Groups, interest groups, convenors, leaders, coordinators - there are many names you may go by if you organise a group in your u3a. But not everyone is confident using technology and using Beacon may be something you're a bit unsure about. Going at an extra slow pace, this session will get you started with the basic tools in Beacon for group leaders.

There are many customisation options in Beacon, but with flexibility can come complexity.

In this session we’ll take you through the key aspects of Beacon that site administrators need to understand. From how it’s set up, the controls you have over specific settings, to making sure you are following data protection requirements. We’ll also cover the kind of maintenance tasks and troubleshooting so you can keep your membership data safe, secure and up to date.

Hear about the tools and features that are available in Beacon for u3as to use.

This is mainly an overview of the functionality, as in most u3as Chairs only view key data in Beacon from time-to-time, but we’ll also cover how to send emails and basic navigation.

Aimed at u3a secretaries (not membership secretaries), during this session we'll go through the key functions in Beacon that are relevant to secretaries, including an overview of the member record and member management. However, this session is not sufficient for membership secretaries and we run a separate course for them.

Even if you’re an experienced accountant, it’s essential to understand some of the basics of how the Beacon finance feature works.

We’ll take a look at the approach that is used, some of the key terms and concepts and what settings you can control. We’ll then dive into ledger and transactions, with a just a brief look at reconciliation.

This is an introductory session for treasurers so we won’t be covering some of the more advanced areas, end of year process, Gift Aid or PayPal.

Please also note: this is an introduction to using Beacon as a treasurer. It is not an introduction to the role of treasurer itself.

Groups, interest groups, convenors, leaders, coordinators - there are many names you may go by if you organise a group in your u3a. But not everyone is confident using technology and using Beacon may be something you're a bit unsure about.

Going at an extra slow pace, this session will get you started with the basic tools in Beacon for group leaders.

Responsible for overseeing all of the groups and supporting leaders of the individual ones, Groups Coordinators can use many helpful tools in Beacon.

In this session we'll cover setting up, managing and deleting groups. We'll also look at how to send emails, adding members with and without a waiting list and also using the schedule and group ledger.

This session is not suitable for group leaders (sometimes called interest group coordinators). Separate sessions are provided or being developed to support group leaders.

Beacon is a membership management system, built by u3as for u3as, so it's no surprise that membership secretaries are usually the main user of Beacon in their u3a.

In this session, after a quick overview, we'll look at the tools you have to manage your membership before looking at the communication tools and how you access all of the data held in Beacon, including extracting data. We'll also take a look at how your role and that of the treasurer work together.