In mid-2014, members of the Computer Committee who worked on the first U3A Benalla website built and managed by Terry Dillon (thank you Terry) were concerned at the effort being required to get content (stories and photographs) for it. It was also proving quite complex to learn.
Offering to help out as a new member of the Computer Committee, I experimented with Word Press and Weebly and, deciding Weebly was easier to use and more suitable, produced a number of possible designs for the committee to consider.
Difficulties getting content were resolved in a ‘light bulb’ moment. Why not draw upon the stories that were already submitted by convenors each month for our Newsletter, produced at the time by Judith Borthwick?
Since then, the Newsletter Editor and Website Manager have worked ‘in sync’, with Newsletter content uploaded to the website towards the end of each month and the Newsletter also published on the website as a PDF. With the number of groups having almost doubled in 10 years, the end of the month means lots of problem solving and editing with current Newsletter Editor Heather Wallace before the newsletter is ready to go to press and the website updated.
There has also been ‘synchronicity’ with the volunteer ‘photojournalists’ who joined me as administrators on our FB page—currently Andi Stevenson, Bev Thornell and Rene Martens. Their photographs on Facebook are downloaded each month and appear in both the Newsletter and Website. Thank you for the work you have done to make our website such an engaging and informative resource for our U3A Community.
Thank you also to all the convenors who have contributed newsletter reports over the past 10 years!
We now have an average of 200 ‘unique individuals’ visiting our website each week. Fortunately, we have been able to maintain the ‘theme’ for our website and the wonderful ‘blog’ pages for each course for 10 years. We have our fingers crossed that major changes won’t be forced upon us in future. We realise that the website environment is changeable, however, and have a ‘back up’ plan if needed.
It has been a huge privilege to have been able to work on the U3A Benalla website for the past 10 years!
Bev Lee, Website Manager
Offering to help out as a new member of the Computer Committee, I experimented with Word Press and Weebly and, deciding Weebly was easier to use and more suitable, produced a number of possible designs for the committee to consider.
Difficulties getting content were resolved in a ‘light bulb’ moment. Why not draw upon the stories that were already submitted by convenors each month for our Newsletter, produced at the time by Judith Borthwick?
Since then, the Newsletter Editor and Website Manager have worked ‘in sync’, with Newsletter content uploaded to the website towards the end of each month and the Newsletter also published on the website as a PDF. With the number of groups having almost doubled in 10 years, the end of the month means lots of problem solving and editing with current Newsletter Editor Heather Wallace before the newsletter is ready to go to press and the website updated.
There has also been ‘synchronicity’ with the volunteer ‘photojournalists’ who joined me as administrators on our FB page—currently Andi Stevenson, Bev Thornell and Rene Martens. Their photographs on Facebook are downloaded each month and appear in both the Newsletter and Website. Thank you for the work you have done to make our website such an engaging and informative resource for our U3A Community.
Thank you also to all the convenors who have contributed newsletter reports over the past 10 years!
We now have an average of 200 ‘unique individuals’ visiting our website each week. Fortunately, we have been able to maintain the ‘theme’ for our website and the wonderful ‘blog’ pages for each course for 10 years. We have our fingers crossed that major changes won’t be forced upon us in future. We realise that the website environment is changeable, however, and have a ‘back up’ plan if needed.
It has been a huge privilege to have been able to work on the U3A Benalla website for the past 10 years!
Bev Lee, Website Manager
