What is the Third Age?
After the ages of childhood and a period of full-time work there comes a third age of freedom. Time to explore new interests, share skills and experiences, and make new friends.
The u3a (originally the ‘University of the Third Age‘) movement started in France and spread to Britain in the early 80s. There are now over 1000 local u3as in Britain and more than 450,000 members. It is one of the fastest growing organisations in the UK. It is a self-help organisation for all people deeming themselves to be in the Third Age. Local u3as are learning cooperatives which draw upon the knowledge, experience and skills of their own members to organise and provide interest groups in accordance with the wishes of the membership. The u3a approach to learning is “learning for pleasure”. There is no accreditation or validation and there are no assessments or qualifications to be gained.
What does East Lothian u3a offer?
East Lothian u3a activities reflect the wishes of the members. At present it has over 40 interest groups covering languages, literature, science, philosophy, history and music as well as activity and leisure groups for walking, dance, tai chi, mindfulness, indoor games and gardening. Click on the Groups button above for a full list. In addition there are several Open Meetings each year with specialist lecturers, also open Coffee Mornings. See the News and Events lists for up-to-date information on u3a activities.
If you are interested in joining the East Lothian u3a, see the General Enquiries and Membership sections on the Contacts page of this web site