Next Issue - 05/02/2015 Volume 01/15 Deadline for Articles - 22/01/2015 - January’s Edition of 2014 - Inside The Newsletter This Month Contents Page 26 - December Fireworks Dingbats - Answers 2 - Editorial 27 - January Quiz 3 - Website 28 - Club Contact Details 4 - Membership Information 29 - Club Activity Programme 5 - Are you leaving Quarry House 30 - Wine Club 6 - Days out and Photo Competition 31 - QH Choir 7 - Fly Trip to Istanbul 32 - Walking Club 8 - Amsterdam Trip 35 - Tabletop Wargame, Boardgame and Roleplaying 9 - Self Book and Travel - Offer 38 - Angling Club 11 - Proposed Trip to Krakow - 2015 39 - Dance Club 13 - BBC Tour Discount 42 - HASSRA Harriers - Running Club 14 - Christmas Ticket Offers 43 - Craft Club 15 - Chelsea Flower Show 44 - QH Guitar Group 16 - St. Vincent’s Spring Ball 45 - Member Reviews 17 - Wellbeing at Quarry House 48 - National HASSRA - Forest Holidays 18 - Taekwondo and Self Defence 49 - Cinema Vouchers for HASSRA Members 19 - Q Cutz Hair Salon 50 - The Forum Adverts 20 - Massage 53 - Booking Form and T&C 21 - Member Benefits See the HASSRA Leeds Website at Enjoy Everyone!!! www.hassraleedsnewsletter.com Produced by Phil Hepworth Congratulations to - Inside - for winning Quiz - Quiz Answers - - Quiz - - Events Dates - - Member Benefits - - Theatre Offers - - Club Adverts - - Ticket offers - - Xmas and New Year Draw - - Competitions - - St. Vincent’s Spring Ball - - Y&H Pages - - Krakow Trip - Please Contact Phil On: 0113 2324456 All articles for inclusion in The Newsletter should be sent to: the.newsletter@ hotmail.co.uk 1 January News This month, I’d like to introduce you to the Dance Club. It’s a club dear to my heart as I founded it all those years ago. It’s been a while since I danced but I’m tempted to join the new ballroom classes. Last time, I told you I was going to Glasgow to take part in the National Pictionary Competition. I’ve never been to a HASSRA event or competition before but had a fabulous time meeting new people from different parts of DWP, learning about their work and playing Pictionary. We made it through to the Final but lost to the excellent London team. If you’ve made a new year’s resolution to be more active, you might be interested in one or more of the new ideas for classes we’re working on. This includes Taekwondo, Self Defence and Beginners Fitness. Please see the article for more information. All we need to make these classes worthwhile is six people who will regularly commit to coming along… If none of these appeal to you but you have another idea for a class or activity you’d like HASSRA to think about providing, please let us know. Happy New Year! Elizabeth Random Reindeer Quiz!! - Answers Dasher - 21 Dancer - 40 Prancer - 16 The Winner is: Vixen - 3 Comet - 28 Stuart Wiltshire GS25 QH Cupid - 53 Donner - 31 Blitzen - 48 Rudolph - 14 2 HAS S R A Leeds Website http://www.hassraleedsnewsletter.com Subscribe to our Blog Subscribe to our Blog to ensure you always stay up to date with the latest news from HASSRA Leeds. We post notifications of upcoming events and requests for help that come in too late for inclusion in The Newsletter. Please send any feedback to: [email protected] 3 HASSRA and HASSRA Leeds IMPORTANT New membership criteria which might save you money! HASSRA has introduced a National Associate Membership Scheme (NAMS) to enable members to maintain a relationship with HASSRA if they have had to leave the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Department of Health (DH) due to a change in government organisation. This includes: · DH Arms Length Bodies (for example NHS England and Trust Development Authority) · DWP staff transferred to My CSP · Other staff who changed employer but retained a link with the parent Department (either DWP or DH) in the last 12 months. · Some other former DH/DWP staff previously transferred out · People who have left DWP or DH on Voluntary Early Severance The people in the last three categories above must have been members of HASSRA until their role changed and then maintained an unbroken period of HASSRA Leeds Associate membership. Arms length body are not required to demonstrate this. How much does it cost? NAMS membership is available for £21.60 a year, (the same price as Ordinary Membership) and considerably cheaper than the usual Associate membership cost of £33 How is NAMS membership paid? NAMS members must pay a one-off annual fee of £21.60 direct to National HASSRA by credit or debit card. Unfortunately, we can’t take deductions from salary because of payroll issues. What’s the difference for NAMS members? NAMS members have the same voting rights