The Eastertown Hamlet Website

The University of the Third Age


u3a is a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to learn for fun. Members explore new ideas, skills and activities together

There are over 1000 u3as with around 400,000 members; membership costs less than £20 on average per year and is open to everyone who’s not working full-time.

u3a has 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 story

Founded in 1982, the UK u3a movement (based loosely on the French model) aims to encourage groups of people no longer in full-time work to come together and continue their enjoyment of learning subjects of interest to them.

From the start, the guiding principles were to promote non-formal learning through self-help interest groups covering a wide range of topics and activities as chosen by their members. There is no minimum age,but a focus on people who are no longer in full-time employment or raising a family. The founders envisaged a collaborative approach with peers learning from each other. The u3a movement was to be self-funded, with members not working towards qualifications but learning purely for pleasure. There would be no distinction between the learners and the teachers – everyone could take a turn at being both if they wished.

The movement grew very quickly and by the early 1990s, a u3a was opening every fortnight. u3as started in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and in 2008 membership was increasing by 11% every year. 2010 saw its membership hitting the quarter million mark. 2022 saw 40th Anniversary of the movement in the UK and was marked with a year-long programme of events and celebrations.

To find out more about how to become a member and to join your local u3a:

secretary@burnhamu3a.com
Contact - Wells
About - Weston-super-Mare

U3A Activities


Here is a composite list of all the activities within the Weston-super-Mare, Highbridge & Burnham and Wells U3A Groups.

Appreciating Literature: Art Appreciation: Astronomy and Cosmology: Badminton: Birdwatching: Bobbin Lace: Book Groups: Canasta: Cards for Pleasure: Chemistry in Everyday Life: Chess: Clock Repairs: Computer Confidence: Contract Bridge: Conversational French: Crafts: Creative Writing: Cribbage: Crochet: Current Affairs: Cycling: Days out and Holidays: Digital Photography: Discuss and Debate: DNA for Family History: Drama: Early Evening Diners: Earth Science: Ecology Group: Easy Rides Cycling Group: Environmental Studies: Family History: Folk Dancing: French: Geology: German Conversation: History: History Book Club: History Social and Economic: Italian Conversation: Jazz, Swing & Crooners: Knitting: Latin and Roman Studies: Local History: Mahjong: Making Music: Mindfulness for Beginners: MOTO (Members on Their Own: Music Appreciation: New Science: Opera Group: Out and About: Patchwork and Quilting: Painting for Pleasure: Pétanque: Philosophy: Pickleball: Play Reading: Poetry Appreciation: Railway Modellers: Reading for Pleasure: Recorder Group: Rock Band: Saturday Lunch Group: Rummikub: Sequence Dancing: Shakespeare Group: Short Tennis: Singalong: Spanish Conversation: Strollers: Sunday Lunch Group: Table Tennis: Tai Chi: Theatre Group: Uno for Fun: Visiting Somerset Churches: Walking Groups: Web Management: Wildflower Walks: Wine Appreciation: Yoga



• Make a difference, stay active, keep learning and have fun


• Get out to meet face to face – learning together and making the most of life


• Access to online learning, training and resources to inspire you. Members can attend learning events and talks for free


Meet other people with similar interests: learn new things and share your skills

Non-formal learning is a crucial tool for strengthening community resilience and reducing the impact of social isolation and loneliness, especially in the wake of the pandemic. This report draws attention to the immense value of a low-cost, non-formal learning model in promoting health and well-being in later life.

https://www.u3a.org.uk/event-downloads/u3a-learn-to-livereport-2024-2/download



U3A is supported by the Third Age Trust Follow this link to view the Annual Report and Accounts.