u3a Frequently Asked Questions

Some typical questions that we get asked by prospective and new members

Where does the name 'u3a' come from?
How big is the u3a?
Who is eligible to join?
What costs will I need to pay?

Answers below - click to jump to a specific question.

Where does the name 'u3a' come from?

When first established, (in the early 1970's, and in France) the name given was the University of the Third Age with an emphasis on providing life-long learning opportunities that were usually based on university campuses.

In the UK however a decision was made to move away from use of the word 'University', which had implications of needing to qualify to join and working towards some kind of qualification, which is NOT the way the UK organisation works. The name was shortened to just u3a. We do however keep the term 'Third Age'. More about this, below, regarding who is eligible to join.

The u3a in the UK does still promote the idea of life-long learning - of gaining more skill in a particular area or picking up a whole new area of knowledge - once you have the time to do so. However do not expect to gain a certificate, or even get any formal tutoring. Most u3a interest groups are more of a 'learn together' scenario. The group leader often has no particular expertise in a subject, rather an interest in it and will act as a co-ordinator to book rooms, notify members of when meetings are, etc. After that it is learning from each other.

Some groups might simply be friends coming together to chat about a particular topic such as gardening; members may take it in turns to lead the group activity to show others a particular style of crafting; writers bring along their work to get feedback from fellow group members. Sometimes it may be the case that the leader has a particular enthusiasm that they enjoy introducing others to, or perhaps the group will club together to pay the costs to bring in a tutor (as is the case with our singing or yoga groups). Every activity is different.

But basically it is the group's choice as to what suits them best. Payment may be needed for room hire or materials, but the leader is a volunteer. The atmosphere is hopefully informal and friendly and always open to new members to come along. Learning for learning's sake and not just to get a piece of paper at the end of it. Just becoming more proficient and knowledgeable for your own benefit.

How big is the u3a?

In the UK there are now over 1000 individual branches, and over 400,000 members. Most towns have one or several branches - we cover the central Wigan area, but adjoining us are other local branches for Upholland and District, Leigh, Ashton, Parbold and Newburgh, St Helens and more. With Leigh, Ashton and Upholland we currently have certain reciprocal arrangements that allow our members to join some of their activities and vice versa. There are also on-line projects and challenges available to all u3a members nationally. You are therefore not joining something limited to just our own patch.

The u3a is a well-established organisation, with strict guidance on what we can and can't do, requiring us to meet their standards on things such as health and safety, data security, and accountability. They also provide us with IT tools (such as this website designer and mailing list management tools), advisory services, insurance and more. The Wigan branch was set up about seven years ago, and so is a relatively new branch, small enough to get to know people; however it gains a lot from falling under the wider u3a umbrella too.

Who is eligible to join?

u3a is an organisation for people who are starting to move beyond their working lives, and to enjoy a 'Third Age' of having more time for themselves. This third age is the '3a' of the organisation name. You’ve had your first age of childhood and education, then your second age of work, career and raising families, and now finally a third age when you can enjoy a bit more time for yourself.

There is no specific age requirement to qualify, and members will not necessarily be retired, although most members are. Expect to find people in their 50's through to their 90's in most branches. Some people sign up earlier as they scale back on work commitments; others find us only when work is over and done with. Most activities and events, however, will take place during the day, so this tends to exclude working age groups.

Hopefully we are able to promote positive ageing. Just because you've stopped working doesn't mean you will stop contributing to your community, or enjoying being out and about, meeting new people and having new experiences.

If you want to get more involved and take part in the volunteering to keep the branch organised, lead groups, make new members welcome - plenty of opportunities here. Or maybe you're just looking for something to get you out of the house, and making new friends, then you can come along for just that.

What costs will I need to pay?

Although you are welcome to come along to try us out for free, to see if the activities are what you are looking for - if you want to stay you will need to sign up as a member of the branch. The membership fee is currently just £10 per year, running April to March. Part of this is towards the organisation as a whole, and part a payment to the Wigan branch. If already a member of a different u3a branch elsewhere, then you don't need to pay the first part again, so can join us for just £6.50 per year.

In addition to this activities may involve extra payments but only to cover costs. We are a non-profit organisation and a registered charity (which often gives us reduced rates for hiring rooms). However although organisers give their time and effort for free, there will be costs to cover for venue, transport, materials, etc. Individual groups and events will give details of what you'll be paying or contributing. Usually this will be collected on a meeting-by-meeting basis for activities, in advance for events, occasionally paying for a few sessions up-front to be sure a particular activity can be run successfully.