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WHAT EXACTLY IS THE U3A?
The University of the Third Age is a world-wide network aimed at providing
life-long learning and stimulating activities for retired people. It has been
around for about 25 years and is particularly strong in Britain, where you
will find a U3A in most large towns or districts.
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IS IT A REAL UNIVERSITY?
It’s called a university because it offers opportunities to study, to practise
new activities and to experience the pleasure of learning together with
others, but there are major differences between the U3A and normal
universities. For a start, we don’t have students; we have members. You join a
local U3A just as you’d become a member of a local amateur dramatic society or
tennis club. You pay an annual membership fee, which means you can go to
meetings and get involved in activities or subjects that interest you. Another
difference is that there are no entry qualifications to worry about, or exams
to take at the end! In fact there isn’t an ‘end’ as such; you can carry on
with a subject or activity as long as it is on offer. And no one will turf you
out for failing, or for not doing enough work.
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WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE JOIN THE U3A?
The U3A is for all people who wish to keep their minds and bodies in good
shape with the passing years. Your previous experiences – jobs,
qualifications, achievements, etc. – are irrelevant. The U3A welcomes everyone
and gives all-comers the opportunity to try out exciting new things.
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IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT?
No. There is neither an upper nor lower age limit. You don’t need to be a
senior citizen, though most U3A members tend to be in that category. And you
don’t need to be permanently retired either. In fact, no one will delve into
your background at all if you come along and ask to be a member. An important
point to note, though, is that nearly all meetings are held during the daytime
rather than evenings, so the U3A isn’t really suitable for people who have a
steady 9-5 type of job.
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WOULD I BE JOINING A LOCAL OR A NATIONAL
ORGANISATION?
A bit of both. When you pay your membership fee you are actually joining a
particular local U3A, and can then take part in any of the subjects,
activities and meetings run by that U3A. However, there is a national umbrella
body, called the U3A Trust, which exists to provide advice and resources that
are made available to all the local U3As and all U3A members. A part of your
membership fee goes to the head office.
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HOW DO U3As DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER?
U3As are independent bodies. They organise their own programme of activities
and fix their own subscription fees. In practice, however, most U3As tend to
be run on fairly similar lines, each offering a set of ‘interest groups’ that
members can join. The number of such groups varies, as does the actual
subjects on offer. These reflect the interests of the local membership. Most
U3As also hold regular general meetings open to all their members.
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WHAT’S ON OFFER FROM CHARD, ILMINSTER AND
DISTRICT U3A?
Our U3A holds a monthly general meeting in Chard Guildhall on the third Monday
of each month, usually with a visiting speaker. And we offer around 30
special-interest groups. Most group meetings are held once a month or once a
fortnight, but there are some variations. The subjects are wide-ranging,
including some that have a broadly educational slant (e.g. history, religion),
some that are primarily practical (e.g. calligraphy, patchwork quilting,
gardening), and some that are unashamedly social (e.g. ‘Lunch Club’). But it
would be wrong to classify the groups too tightly; for instance a language
course is both educational and practical, and often very sociable as well!
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WHAT DOES IT COST?
Very little! We fix an annual subscription fee, which currently is £12. Above
that, you pay a small fee for each meeting that you attend. We ask for 50p for
coming to the monthly meeting and also 50p for group meetings held in rented
halls. For group meetings held in private houses it is normal to ask people to
pitch in 30p to cover the cost of tea and biscuits. We hardly need to stress
that these figures are enormously attractive compared with what you’d have to
pay to go on local authority or privately-run courses. The U3A is a fantastic
bargain!
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CAN I JOIN THE U3A FOR THE MONTHLY MEETINGS
ONLY?
Yes, a few of our members do just this. But you’ll get more out of the U3A if
you join one or more groups.
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CAN I JOIN A GROUP BUT NOT BOTHER WITH THE
MONTHLY MEETING?
Yes; again some of our members do this. But as well as offering some
interesting talks, the monthly meeting gives us an opportunity to keep members
informed of developments such as new groups starting up, and to make
announcements about future events. It’s also a nice social get-together with
tea and biscuits included in the 50p fee.
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CAN I JOIN MORE THAN ONE GROUP?
Yes, as many as you like!
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WHERE DO THE TEACHERS COME FROM?
This is an important point. A basic principle of the U3A is that of ‘shared
learning’. Nearly all the people who run groups are U3A members themselves –
they volunteer to lead a group. For instance the language groups are run by
U3A members who are fluent in the appropriate language. But not all groups
require an expert to lead them. In many cases the group leader is simply a
member who volunteers to coordinate the group’s programme of meetings, and
claims no more knowledge or skill than the average group member. It’s worth
mentioning that joining the U3A doesn’t mean that you will be expected to be a
group leader; only a small proportion of members are group leaders.
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WHO DECIDES WHICH GROUPS ARE ON OFFER?
