Our Committee

Our committee members generously give up their time to help run Cu3a. If you’d like to contribute to making our organisation even better, please do consider joining the committee. Just contact our Chair at u3achair@chiltern-u3a.org.uk to find out what’s involved.

Chair	u3achair@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Peter de Groot
Vice-chair	u3avicechair@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Linda Walton
Secretary	u3asecretary@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Ernest Newhouse
Treasurer	u3atreasurer@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Sue Harold-Barry
Membership Secretary	u3amembership@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Helen Beaumont
Speaker Secretary	u3atalks@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Sarah Jones
Groups Coordinator (joint)	u3acoordinator@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Linda Walton
Groups Coordinator (joint)	u3acoordinator@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Wallace Wormley
Technical advisor	u3atec@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Mike Hender
Publicity coordinator	u3acommitteecs@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Christian Scott
Data coordinator	u3aconvenorupdate@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Jean Routly
Simple user support	u3ausersupport@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Jenny Jobson
Refreshments organizer	u3acommitteejr@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Jean Routly
Minutes Secretary	u3aminutes@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	Anne Caine
Committee Support People with roles in Cu3a who are not members of the committee
Webmaster	u3awebmaster@chiltern-u3a.org.uk	David Bender

Committee Members

Peter de Groot (Chair)

My wife Marianne and I originate from The Hague in The Netherlands, we are still Dutch as The Netherlands does not allow more than one passport. Having studied aircraft systems I joined a government research station. After getting married in the late sixties we moved to Italy where I started work in the SACLANT ASW Research Center and Marianne taught French in a local school. For three years we lived near the Cinqueterre in Liguria where we had a wonderful time. Our first son was born in the hospital of a US armoured division in Marina di Pisa. When an opportunity arose to join a NATO HQ in the UK in 1971 we moved to Buckinghamshire and after short spells in Chesham and Ashley Green settled in Amersham where our second son was born.

I retired in 2022 and joined the Citizen Advice Bureau as a volunteer, initially as a benefit adviser followed by advising people in debt and eventually representing people in the Employment Tribunal. Our oldest son has settled in New Zealand and as he has 3 children we ‘need’ to travel there as often as we can. Our second son lives close to us, he has 2 children and runs a small educational company.

Ernest Newhouse (Secretary)

I finished my career as Financial Controller, BBC World Service, and after a year or so as a pensioner, unexpectedly found myself at the Barbican Centre as Director of Finance for 3 years. When that came to an end, I was asked to be Treasurer of the Amersham Museum, which was a lovely job as it had just received a large bequest which enabled it to modernise and to employ a part-time curator.  I did that for a number of years and still volunteer as a steward. I served on my Parish Council for a number of years, including 3 as chairman and I am currently the treasurer of The Arts Society Amersham.  Ever since my late wife Jean and I came to Amersham, which was our first home, I have belonged to the Lions Club and now have a 50 years service badge, but unfortunately the Club is winding up at the end of 2022. I have lived in Amersham most of my married life, but spent 9 very happy years in Wells, Somerset, having gone there to work for Marley Tiles, and coming back at the behest of the BBC. I belong to St Mary's church in the old town and for many years I administered the Planned Giving scheme there. I joined the u3a just before the barrier came down and a waiting list was introduced. I belong to a number of groups; currently I convene the Singers group.  The u3a does not dominate my life, but it has certainly enhanced it.

Sue Harold-Barry (Treasurer)

Helen Beaumont (Membership Secretary)

I have been a member of Chiltern u3a since 2006 and Membership Secretary since 2009. I worked for the Bank of England and met my husband Kevin there. I have lived almost all of our married life in Little Chalfont. We have a daughter Alexandra, a son Christopher and three lovely grandsons. When our children reached their teens I retrained and worked for a number of years for Old Amersham Travel and laterly Allways Pacific.
I am a keen follower of rugby union and introduced my husband to the sport. I was a season ticket holder for London Wasps when they played at Adams Park, High Wycombe but did not renew my season ticket when they moved to Coventry. My husband introduced me to cricket and we go to watch international games at Lords and also Bucks County Cricket Club matches home and away.

Mike Hender (Technical Advisor)

Jill and I joined Cu3a in 2012 after looking for a friendly social group where we could both contribute and keep brain and body active. Since then, I’ve set up and convened two Cu3a technology groups and contribute to several others. My experience as Chair of Cu3a (2018-2020) was both unforgettable and rewarding.
I was originally an academic with a PhD in atomic physics and space science from University College London. In 1970 we moved to Windsor, Canada and then Pittsburgh, USA where Paul was born. Rachel arrived two years later after we’d returned to Amersham. Then for 25 years I worked for high technology companies, latterly in senior management positions. After retiring from the corporate world in 2002 I had several non-executive board positions with small businesses and Government agencies.
Jill and I enjoy travelling to see our far-flung family (Australia and Wales), walking, reading and activities that involve innovation and new ideas.

