Charity is big winner at U3A AGM

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By Publicity Officer Ian Rogerson

Javea U3A President Claude Grealy was re-elected at the association’s annual meeting.

He, along with the rest of the serving committee, were voted back unanimously: Vice-President Krystyna Stefancyzk, Secretary Margaret March, Treasurer Sally Rush, Groups Coordinator Mike Frost and Membership Secretary Henrik Rasmussen.

Charity was also a big winner at the AGM, attended by over 60 U3A members at Casa de la Cultura in the old town.  Apologies were received from many others, and various members chose to vote online.

The U3A’s nominated charity of the year, Todos Juntos Javea, were presented with a giant cheque for 3,592 euros, raised by members during the year. Todos Juntos representatives Jean Halse and Anne Joyce were handed the cheque by the U3A President Claude and Treasurer Sally.

Jean thanked U3A members and explained that the money was being spent on good causes in the town. Anne said she would be happy to talk to any interested U3A members about how the money was being spent and individual projects that the charity was involved in.

After his re-election, President Claude Grealy addressed the meeting, pointing out that the association now had members of many nationalities including British, Spanish, Dutch, French, Belgian, German, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, American and Swiss, among others.

Claude said he hoped this would be the last time he had to mention the dreaded C word – Covid - which the World Health Organisation would declare an end to this year. He expressed his and the committee’s condolences to all those who had lost loved ones, many in horrendous circumstances.

Having focused over the last three years on surviving Covid, he announced that a Members’ Support Group had now been established, details of which would be published soon.

He explained it would be a Good Neighbour/Good Samaritan initiative involving U3A members.

Claude explained: “Many members have been mired in depression and despair, thinking the pandemic was the end of the world, and the end of the U3A.

“It wasn’t.  It isn’t.  We are here and thriving,” he said. “My colleague, Membership Secretary Henrik. will tell you about how we are growing again, with more than 150 new members in the last 15 months.”

Claude added that there was still a vacancy for a seventh member on the executive committee.   Also non-executive members and helpers were needed.  

“We need new blood – young blood,” he said. “If anybody knows of someone interested in joining the committee or helping in any way, please email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We will be organising a meeting of new members who joined in 2022 and 2023 soon.”

Each member of the newly elected committee delivered their individual reports.

Membership Secretary Henrik explained that U3A Javea now had 877 members. Before the pandemic, at the end of 2019, there were 1,152 members.