The University of the Third Age

 

 Have your children flown the nest? Are you looking to learn new things or would like to teach others? U3A is a self-help educational and social movement for men and women no longer in full-time work.

 

Those of us who are retired or are thinking of retirement will also be thinking that we will have plenty to do in our retirement years, and that will be true. What we will not be thinking of is the effect retirement has on our social and interactive skills also the knowledge we have accumulated over the years, which we take for granted when working. These skills can be lost very quickly when no longer in a busy interactive situation which employment gives. Government health and wellbeing surveys confirm that a hobby or interest shared with others and not pursued in isolation is good for ones long-term physical and mental health.   

 

The pleasure of learning is a driving force of the U3A. 

·         U3A neither require nor award any qualifications.

·         By sharing their learning, U3A members help one another to develop their knowledge, skills and experience.                   

·         U3A arrange and support their own programmes as appropriate to their chosen learning activities. 

·         U3A members regard themselves as both learners and teachers. 

 

U3A’s aims are: 

1. To encourage and enable people no longer in full-time paid employment to help each other to share their knowledge, skills, interests and experience.

2. To demonstrate the benefits and enjoyment to be gained and the new experiences to be discovered in learning throughout life.

   3     To celebrate the capabilities and potential of people and their value to society. 

 

Mawdesley and Neighbouring Villages U3A formed on the 14^th June 2006 and the current membership is 400.  Its group activities at present are:

 Art, Badminton, Book Group, Bridge group, Craft, Cribbage, Crown Green Bowls, Drama Group, Family History, Flower Arranging, French (Advanced) and French for Beginners, Gardening, Golf for beginners and intermediate, Line Dancing (Beginners and intermediate),

Local History, Pilates, Scrabble, Spanish for beginners, Spanish (Intermediate), Singing for Pleasure, Table Tennis, Walking, Yoga. We are hoping to start a creative writing group, Folk music group, Cycling Group and Scottish Country Dancing in the coming months.

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  If you require information about U3A.

·         Would like to help by offering to share your knowledge with others a couple of hours a month. 

·         You may be good with figures and would be willing to help our busy Treasurer. 

·           You have a knowledge of taking minutes and could help our also busy Secretary 

·         You have computer skills and would be willing to help us who are not so good with computers, perhaps help us to create a computer literacy group. 

·         Perhaps you are a good communicator and could help us to create a regular newsletter for our U3A members. 

·         Would like to help by setting out tables and chairs or serving tea/coffee at our regular Wednesday Coffee Mornings. 

·           Or make new friends. 

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Volunteers do all work and payment is the knowledge that you are helping your community and making new friends.           

 Please ring 01704 823673  

 

Or come to our coffee mornings held Wednesdays 10-30 to 12.noon at Mawdesley Village Hall. Hurst Green Mawdesley. 

If  you would like to know more about U3A then you could visit the National web site at www.u3a.org.uk.