FOR MEMBERS
Members' HandbookYou can find a digital version of the latest Members Handbook here
Gift Membership
Remember that you can 'gift' membership to a friend. See the details on our Join Us webpage.
iU3A (Beacon) Members' Login
You can use the Members' Portal
to:
- Check and, if necessary, update your personal contact
details. This includes addresses, telephone numbers, email
addresses and emergency contact information. You are asked to
do this whenever your information changes or at least once a
year.
- View and/or download a personal calendar, showing your group
meetings and iU3A’s Monthly General Meetings.
- See the contact details for group coordinators.
- Enrol in a group online, providing the group coordinator
allows this to be done.
- Renew your annual subscription.
- Set a security question and answer.
- Upload a photo.
If you are a current member of
iU3A you can click here to log in to
the Members' Portal.
The way you access the Members
Portal, Beacon, has been updated (from 18 April 2023). Instead
of the five pieces of personal data required to log in this is
reduced to two — your email address and a password. If you
have already registered your password you can log in straight
away, using that data.
If you have not yet registered a
password you will have to go through a short registration
process. You will see the screen below, but do not enter your
email address and a password initially. Instead click on the
wording indicated by the red arrow, which reads “Register for
membership account”.
You will be asked to enter the following personal data, and it
is important to use the data we already have in our membership
system exactly as we have it (you can update any
contact details if necessary once you are in Beacon)-
Membership number:
Forename:
Surname:
Postcode:
email:
If you don't know your specifics please contact our Membership
Secretary. When you have confirmed your identity you will be
able to create a password, and for the future you will use
that with your email address only to log in. The usual "forgot
password" function will be available if needed. Here is a
useful guide to help you through the process: User Guide Article
10.2 Members Portal
Please note the change applies
only to logging in as a member. If you have a separate login
as a Group Coordinator or a Trustee, that login will not
change as you already have a username and password. Only
Member's login is changed.
If you still can't log on please
email the Membership Secretary here.
Beacon Background
Beacon is an on-line management
system, supported by the Third Age Trust, specifically for
local U3As. We use Beacon to manage our Membership Records,
Groups and Venues information, overall Calendar and to send
blind emails to members in a safe and secure manner.
During 2017 iU3A launched the use of 'Beacon'. An additional advantage of using Beacon is that unlike the iU3A web pages which are fully viewable by the public and therefore carry only general information about our events or group meetings, the Beacon stored information is only visible to iU3A members only. There is some duplication with some information visible on both the iU3A web pages and Beacon. The information on the web pages will be reduced and the current live information will be maintained by the Coordinators in Beacon.
Security of the System
For your peace of mind, there are four levels of access to
Beacon, each with controlled security access requirements.
Each level is described in more detail here:
1. Public Links
Limited information about our Interest Groups and a basic
Meetings calendar, viewable by anyone (not just iU3A members).
2. iU3A Members'
Login
You can see a tutorial for Members using Beacon by
clicking here. This provides further guidance
on how you can update any of your personal details. If you
are a current member of iU3A, you can click here to log in to the Members'
Portal.
4. System Administrators' Login
Editing access for the Administrators to all data fields.
Group
Coordinators / Leaders
The Beacon login for Group Coordinators is found here.
There is support for the Group Coordinators in their use
of Beacon. A tutorial has been prepared and circulated but
can also be reached here. There is
also national training material here.
Face-to-face training is also available if requested. If you
want to look up a particular aspect try the full User Manual
here.
Coordinators' guidance regarding GDPR can be viewed here.
The general Guidance document for Coordinators can be viewed here.
A listing of the main venues within Islington that Coordinators might want to consider for group use can be found here: Venues List
Public
Pages in Beacon
Click the link here to see the basic public version of
the Calendar. For more information about navigating around the
Calendar, visit the Calendar page.
Click the link here to see the basic public version of
the Groups List. Click on any Group in the list for additional
information about the group.
Emails from Beacon
All email messages sent via Beacon have a 'From' address
ending with noreply@u3abeacon.org.uk. Beacon emails can only
be sent by Coordinators and Administrator — not from Members.
Messages from Group Coordinators will be seen as having come
from (for example) John Smith via iU3A. Messages from the
Membership Administrator will be seen as having come from
Administrator iU3A.
Sending emails from the Beacon system ensures all emails are
blind copy, ie that member email addresses are not revealed to
others. Any replies to an issued Beacon email must be to the
email address stated (ie not to Beacon). For further
information on Beacon emails click here.