Thatcham U3A

"The Third Age: a time of creativity and fulfilment for older people" 

No qualifications are required to join - and no qualifications or degrees awarded. Members are encouraged to see the value and take pleasure in learning for its own sake.

U3A defines 'third age' as coming after the 'first age' of youthful growth and education and the 'second age' of maturity, career and/or home-making responsibility. It comes after full-time employment, usually with retirement and senior citizen status, but U3A does not specify any minimum age for membership.

The movement was founded in France in 1972 where it was closely linked to universities. When it came to Britain it became more of a self-help organisation. Most of the teaching and tuition comes from the ranks of its own members. It is a unique educational self-help co-operative.

The movement has spread to many other countries though the name is not always the same. In Britain, the word is used in its ancient meaning of 'a community of scholars'. U3A in the UK has grown rapidly since its founding 21 years ago. There are now some 574 U3As with 153,443 members. It is one of the fastest growing organisations in the country.

Acknowledgement of the role of U3A in the life of the country was recognised when Len Street, a former national chairman, was awarded an OBE for services to the movement.

The precise pattern varies from place to place but a typical U3A will offer a range of interest groups from language classes to archaeological and philosophical studies and from art and craft groups to music appreciation and creative writing. As leadership comes from the members themselves, a U3A member may be a student in one group one day and the leader or tutor the next. It is not always necessary to have an expert as a leader.

In some subjects, members learn from each other and the role of the leader is to encourage everyone to take part. Interest groups are often quite small with meetings or classes taking place in members' homes. Not only does this save on accommodation costs, it makes for friendly contact among members. Costs are kept as low as possible so that members can take part in as many groups as they wish.

Quite often members join to try out a subject that they always fancied. Others join because they are looking to make new friends in their retirement.

While each U3A is an autonomous unit responsible for organising its programme, the Third Age Trust, of which all local U3As are members, provides local U3As with administrative and educational resources and support to help in running their groups. The Trustees are elected from U3As in all parts of the UK and form the National Executive Committee of The Trust. It organizes 'subject networks' of individuals who are willing to assist others in their particular field of study, e.g. languages, history, geology etc.

An annual general meeting and conference is held each year at which the principal office-bearers and committee members are elected and major issues debated. Summer Schools offering tuition in a wide variety of subjects are also held every year. These schools are open to members from all parts of the country and are staffed by volunteer tutors.