as ordinary members, can take advantage of all member offers and benefits and join National or Regional competitions. NAMS members can either join the regional HASSRA group they currently reside in or one they had previous ties to if they have changed location. They can’t take part in the National HASSRA Lottery or hold office as a National or Regional Chairperson, Local Club Secretary or Treasurer because there has to be an employment relationship with DH or DWP to do this. What does this mean for HASSRA Leeds Associate members who are entitled to join NAMS? If you are a HASSRA Leeds Associate Member in one of the groups listed above, you can convert to NAMS and claim a refund from HASSRA Leeds of the remaining months of your Associate membership. example: If you work for NHS England in September 2014 and joined HASSRA as an Associate member in March, you can claim a refund of 6 months Associate membership, or £10.80. To join NAMS Use the NAMS form on the National HASSRA website, send it by POST to National HASSRA. To claim a refund of HASSRA Leeds associate membership fees you may have paid to the Forum, email [email protected] with your HASSRA Leeds Associate membership number (on the white card with the purple owl on you were given by the forum) DO NOT copy the NAMS form to Peter. What if you’re not entitled to join NAMS? You can remain a HASSRA Leeds Associate member but you will continue to pay annual membership fee of £33.60 to the Forum leisure centre 4 Leaving? If you’re moving on you could still stay with HASSRA! A number of colleagues are about to leave DWP - or indeed may have already gone - as part of a voluntary exit scheme or transfer to another government department. If this affects you or anyone you know, please read on. HASSRA is introducing a new National Associate Membership scheme which enables people to retain their ties with HASSRA after they leave their current employment. So anyone moving to another employer within government or leaving the civil service altogether on a voluntary or compulsory exit scheme can stay within the HASSRA family and continue to enjoy a vast array of sporting and leisure activities and save £££s with our discounts and other membership benefits. That includes the option to join the fabulous HASSRA Lottery. So if you are about to move on and are interested in keeping up your membership, please visit http://intralink/1/corp/sites/hassra/about/DWP_T802953.asp#TopOfPage or complete the attached application form, and we’ll do the rest. And if you know of someone who has already gone, why not let them know about this new scheme? And remember, HASSRA is your sports and leisure association. No other organisation offers you and your family so much for so little. So don’t delay in completing your application and carry on enjoying all the benefits of the best sports and leisure association anywhere. Best wishes, Ann Cook PS: Anyone retiring from the civil service and about to receive a civil service pension already qualifies for continuing membership as a retired member. Go to: http://intralink/1/corp/sites/hassra/about/DWP_T802953.asp#TopOfPage to find out more. 5 Days out with HASSRA Leeds Photo competition! “I think this photo sums up Autumn! Its of my 2 year old Finlay at Lotherton Hall on 1st November discovering the fun of kicking and throwing leaves! :)” Winner: Wendy Barker, Quarry House. 6 Advance Notice of proposed fly trip to ISTANBUL 2016 Staying at a Central 3* hotel - 4 nights B&B (TBC) 21 January 2016 We have been negotiating with Cities Direct to try to pull together a 4 night stay in Istanbul in January 2016 for up to 30 people. This is by no means a completed deal and will depend on us giving a detailed list of names of those who are interested. The trip will be by air from Manchester and it is possible that we may be able to arrange separate transport to and from the airport from Quarry House, which will incur an additional cost. We have a projected price of £350 based on 2014 prices - but wait to learn of the confirmed cost when flights are released in 2015. We propose a HASSRA Leeds subsidy of 40% - which could potentially bring the cost for HASSRA Leeds members to £210 pp. (A single supplement of £80 has been given) Flights are only published 10 months in advance and as everyone knows, once any interest in flights has been shown, the airlines drastically increase prices It’s our intention to book flights through Cities Direct immediately they are published to get the best deal, which means people who are interested must supply all required details in advance and commit to this trip when prices are confirmed.