U3A - The University of the Third Age - is an international organisation providing educational, cultural and social opportunities for over-50s who wish to enjoy the stimulation of learning new things and/or passing on their knowledge to others. It encourages these groups of like-minded people in their Third Age to remain active in their retirement and to continue with lifelong learning.

• There were 761 U3As and 247250 members sharing learning experiences in the UK at the last count.
• All are all voluntary self-help organisations, affiliated to the Third Age Trust (Reg. Charity No. 288007), the national parent body.
• All are fully autonomous with members organising their own activities and making their own decisions through elected committees.
• They are self-financing on a non-profit making basis, with no political or religious influences or allegiances, and develop according to the wishes, needs and resources of their local areas.
• No qualifications are necessary to join - and none are given.
• Membership is open to all who are over fifty years of age and have ceased whole-time employment, or are nearing retirement.
  

Mansfield & District U3A was launched in May 1999 to serve those parts of west Nottinghamshire within 8 - 9 miles of Mansfield. We now have over 200 members.

• There are thirteen U3As in Nottinghamshire at the moment – with more in the pipeline.
• Others nearby are Ashfield (which meets at Kirkby-in-Ashfield), Dukeries (which meets at New Ollerton), Hucknall,  Sherwood (which meets at Mansfield Woodhouse), Southwell and Worksop.

What do we do?
Members with similar interests join together to form common interest groups to share their knowledge, skills and experience.

• Members are encouraged to contribute in an informal atmosphere. They may be a leader in an interest group one day, and a student or participant in another group the next.
• They may have expertise from their working lives, out-of-work activity or an interesting hobby that they are willing to share with others.
• As well as academic subjects, groups may want to develop and share practical skills, interests in social projects, cultural activities or leisure pursuits.
• Pace and content of studies depend entirely on the individuals making up the interest group.
• There are currently around 30 varied interest or study groups in Mansfield helping people to join-in with continuing learning in academic subjects at summer schools, social activities and hobbies with friendly, like-minded people.
• The current list is here but all members are encouraged to form new ones if they have additional skills and experience they'd like to share - if they can attract sufficent support from others.
  

Where do we do it?
We hold a monthly Main Meeting for all members from 10 am to 12.30 pm on the third Tuesday of each month (except in August and December) and usually have an invited speaker on a topic of general interest.

It is held in the Oakham Suite  at 155 Nottingham Road, Mansfield NG18 4AE, which has full disabled access. The carpark (entrance next to the Talbot Inn) has a limited capacity so we ask members to share cars if possible.

(The doors open at 9.45 and most group leaders try to arrive by then so that's a good time to catch them before the meeting starts. They are also there to chat and update members during the interval.)

Otherwise, Interest Groups make their own meeting arrangements to suit the needs of each particular one – in church or community halls, pubs and hotels, private homes or wherever suits them best.

How to join
Please use our Contact Us form in the first instance to enquire about joining us and to let us know what particular skill you'd like to develop in retirement - or to share with others - and we can promise both a prompt response and a warm welcome.

How neighbouring U3As work together
Mansfield U3A has informal contact with our neighbours through the North Notts Neighbourhood Group (NNNG) that was formed in 2007. This meets twice yearly with the aims of maintaining friendly contact between our adjoining U3As and of providing support to new U3As when requested. The Chairman is RitaTurner; email: raymond.turner2@ntlworld.

In addition to Mansfield, the members are: Ashfield, Dukeries, Hucknall, and Sherwood and we hope the new Worksop & District U3A will join once it feels able to do so.

NNNG has successfully organised two Picnics in Rufford Park and a summer lunch.

	Picnic at Rufford Park, 2009
Click the picture to see more of this event ...

Each U3A maintains a Neighbourhood notice board which carries news of joint interest groups thus increasing the range of interests available to members. It also publicises details of neighbouring U3As’ holidays, outings and events with the contact numbers of their organisers. (These are open to all members whenever spaces are available.)

The NNNG's developing directory of neighbouring interest groups is here.

At county level, Mansfield U3A is part of the Nottinghamshire County Network, one of five that were formed in 2009 because growth of the U3A movement meant that the 60-plus U3As within the East Midlands region could no long have their quarterly meetings under the same roof.

It brings together representatives from Ashfield, Bingham, Burton Joyce, Dukeries, Hucknall, Keyworth, Nottingham, Mansfield, Southwell, Sherwood, Vale of Belvoir and West Bridgford. (There are similar networks in Derbyshire, Leicester and Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.)

The Nottinghamshire County Network meets on alternate months at Hucknall although not all the thirteen U3As within the county have chosen to become part of it. (Further details are here.)

At regional level, the five County Networks form the newly-created Association of East Midlands U3As, which has its own constitution and governing body, the Regional Representative Council, where two representatives from each of the five counties meet four times a year. Sylvia Slack (currently Chairman of Mansfield U3A) is one of the two Nottinghamshire representatives so keeping Mansfield U3A well involved in both county and regional developments.

The Association of East Midlands U3As in its turn elects a Regional Trustee (currently Elizabeth Wilson of Sherwood U3A) to serve on the National Executive Committee.

At national level, the National Executive Committee currently consists of 16 members elected from all parts of the United Kingdom and constitutes the board of Trustees and the board of Directors responsible, as the Third Age Trust, for administrative and educational support to all local U3As nationwide. It is both a registered charity and a limited company.

About the U3A nationally and internationally
The U3A is an international organisation that was first established at the University of Toulouse in France in 1972.

The intention was to improve the quality of life for mature (retired) people by encouraging them to join existing academic programmes run by the local universities or short courses set up especially for them.

The idea spread rapidly throughout France and then onto other parts of the world, leading in 1975 to the formation of an International Association of U3As (AIUTA) with the aim of promoting active learning, research and community service among Third Agers everywhere.

In 1982 the U3A concept was introduced to Britain, but as adult education was well established in the UK (and Third Agers were clearly capable of managing their own affairs) the U3As quickly evolved away from the French model of university-provided courses to a mutual aid and self-help organisation.

There is a reservoir of knowledge, skills and experience amongst retired people and in the British model this is tapped and put to use for the benefit of others. (This more-informal, shared-learning model based on peer group learning, as distinct from academic institution-led learning, has now been adopted by many other countries.)

The name of the organisation chosen by the French has been retained but the word 'university' is used in the UK in its original sense, ie 'a collective of people devoted to a particular kind of activity or personal development'.

copyright mansfield-u3a.org.uk                                                                                                                                                                   website hosted by www.taghosting.co.uk