Kelvin Rushworth (Wooler U3A), kelvinregnat@outlook.com Publicity Officer, Northumbria Region U3A

Hello U3As

Local weekly newspapers After my introductory letter to you, I received a number of comments about me ‘ignoring’ local weekly newspapers. Just to be clear, I see any press releases being sent to the six ‘regional daily newspapers’ (mentioned previously) being sent by me, as Northumbria Region U3A Publicity Officer. I do not intend to send press releases elsewhere. I am a huge fan of local weekly newspapers; they are so well read, often on the very day of publication, by many more people than the purchaser. I buy the Northumberland Gazette AND the Berwick Advertiser and read them cover-to-cover every week! I see any press releases for these local weekly newspapers being sent by Publicity/Press Officers or Chairs of local U3As. Just as I see any press releases to the major national daily newspapers being sent by Liz Drury at National U3A. Of course, this does not preclude any of us sending press releases to any newspapers anywhere!

Third Age Matters By now, local U3A subscribers to our national magazine will have received the latest edition. I wanted to congratulate those local U3As and individual U3A members in our region for submitting material … and succeeding in getting it published. Well done. If anyone in your local U3A has written material for your own newsletter and/or submitted material to your local weekly newspaper, please do not let that effort go to waste! Be sure to submit the same material and good quality photos to the editor of The Messenger, Mary Barlow on regnewseditor@gmail.com (next deadline date is looming … Friday 12 April 2019), to the editor of Third Age Matters, Francis Beckett on coasttocoast@u3a.org.uk (submit them any time and they will be considered for the next or future editions) and to the editor of the National U3A Newsletter, Liz Drury on elizabeth.drury@u3a.org.uk (deadline date is around the last day of every month).

New Publicity Network launched Following the enthusiasm of some delegates at the recent Good News Regional Workshop in Newcastle, a new Publicity Network has been launched. Membership is open to the person in your U3A who is responsible for publicising your many and varied activities in any kind of local media (eg your weekly newspapers, parish magazines, local authority news). For now, as Publicity Officer for Wooler U3A, I am acting as the convenor of the Publicity Network. Any relevant and interested members can contact me via the Networks page of the Northumbria Region U3A website or direct, as above.

With very best wishes to you and your members Kelvin