All you need to know about the new University of the Third Age club at Withnell Fold Sports and Social Club

West Pennine Villages University of the Third Age club is being set up at Withnell Fold Sports and Social Club, with a launch event on Thursday, June 6 at 10.30am.

U3As are aimed at providing worthwhile opportunities to people have retired or semi retired. They are self-organising groups of like-minded people who are looking to productively engage in a wide variety of learning experiences. This could be activities such as playing table tennis, learning holiday Spanish, playing bridge or a book club.

As spokesman from Age UK said: “Many organisations offer learning and development courses. U3A is uniquely for older people, giving you the opportunity to meet and make new friends who share the same interests or lifestyle. If you’ve always wanted to learn a particular skill, or enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, U3A could be a good option for you.”

U3As are totally volunteer-run bodies although there is a national organisation which provides advice and support available via www.u3a.org.uk. They must raise their own funds and organise their own activities. This means they need to have both teacher/leaders for the various activities and organisers who provide support to facilitate them. All members of the U3A are encouraged to volunteer in some way to support their group in whatever way they can.