U3A - Worcester

The Third Age Trust is the national representative body for the Universities of Third Age (U3As) in the UK.  U3As are self-help, self-managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older people no longer in full time work, providing opportunities for their members to share learning experiences in a wide range of interest groups and to pursue learning not for qualifications, but for fun.

The Beginning...

In March 1982, the U3A held an experimental Easter School  and spent nearly half of the £10,000 Nuffield Foundation grant which was the first money it could call its own.

Its first ever committee then squeezed into one car and held the first national committee meeting on the road from Cambridge to London. 

Quite quickly, there were three local U3As. In fact Worcester U3A was one of the earlier U3As to form. We celebrated our 30th birthday in 2015.

Now there are over 900, with between them over 350,000 members. Membership is growing fast, with members volunteering to share their skills and experiences with other members. In the words of Peter Laslett, a founder member of the U3A movement, ‘Those who teach shall also learn and those who learn shall also teach.’

Today's U3A

‘Older’ people today are ‘Younger’ than at any time in history and U3A members particularly so.  They are greedy for information, which continually enhances their lives and are eager for continued learning.

Their interests include foreign languages, music, theatre and play reading, art, creative writing, local history, computing, physical sciences, architecture, geology, religion, archaeology, biological sciences, literature, current affairs, bird watching, gardening etc. 

Programmes of activities such as theatre and concert visits, crafts, outings to places of historical or general interest are planned together with many study tours, which are organised both in the UK and abroad.

How to Join a U3A

U3A membership is not related to a specific age but to a period in one’s life (the third age) after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility.  Anybody in their third age can join U3A and this includes people who are working part time.  There is no lower age for membership. 

All U3As are different as the skills and talents of their members define what they can offer so if you find more than one local group in your area you would be advised to contact all of them to see what is on offer.  

You will find the cost of membership to be minimal. 

The Worcester U3A will be at the Retirement Roadshow at The Guildhall on March 9th 2019, so do come along and see if this organisation is something that you would like join.