The U3A in Steyning and District

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Have your children flown the nest? - are you recently retired or no longer in full time employment? - are you looking to learn new things or perhaps you have a hobby or interest that you would like to develop or share with others? If any of these apply to you then the U3A could be 4U!

Changes in one’s circumstances like retirement can affect the social and interactive skills and knowledge which have been accumulated over the years, which we take for granted when working. They can be lost quite quickly when no longer in the sort of busy and demanding situation which employment gives. Health and well-being surveys confirm that a hobby or interest shared with others and not pursued in isolation is good for ones long-term physical and mental health and for this reason the pleasure of learning is a driving force of the U3A. The aims of U3A are to encourage and enable people no longer in full-time employment to help each other to share their knowledge, skills, interests and experience and also to provide a social forum for people of similar interests to meet.

The U3A (University of the Third Age) is a self-help organization run by the members for the members which has branches throughout the country (and in fact the world). However it is a very informal organization with the minimum of administration and regulation for example:-

U3A neither requires nor awards any qualifications.
By sharing their learning, U3A members help one another to develop their knowledge, skills and experience.

U3A arranges and supports its own programmes as appropriate to their chosen learning activities.

U3A members regard themselves as both learners and teachers.

Steyning and District U3A is no exception and although it was only founded in 2005 it now has over 230 members and over 30 interest groups which include the following:-

Art appreciation, Bird Watching, 2 Book Clubs, Bridge and Canasta, The Future for China, Computer Forum, 2 Discussion groups, Dressmaking, 2 Family History groups, French Reading and Conversation, Gardening,
2 History groups, Mah Jong, Photography basics, Play Reading, Poetry Reading, Portuguese, 2 Spanish groups, Sitching, Technology and Industry, Understanding Europe, 2 Walking groups and 2 Wine and Beer appreciation groups.

There are other groups being considered subject to demand and a willing group leader so if your particular interest is not shown above why not contact us about starting one up?

To find out more see our website, which contains our latest newsletter, at www.u3asites.org.uk/steyning.

There is also a National web site for the U3A which will tell you more about the organization itself.

You can contact the Membership Secretary by e-mail at: steyningdist.u3a@gmail.com

or by post at: Steyning & District U3A, PO Box 2595, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 0EA

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