The u3a Story
The u3a was founded nearly 42 years ago, and is a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups which provide a wide range of opportunities for retired and semi-retired people to come together to learn for fun. Members explore new ideas, skills and activities together.
There are 1,000+ u3as in the UK with over 430,000 members. Each u3a is an independent Registered Charity which is run by the members, for the members.
The u3a is non-religious and non-political and is open to people from all backgrounds, religions and cultures.
The u3a vision is to make lifelong learning a reality.
The u3a principles are:
- Membership is open to all
- Members learn from and teach each other
- Each u3a is self-funded and members offer their services voluntarily.
The movement thrives on the love of learning in a social setting, purely for its own sake. The shape of each u3a is a little different depending on what the members want. There are certain common features such as interest groups, talks and lectures, social activities, sports and exercise groups, cultural outings, day trips and short breaks.
