There is a Step By Step Guide, and a Video, available on the Basingstoke u3a website.

With over 1,000 members in our u3a, the task of completing the documentation and reconciling all the BACS, cheques and Card payments with the records held in Beacon will totally overwhelm the Membership Team. Last year’s renewals of only 850 members started in July and was not completed until mid-December. During that period three Membership Secretary stepped down from the committee due to the pressures this process was placing on them. The task was too time consuming, complex and open to error by members. The committee has decided it is unacceptable to ask the current and future Membership Secretaries, who are unpaid volunteers, to take on such an onerous task. So, after considerable deliberation by the committee, we are now asking ALL members to renew their membership and pay their forthcoming membership fee online via the Members Portal. Every renewal and payment made via the Members Portal automatically updates your member's record and records your payment within Beacon without any input or intervention from the Membership Team. To be able to renew and pay your membership fee for the coming year you must first register for the "Members Portal". You will not be able to renew your membership until July, but in the meantime you will enable you to view and update your details held in the membership database, apply to join any of our Groups online and see the contact details for the Leader of each Group via the Members Portal.

Please try not to worry. There is plenty of help available. These instructions will help you to register and are designed to be printed as we recognise that some of you will prefer to use a paper document. Equally, if you would like someone to talk you through the registration process we will be arranging some presentations and workshops. Email me on Membership2@basingstokeu3a.org and I can arrange for you to have a printed copy, book you into a session, or arrange to ring you. This may seem like a long document, but the actual number of steps are few.

FAQs can be added to any page on your site or to your Wix mobile app, giving access to members on the go.