The members themselves. Our U3A has a committee that endeavours to ensure that
our affairs run smoothly, and one of the committee members is our ‘Groups
Coordinator’, with the job of providing help in setting up groups, finding
suitable locations, and so on. But the committee doesn’t decide which groups
will be offered – all groups come about as a result of members expressing an
interest in a particular subject.
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IF I JOIN A GROUP, WILL I BE EXPECTED TO DO WORK
BETWEEN GROUP MEETINGS?
You will never be forced to do anything. Whether you do things between
meetings depends on the type of group, and the time that you are able to give
to it. For instance, if you join a foreign language group it makes sense to
practise what has been covered in the group meeting. The group leader may in
fact suggest some ‘homework’ and obviously you will learn more quickly if you
find the time to do it. Other groups such as a Reading Group involve doing
some private reading and bringing your opinions to a discussion at the next
meeting. Still other groups may involve members being advised to do some
background exploration of a subject in advance of a talk or discussion to be
held later. And in some groups the members take turns to give a presentation –
for instance the History Group sometimes works this way. But such
presentations are always voluntary, and you certainly won’t be pressurised
into giving one if you don’t feel able to.
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WHAT IF MEMBERS OF A GROUP HAVE WIDELY VARYING
ABILITIES OR KNOWLEDGE?
It depends on the subject. In some cases this does not matter at all (those
with knowledge share it with those who haven’t), but in other cases this can
be relevant. The Group Leader and/or Groups Coordinator can give advice on
whether the group is suitable for you, given your existing knowledge.
Sometimes a group can be split into two or more sub-groups according to the
expertise of group members. This can apply to practical subjects as well as
knowledge-based ones. For instance we’ve heard that one U3A (not ours) has
subdivided its rambling group into separate ‘ramblers’ and ‘amblers’!
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WHERE ARE THE GROUP MEETINGS HELD?
In a variety of places. Small groups often hold their meetings in houses –
sometimes the home of the group leader, sometimes the homes of group members
on a rotational basis. Bigger groups often use a hired hall in Chard,
Ilminster or elsewhere. Much depends on the resources needed. A large group
may require special facilities and this will limit the range of suitable
locations. But there’s usually no trouble getting to meetings; members often
share transport, and those without a car will nearly always be able to get a
lift with another member.
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HOW DO I JOIN A GROUP?
It’s best first of all to have a word with the relevant Group Leader. She or
he will explain how the group operates, such as confirming when and where the
group meets, how the meetings are organised, and what the current programme of
meetings involves. You should be able to assess whether the group in question
seems to fit the bill.
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WHAT IF I’M NOT SURE WHETHER A GROUP IS FOR ME?
You will be more than welcome to attend a group session a couple of times, to
see if it is suitable for you.
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WHAT IF THERE ISN’T A GROUP THAT CATERS FOR MY
SPECIAL INTEREST?
We are always on the look-out to start up new groups, and it’s possible that
your interest is shared by others. The first step is to contact the Groups
Coordinator to find out if the subject or activity has already been suggested
by others. Usually the next step is to put out feelers at a monthly meeting,
or to phone people who might be interested in joining you. If sufficient
people express an interest, it’s a short step to getting the new group off the
ground. The Groups Coordinator will advise on suitable times and places to
hold your meetings, and there’s also some start-up money available if
resources are needed. Putting forward an idea for a new group doesn’t
necessarily mean that you will have to be the group leader; someone else may
be willing to do this. Another possibility when numbers are modest is for the
members of two nearby U3As to get together to form a viable group.
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WHAT IF THE GROUP I WANT TO JOIN IS FULL?
This can happen. Some groups are very popular. But there is often a way round
the problem. Sometimes a group splits into two, with each sub-group meeting at
a different time. Or maybe two groups are formed with slightly different aims
or skills, e.g. a beginners’ group and a more advanced group. In some cases
the problem is solved simply by moving to a more spacious location. But in a
few cases it’s possible that a waiting list will have to be formed.
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WHAT DOES THE NATIONAL ORGANISATION HAVE TO
OFFER?
Quite a lot. To start with, there’s a large range of physical resources
available for groups to borrow. These include DVDs, videos and 35mm slides.
They are invaluable for subjects such as music, art history, architecture,
history, religion and philosophy. Then there are human resources in the shape
of national coordinators for many subjects; their advice can be sought on ways
to run particular interest groups. National experts are also available at an
annual summer school, where members can choose from a set of interesting short
lecture or practical courses. All U3A members receive a regular magazine ‘U3A
News’, and optionally they can be sent an excellent free publication called
‘Sources’. For those with internet facilities, there’s a national website,
which is a mine of useful information; and members can join national on-line
courses in a growing list of subjects. Finally there is the U3A Travel
Network, which offers dozens of special-interest holidays in the UK, Europe
and world-wide – all at very reasonable prices. Several of our members have
been on these holidays and they speak very highly of them.
