Dear Member

GROUP MEETINGS: SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

The East Solent Group of the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance meet on the second Wednesday of each month between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon. The meetings are held at: St Faith’s Parish Centre,  Bulson Hall, Victoria Square, Lee on the Solent PO13 9NF

Each meeting starts with a brief report from the Officers. We then take a tea/coffee break followed by a draw for the raffle, tickets of which can be purchased as you enter the meeting. The meeting concludes with a presentation from our speaker.

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

13 December                   Christmas entertainment
10 January 2024              The Invention of Spain:  Richard Swaine
14 February 2024            Speaker from The Diving Museum
13 March 2024                East Solent Group Annual General Meeting
10 April 2024                   Hampshire Search and Rescue
8 May 2024                     Southampton: Water, Slaughter and Trade Part 3
12June 2024                   The Life and Varied Roles of Sir Laurence Olivier

The full programme for 2024 will be published early in the New Year.

FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES  

29 November – Visit to the Winchester Christmas Market. This is now fully booked, but there is a waiting list in case anyone drops out. 

11 December – We also have a Christmas Lunch booked at The Crofton for those members wanting to go. Places can still be booked.

WHATS APP GROUP

Would you please note that East Solent has established a WhatsApp Group. If you would like to join the WhatsApp Group, please let me know.

MERGER OF CSPA EAST SOLENT GROUP WITH THE GOSPORT NORTH

GROUP

Members of both Groups should be aware that the planned merger between the two groups will be completed on 1December 2023. There will be no changes as a result of this to the monthly meetings of the East Solent Group; they will continue as usual. However, we hope to welcome the members of Gosport North who will join East Solent and we hope some of them will attend our future meetings.

THE CSPA NATIONAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM took place on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12October 2023 at Chesford

Grange Hotel in Warwickshire. The meeting debated motions on:

Constitutional changes	Health and Social Care
The recruitment of new members	Transport
Pensions and related matters	General issues (inc. RPI and pensions, photo ID
Digital Exclusion	at elections, the use of A.I., Scams and Frauds)

If you would like a summary of the outcomes of the motions, please let me know.

CSPA – CURRENT CAMPAIGNS – “DIGITAL POVERTY”

CSPA supports the campaign to end digital poverty coordinated by the Digital Alliance which works to raise awareness of the number of people, especially pensioners who cannot afford internet access and digital devices, and works with different charities to help more people online.

Deputy General Secretary, David Luxton, commented: “We support the work of the Digital Poverty Alliance in tackling the exclusion of so many pensioners from access to the internet. We are working closely with our partners in Later Life Ambitions, and the National Pensioners` Convention to highlight the growing Digital Divide and actions to tackle it, as well as ensuring alternative traditional ways to access services by telephone for those not online”

CSPA – CURRENT NEWS ITEMS – INCREASE IN CIVIL SERVICE PENSION & INCREASE IN STATE PENSION

Civil Service pensions are set to increase by 6.7% from 8 April 2024, which is in line with the Consumer Price Index for September 2023.

The Chancellor confirmed in his Autumn Budget statement on 22 November that the State Pension will next year rise by 8.5%

TONY HALL – CSPA WESSEX REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE   It is with great sadness that we report the death of Tony on 5 November 2023. Tony had been our Regional Representative for several years, as many of you will know.   Tony had been an active member of the CSPA since joining in 1995 after retiring from a scientific career in the Agricultural and Food Research Council. He was Chair of their Departmental Trade Union side for 11 years until his retirement.   He was very active in the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, was on their NEC and became President of the Union before his retirement at age 60.   He then became active on the Union’s Retired Members’ Group and was Chair of their Thames Valley Group.   Tony was Chair of the CSPA Reading Group between 2002 and 2018 and was also, of course, our Regional Rep in Wessex.   He was also very active on the National Pensioners’ Convention Executive Council.   Tony leaves two daughters, one son and seven grandchildren.

WHY NOT JOIN A GROUP MEETING?

If you have not yet joined one of our Group meetings, please do so in the future, we would be delighted to see you.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Best wishes

Alan Shepherd
(Secretary)
Mob: 07895 787 704 or at my postal or email address