Learn, laugh and live with Newquay U3A. The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a UK movement of retired and semi-retired people who come together to continue educational, social and creative interests in a friendly and informal environment. If you’re wondering what we mean by the third age, it is a time after you have finished working full-time or raising your family and have time to pursue your interests, or just try something new. The U3A movement began in 1981, with now over 1,000 U3A's across the UK, including 18 in Cornwall.
There are over 30,000 interest groups between them and more than 420,000 members nationally, plus more are joining every day. U3A has a ‘university’ of members who draw upon their knowledge and experience to teach and learn from each other but there are no qualifications to pass. It is just for pleasure. Learning is its own reward. It’s all voluntary: a typical U3A will be home to many activity groups covering hundreds of different subjects, from art to zoology and everything in between. The U3A national body (The Third Age Trust) looks after all the U3A's in the UK, providing educational and administrative support. A national periodic magazine is available to our members, together with a wide range of learning aids to help pursue learning, not for qualifications but for fun.
The Newquay U3A annual subscription is £15, which includes the national subscription. Our group leaders come from within our members, so running costs are kept to a minimum. Our monthly general meeting takes place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (except August) at the Lane Theatre. Chat over a tea or coffee from 10.30 am before the meeting at 11.00 am, including a guest speaker, entertainment or social. Our current membership is well over 200. Between 75 and 100 attend the monthly meetings on a regular basis. We offer many interest groups, covering a wide variety of subjects held at different venues. New groups can be set up at any time by two or three members sharing a common interest. Our current interest groups are:- Antiques & Collectibles, Bridge (both beginners and improvers), Cornish Dancing, Creative Writing, Discussion, Exploring Poetry, Family History, Food with Friends, Garden Appreciation, Italian for Beginners, Music Appreciation, Nature Study Saunters, Photography, Play Reading, Readers Group, Rummikub, Scrabble, Singing for Fun, Social Group, Table Tennis, Walking, Longer Walking and Whist. Other activities take place on an ad hoc basis, such as quizzes, beetle drives, indoor games and craft sessions.
Join Newquay U3A at our General Meetings at:- The Lane Theatre, Newquay, TR8 4PX For further information take a look at our Website or Facebook page.