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Harborough Welland (Leicestershire & Rutland) Open Morning

Harborough Welland u3a, a new u3a formed in January 2022 from the merger of two previous u3as, held an Open Morning on 25th April. The purpose of this was to invite members of the public to “come and see” what u3a is all about. Several group leaders were around to talk about their groups and display some of their activities. The Chair of the District Council was invited and chatted with many of the group leaders and volunteers before speaking briefly about the importance of having such organisations in the Harborough area. The occasion attracted a lot of local interest, was a great success and 17 new members signed up on the day.
The photo shows the Chair of the District Council trying his hand at belleplates.

East Midlands Trustee Newsletter March 2022

During what has seemed, to me at least, a long and difficult winter, it has been good to hear of continuing activity in u3as across the region. There have continued to be challenges concerning the resumption of face to face meetings and we all need to continue to make the decisions that are right for us. However, with the advent of longer days and better weather, I am sure we are all looking forward to more u3a groups resuming. 
To read the newsletter in full follow this link:  March 2022 Newsletter

About the Region

U3As are organised into Regions in England, and into countries for Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.  The East Midlands Region comprises the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Nottinghamshire.

The Region has two fundamental purposes:

1. To enable u3as to work together to help them meet their objectives (learning, recreation and companionship) – by cooperative activities usually involving discussion and sharing of experiences.
Read about  Shared Learning and Research Projects under the Region tab.

2. To ensure u3as have the opportunities to propose and vote for their representative on the board of the Third Age Trust.  The Regional Trustee provides a means of communication to the board.  
Read about the role of Regional Trustee under the Region tab.

Because of its geographical size the Region has divided itself into five County Networks of u3as (with Leicestershire and Rutland operating as one).   Find out more about the u3as and their Networks under the U3As and Networks tabs. 

You might like to have a look at the websites for the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire Networks to see what they do and their latest news.

The Region and Networks are about u3as (and their members) doing things together. 

About the u3a

In the UK the u3a is a movement which provides opportunities for retired and semi-retired people to participate in learning activities both educational and recreational.  It also provides companionship.   There are over 1000 u3as in the UK with over 365,000 members and each, under the umbrella of the Third Age Trust, is independently operated. The range of activities in each one is up to the members to decide and provide.

u3as provide a wonderful opportunity for retired and semi-retired people to enrich their lives by learning new skills and developing new interests. To Learn Laugh and Live is the aim of all members. Each u3a comprises people who come together to share and pursue learning in all its forms.   It is also a member of The Third Age Trust (TAT), which is the national support and advisory body and to whose aims and guiding principles every u3a member adheres.

To learn more  about the TAT aims and guiding principles follow this link to the TAT website- Vision and Mission.