Who and What is Wellington u3a?
If you have stepped away from full-time work "Now is the time of your life to have the time of your life"-
so what's stopping you?
Our main monthly meetings take place on the 2nd Monday of each month at Wellington Rugby Club, Corhams Lane, TA21 8LL 10.15am.
Why join us?
All u3as are run by the members for the member and we are all volunteers!
We are people of like minds coming together to learn, have fun and share life experiences. Most of us have reached the age when full time employment is in the past and so we now have time to enjoy life to the full. The social and friendship side of our activities is very important to us all so if you are hoping to broaden your interests Wellington u3a could be just what you are looking for.
Most u3a activities are in the form of Interest Groups and you can join as many as you like or can fit in. We all have experiences, talents, and interests built up over the years and the u3a is a great place to share them or have a go at something new. A current list can be found by selecting Groups
New groups are continually forming so if there is anything you are particularly interested in or have an idea for a group, please get in touch by sending an email to the Group Co-ordinator or drop a message with your contact details into the Suggestion Box at one of our monthly meetings.
- Most u3as are registered charities operating on an independent basis under the umbrella of the Third Age Trust (TAT), the national representative body for u3as in the UK, who support us with help and advice and who also deal with insurance, membership services etc. Our charity registration number is 1111155.
- There is no age limit to membership
- If you feel you have an issue which might deter you from taking advantage of membership please get in touch by email to General Enquiries or speak to a committee member at a General meeting. Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible within reason and will do our best to overcome any hurdles.
- You are more than welcome to attend two of our monthly meetings as a visitor and enjoy the talk of the day but we hope that you will like what you see and join us. There is no charge for these “try before you buy” tasters but we hope to encourage you to become a full member and join in the fun. If, by any chance, you are unable to attend these meetings because of the scheduled day please get in touch with General Enquiries
- When you arrive at the sign-in table at one of these meetings and say that you are a visitor, thinking of joining u3a, you will be greeted by one of our members who will welcome you, show you round, and answer any questions that you might have.
What are the costs?
- The membership fee for a full year from 1st September is only £15
- £4 of this is paid to the Third Age Trust who deal with insurance, media licences, resources and guidance advice.
- The remainder goes towards fees for guest speakers, equipment, certain administration charges, venue hiring fees for groups and for the monthly meetings hall and refreshments.
- You can join at any of the monthly meetings or contact the Membership Secretary.
- Alternatively download the Membership Application Form, print out, complete it and send it with a cheque for £15 (or £11 if an affiliate member) to “Wellington & District u3a” and post it to the Membership Secretary, 25a Eight Acre Lane, Wellington, TA21 8PS. Payment can also be made by bank transfer and the form attached to an email - instructions are on the form.
What are the benefits?
- Free admittance to all the monthly meetings held on the 2nd Monday of each month
- Talks or presentations by visiting speakers at these monthly meetings.
- Free tea or coffee with biscuits at these meetings. (Please bring your own cup/mug)
- You can join as many of our interest groups as you like.
(Some groups have a charge capped at £1 per session if they take place in a rented venue.) - Access to a members-only Facebook page which provides a platform for announcements and for individuals to post items of interest.
- Fully paid-up members of other u3as have the option of joining as an affiliate member at a reduced membership fee.
- Free online talks and activities run by the u3a office on the zoom platform via the main u3a website which you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home.
- Through the main u3a website you can also access more than 100 Interest Groups Online (IGOs) run by members of other u3as on the zoom platform. Here you can meet with, talk to and learn with members from u3as all over the UK with similar interests from the comfort of your own home. As this is a separate organisation within the Trust there is a small annual charge for this optional benefit which you can find more information about and join HERE.
So come along and join in the fun!
The historic town of Wellington is situated between two beautiful coastal areas of Somerset and enjoys a close, friendly community. Our u3a reflects this as we are an enthusiastic group of folk who believe that it's not being old that stops you doing things, it's stopping doing things that makes you old! So we hope to encourage you to join us on the journey to improve our well-being whilst enjoying ourselves in the process!
A Bit of u3a History
The u3a is a large international movement dedicated to lifelong learning. It was previously known as The University of the Third Age originally set up in France in 1973 as an extramural university activity with a strong academic focus for retired people.
The movement reached the UK in 1982, with our own u3a starting up in 1985 and becoming affiliated to the Trust in February 1987. The u3a adapted itself to this country with a focus on shared learning in a more social environment, without the formal university links of the French model and definitely no exams or awards! There are now around 1,200 instances of u3a in the UK providing an opportunity for members to come together to share their skills and learn for fun. When you join u3a you join a local group but you also become a member of the wider u3a family with regional and national events and activities. The u3a movement has almost half a million UK members and is non-religious and non-political. We believe in Life Long Learning for those no longer in full time work encouraging folk to keep active in body and mind, thus promoting better physical and mental health. This is done primarily through interest or activity groups, which provide a wide range of activities conducive to learning and personal development with a strong focus on enjoying themselves in the process. The ethos of u3a in the UK is learn, laugh, live or as we like to interpretate it Live, Laugh and Learn together.