physically.
We expect u3a members, Trustees, Council Representatives, Volunteers, and contractors to:
- Treat everyone with dignity and respect regardless of their age, gender, ability, race, cultural background, sexual orientation or religious belief.
- Maintain a respectful attitude towards the opinions of others.
- Act as a good role model with appropriate behaviour.
- Act in the best interest of the Third Age Trust and not do anything which may bring the Trust or the wider u3a movement into disrepute or expose it to undue risk.
- Uphold the Principles of the u3a movement.
- Promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in everything we do.
- Abide by Third Age Trust policies and procedures (as relevant to their role).
- Use the Trust’s resources responsibly and only to further its stated charitable objects/purposes.
- Reflect the current organisational policy of The Third Age Trust, regardless of whether it conflicts with personal views.
- Ensure organisational and individual confidentiality at all times.
- We expect everyone to contribute in a positive way and ask that everyone keep this Code of Conduct in mind to make the Third Age Trust a positive place to work, volunteer and be a part of.
- The Third Age Trust operates a zero-tolerance policy towards violence, harassment, bullying and sexual, religious or racial discrimination of staff, u3a members, Volunteers, Trustees, Council Representatives, contractors and the general public. If this is identified, the Trust will take appropriate action to protect the relevant parties.
- All those who are part of the u3a movement have a duty to report any safeguarding concerns either to their local u3a where it concerns a member of their own u3a, or the u3a Office if it relates to Trust Volunteers, Trustees or staff.
- If you have any queries or concerns regarding the above, please contact the Third Age Trust office:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 020 8466 6139 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm).
Additional rules for IGO
- Not to promote goods or services within meetings. Lists of resources or services may be mentioned in passing if they will be helpful to other members.
- not to request payment for any of the activities offered by IGO.
- To treat any sensitive information shared within groups with confidence.
Zoom Etiquette
In addition to these rules, when you are in a Zoom meeting, you should:
- Label your screen with your full name, or with your name and membership number
- Have your camera on if possible when requested to do so by the group leader. It is reasonable for Group Leaders to request their members to have their cameras on during meetings which are primarily discussion groups. However, there are many reasons why members may not be able to turn on their cameras on for example: problems with technology, internet connection quality, member joining the meeting by phone, or personal problems. Group Leaders and other members therefore should be understanding about this.
- Contribute to the discussion where this is an important part of the group’s activity. Members may have difficulty speaking during meetings due to lack of confidence, language difficulties, vocal issues, background noise etc. Group Leaders and other members therefore should be understanding about this.
- There may be occasional situations where members attend meetings over a sustained period (three or more meetings), but without being visible and without speaking. In this case, Group Leaders should contact the member to ask if they require any additional support to be able to participate e.g. training on using Zoom or receiving information further in advance. If they do not respond, there is no clear reason, and they continue to attend for another three meetings without participating the Group Leader may then remove the member from the group.
- You may be asked to turn your camera off when there are large numbers of people attending, so that the internet is not overloaded.
- Mute during presentations
- Do not interrupt or talk over other people
- Make sure you are in a quiet area where there is no background noise, and no-one can interrupt or join in
- Dress appropriately
- Look out for "Chat" messages
- Do not Zoom when driving
Setting up a New Group
A member who would like to run a new group should fill out a new group form. A Beacon page and a webpage will be set up for the group and it will be publicised on the u3a website and in the IGO News Extra. It may also be publicised in the u3a Friends newsletter or Third Age Matters magazine.
If there is a topic you are interested in, but do not want to run a group yourself, the IGO Team can set up a potential group. Members can join the group using Beacon. Once sufficient members have shown an interest, the IGO Team will set up an inaugural meeting to discuss how the group will run and who will take on which role.
When Things Go Wrong
We know that conflict or inappropriate behaviour is possible in IGO meetings, especially in discussion-based groups.
Where possible, a problem that arises should be resolved within the meeting itself.
If a member is causing unnecessary disruption or sharing discriminatory views, Group Leaders are advised to interrupt the member speaking and give a verbal warning. If the member continues and the zoom functionality allows, Leaders may be able to mute these members and allow the conversation to continue and move on.
Depending on the Zoom setup, Group Leaders have the capability to remove a member from that group meeting.
Occasionally a group member might become unhappy about the behaviour, attitude or language of another member. Members are advised to try to resolve this during meetings. If this is not possible, they should contact the Group Leader for help.
If the problem cannot be resolved in the meeting, or if an IGO member has concerns around anything that happens at a meeting or anywhere in IGO, please contact the u3a office via