University for the retired going strong

Thursday 12 April 2018

A local organisation which has the motto, "learn, laugh and live!" now has more than 720 members in Guernsey with many groups doing activities daily across the island.

University of the Third Age, or U3A, is a group for people who have retired, but want to carry on learning, doing activities or socialising with like minded people.

U3A membership is not related to a specific age but to a period in one’s life known as the third age, which comes after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility. Anybody can join U3A during their third age.

Express caught up with a group of the members making use of the North Beach pétanque pitches: "We have many activities on offer, some more physical, some languages, alternative religions and walking groups; in fact we have a total of six walking groups in our local U3A," Treasurer of U3A in Guernsey, Alan Chubb, said.

Above: a group of U3A members playing pétanque

The ethos of the organisation is that retired people have a lifetime of experience and, collectively, a vast amount of knowledge. Knowledge of a particular subject can be put to use in helping people who may never have had the opportunity to learn it earlier in life. The U3A see it as fundamentally important that all of its participants are keeping their brains active and socialising at the same time.

Mr Chubb added: "Members make new friends and activities include things like Tai Chi, dancing and ukulele. The activities are member led and there is a group co-ordinator who organises them. We have a coffee morning for member updates and new members on the first Tuesday every month where activities are discussed and we also send our members a newsletter."

Membership is £15 annually and gives local members the chance to interact with U3A members elsewhere too: 

"We are affiliated to the UK U3A so if our members are on holiday in the UK they can look to join in activities in the groups there as the organisation has groups throughout the UK" Mr Chubb said. 

Anyone wishing to find out more about the organisation can go to their website, here, or their Facebook page here.

Main image: Alan Chubb, Treasurer of U3A Guernsey