Jenny Jobson (Simple User Support and Administrator)

It’s obvious, looking back at my life, that variety, learning new things and getting involved have always been important to me. After qualifying as a librarian and working in special libraries, when our three sons came along, I ran a business that fitted around them. Roles in sales and marketing, administration, and management in a number of industries and the public sector followed.
Volunteering has always been part of my life: librarian in two schools, knitting blankets for charity, delivering parcels to the elderly and singing Christmas carols in geriatric wards. I ran a mother and toddler club, then helped in my boys’ school library.
Fascinated by computers, I studied logic at school and attended an evening class on ‘Computers in Libraries’. After a Sinclair ZX, Commodore 64 and word processors with eight-inch floppy discs, we got a PC in 1995. Microsoft Office applications (apart from Publisher) became the tools of my trade. For fun I read, we have travelled the world, and there’s always something to do in the garden. Then there are the ten grandchildren….
When I retired in 2015, I joined the u3a to continue learning and to meet new people; I also volunteered for a local charity - learning to manage the website; and helped at Little Chalfont Community Library. Joining a number of Cu3a groups has given me the chance to research and learn about subjects I never had the time for in a busy working life, then when I heard that there were vacancies on the Cu3a committee and the newsletter team I joined them both (at last a chance to learn how to use Microsoft Publisher). As the Data Coordinator I had fun with spreadsheets again and I’ve enjoyed the exciting challenge of helping to introduce and manage Simple Membership as Simple User Support. To top it all, I’ve made so many friends! 

Sarah Jones (Speaker Secretary) 

Linda Walton (Vice-Chair and joint Groups Coordinator

After an enjoyable career in banking and finance (my final post was as Board member at Barclaycard responsible for Operations) and in parallel holding non-executive posts in the Home Office and in the housing sector I decided to join u3a to keep my horizons broad and to pursue my interest in studying languages To my surprise and pleasure I have found that U3A offers fellowship as well as study and I am looking forward to making a contribution to the broader organisation of the Chiltern group. I am a co-convenor of French conversation and a member of numerous other groups where I can indulge my amateurish efforts at, among other things, creative writing and acting.

Wallace Wormley (joint Groups Coordinator)

I first heard about u3a through an old friend and neighbour, Ivan Hirsh, who just happened to be one of the founders and the first chairman of the Chiltern committee, 20 years ago. At the time, I was actively working in the City, involved with setting up investment businesses, managing global portfolios, travelling the world and advising institutional clients. As I began to wind down from full time work, I started to think about the kinds of things I would like to do when I had more leisure time.
Although my academic degrees were in physics, maths, experimental psychology and economics, and my career was heavily quantitative and technical, I wanted to broaden beyond those things. Remembering u3a, as a group dedicated to life-long learning, I thought I would explore additional interests such as Photography, Chess and Computers. In the three years since joining, I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots of new people, making many new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones. I have even become the convenor of the Opera Appreciation group and co-convenor of the Writing for Fun 2 and the Drama groups. Leisure indeed!

Christian Scott (Publicity Coordinator)

I have been an active member of Chiltern u3a since I retired in 2017 and I now regularly attend 4 groups (Racketball, Tai Chi, Mindfulness and Scrabble) as well as General Meetings. I am particularly interested in extending the reach of Cu3a as I regularly meet people who are unaware of our activities. To succeed in this aim, we will no doubt have to work with Convenors and Members to increase the capacity of some groups.
Whatever projects I am asked to support, I can offer the Committee and Members skills learnt from a career spanning over 30 years in Education (FE & HE), Business and Charity sectors, including 4 years as a Trustee of a YMCA. My roles within charities provided me with the additional experience of working with volunteers.

Jean Routly (Data Coordinator)

I'm originally from Liverpool, my family moving across The Mersey to The Wirral. My favourite school subjects were the Sciences and I've always been an animal lover. After 'A' levels my first job was a trainee laboratory technician in The University of Liverpool’s Faculty of Veterinary Science. This happily combined my interests, but little did I imagine I would remain working in the ‘Vet School’ in various capacities, until my retirement in 2020. Chiefly involved in the technical side of veterinary research, I gained an Open University degree then professional qualifications as a Chartered Biologist. I co-authored several research papers working in the field of production animal reproduction which required many hours, quite literally, working in a field. My companions were herds of cows and flocks of sheep. I loved it.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit I decided it was time to hang up my lab coat and store the wellies. I moved to The Chilterns in 2021 to be nearer to my son, daughter, and their families. Not knowing anyone in the area was tough at first. Since joining Cu3a I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many new people.  I was co-opted on to the Committee and became a fully-fledged Committee member 2023. I am now the Cu3a Data Co-ordinator and the organiser of the general meeting refreshment teams.

Anne Caine (Minutes Secretary)

I joined u3a  after retiring from 18 years with the Science Museum Group as Finance Director and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. I previously held finance roles with Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo) mainly in the food sector over 19 years. I moved to Amersham in 1996 with my husband, Dave, who guides school parties on the WW1 battlefields, and two young children.
My children have now grown up and moved to their own homes and I have been spending time since retirement supporting older relatives and being walked by our springer spaniel. The opportunity of more free time has allowed me to take archaeology, history and art (both appreciating art and painting myself) classes and I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in History and Archaeology from Birkbeck. I also go to museum and art exhibitions and rock concerts and enjoy nature reserves, visiting hill forts and other outdoor prehistoric monuments and travelling in the UK and abroad. I attend a variety of u3a groups. I really appreciate the sense of a community of friends and potential friends within the u3a.