University of the Third Age

If you are retired, semi-retired or about to retire, read on ...

What is the U3A?

The Third Age is a time of creativity and fulfilment for older people.

The University of the Third Age (U3A) was set up in 1982 to encourage local people to draw together talent from retired or semi-retired people who have an interest in sharing their knowledge, in widening their horizons and in learning, studying and researching topics.

What is the Third Age?

The Third Age refers to the period of time after the First age of childhood dependence and the Second Age of full time employment and parental responsibility.

Why are we called U3A?

A U3A is a university in the original sense of the word: a gathering of people devoted to learning, with members, not students, all of whom are in their Third Age.

Who can join U3A?

Anyone in the Third Age can join U3A. This includes people who are working part time. No qualifications are required and none are given. There is no lower age limit for members.

How are U3As organised?

The U3As are democratic, self-funded, self-managed organisations. They draw upon the knowledge, skills and experience of their members to organise interest groups in accordance with the wishes of the membership.

The subjects are decided by the U3A members: they could include art, music, history, architecture, sciences, languages, technologies, gardening, crafts, literature or any other subject decided by the group.

Local U3A structures across the country vary, but a typical U3A would have a monthly meeting with a speaker covering a wide range of interest subjects. The interest groups meet monthly or fortnightly and probably in each other’s homes. This keeps the costs down. Members pay an annual subscription and can join any group.

The annual subscription for East Renfrewshire U3A has been set at £15 (payable from 1 September, 2008).

You can download an application form at the bottom of this page.

The Third Age Trust

The Trust is the national representative body for the U3A movement in the UK (Reg. charity No 288007). It provides a wide range of support services to over six hundred U3As which operate in Britain.

Tell me more about what interests are available

As already mentioned, the subjects are decided by the U3A members themselves. They will be fashioned by local interests and the versatility of the assembled experience of the members themselves.

Here are some examples:

Adventures in Music
Chair Exercises, Yoga
Cinema Studies
Cooking for Pleasure
Computing and IT
Creative Gardening
Discussion
Egyptology, Geology
Family History Workshops
German, Spanish, French at Various Levels
Jazz Combo
Lifestyle in Retirement
Music Appreciation
Photography
Quilting, Sculpture
Rag Rug Craft
Reader Group, Bookworms
Scrabble, Bridge
Simple Science
Walking on the up, on the level too
Watercolour Workshop
Wine Appreciation
and much more

What interests are available locally?

The East Renfrewshire U3A is in the early stages of shaping itself into a functioning unit and this will be an ongoing process. However, we have already identified members with an interest in participating in some or all of the following activities:

Archaeology
Art, Opera, Theatre, Music
Bowling, Keeping Fit
Computers
Country Dancing, Line Dancing
DIY
Gardening, Plant Conservation
Genealogy, Family History
History, Natural History
German and Spanish Languages
Inland Waterways
Photography
Railway History
Rural Crafts, Spinning, Weaving
Simple Science and Materials
Travel
Walking, Hill Walking
Writing
Video Conversion to DVD
Watch this space!

We have listed contact information for the interest groups on offer.

U3A in Scotland

We have an umbrella organisation called U3A in Scotland, which is a registered charity and currently has 21 U3As. You can get more information on the websites:

To find out what is happening in your area and to add your interests into the mix, please contact:

Telephone: 0141 876 9555
Email: office@voluntaryaction-er.org.uk or use our contact form.