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u3a members taking part in a charcoal drawing workshop at our Off the Wall event - which you can read more about further down the newsletter.
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Dear <<First Name>>,
Another month filled with great u3a ideas and events. The newsletter is a great way to share monthly news across the movement easily. If you know a member who doesn't already receive it, please ask them if they would like to sign up.
We have a lot to be proud of in the movement and this edition highlights Hadrian's Wall. This was a collaborative event for u3as to come together in person and online to learn, explore and have time in each other’s company. Working to support the movement is a dedicated team of expert staff members and expert u3a volunteers who work alongside the 1,000 inspirational u3as to make this movement the great place it is - a place where members can forge friendships and participate in new interests.
Over the last six years we have worked hard to develop our communication channels to engage u3a members and beyond. We thank the communication teams and volunteers who consistently work to spread the u3a word. This newsletter with its u3a-led content and readership of over 40,000 members and friends is a great example of that.
I wish you a happy and enjoyable month ahead.
With very best wishes
Sam Mauger
CEO of the Third Age Trust
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In this issue...
u3a Off the Wall event
25 Celebrations for 25 Years of Chandlers Ford u3a
Your Coronation Celebrations
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Your Stories
Syston & District u3a held a very worthwhile and successful open day in April with over 150 visitors in total. 24 new members signed up on the day, with others likely to join online. A total of 131 entries were added to the expression of interest forms for groups.
Lyn and Dave, Syston & District u3a
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u3a members celebrate learning at Hadrian's Wall Event
Over 180 members attended our festival of learning, Off the Wall. Members took part in circle dancing, charcoal drawing, creative writing, traditional cookery demonstrations and lectures from academics from Newcastle University. A diverse programme of online events enabled an additional 600 members from across the country to connect through learning.
Ann Keating, one of the organisers of the event, says "The whole idea was to raise awareness of the u3a and to bring u3as together as a family." Read more on the u3a website.
A short film showcasing the event will be launched on our YouTube channel very soon.
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Postcards from Hadrian's Wall
We are thrilled to announce the winners of our 'Off the Wall' postcard competition.
Congratulations to Valerie from Camberley u3a, whose winning postcard is pictured above, and to our runners up, Tania from Washington Village u3a and Chris from Syston & District u3a. Thank you to everyone who entered – the entries showcased the creativity and talent within the u3a movement.
See all the entries on the u3a website.
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Do you want to be a part of a focus group?
We're looking for people to take part in an online focus group on Tuesday 27 June at 2pm to find a name for a new u3a initiative, which has the potential to transform the way in which members and the public engage with the u3a movement. If you would like to make an expression of interest, please email impact@u3a.org.uk
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Free Tickets for u3a members to the Queen's Reading Room Festival
The u3a movement has been offered a limited number of free tickets to the Queen's Reading Room Festival at Hampton Court Palace on Sunday 11 June.
Highlights include; Dame Judi Dench in Conversation about Shakespeare; An Eye for a Spy: espionage writing in fiction and non-fiction; a performance of comedy show Austentatious, and much more.
Book your tickets now on the Royal Reading Room website - this is a special link to the complimentary tickets. Please note that the tickets are limited and it is on a first come, first served basis.
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Digital Health Technologies
Ulster University are researching user acceptance of health digital technologies, including apps, robots, and in-home care technologies.
Initial results show that most older adults agree that digital health could support heathy ageing, however concerns related to the security and privacy of data were also highlighted.
The researchers have shared a survey that takes less than twenty minutes and they would really appreciate the input of u3a members. The closing date is 12 June 2023 - take the survey now.
This research is being conducted in partnership with the Agile Ageing Alliance and u3a as part of the Horizon 2020 SHAPES pathfinder project.
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Learning Across the Movement
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Share your feedback on the u3a radio podcast
Our u3a radio podcast has been running for over two years now and we thought the time was right to ask you what you want from it in the future and what direction we should be going in. The survey takes less than ten minutes - take the survey.
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Every newsletter, we share news from your u3as. Whatever you're doing, we want to know about it - get in touch
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25 Celebrations for 25 Years of Chandlers Ford u3a
Chandlers Ford u3a went all out for their 25th anniversary, with 25 events. In addition to this, they installed 25 handcrafted post-box toppers throughout the community. Two of these can be seen above, including the Birdwatching Group Topper which, after being photographed by a local resident and put on Facebook, received over 7,500 likes.
Read more about the celebrations on our Sources blog.
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Booklet launch for Burnham u3a's Archaeologists
Burnham u3a Archaeological Group have launched a booklet about their excavation of Southminster Hall. The booklet, 'The Southminster Hall Mystery - what lies beneath?' details their transformation into a professionally trained large group and how their excavation of Southminster Hall re-wrote history.
The booklet is available to buy at a special price of just £10 plus £2.50 P&P to u3a members. To find out more, email communications@u3a.org.uk and we will forward your email on to group leader Sue.
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Planting Across the Movement
u3as across the UK have been celebrating milestones with the planting of trees.
In celebration of member Pam's 100th birthday, Alcester u3a donated five trees to the u3a woodland. Meanwhile, Bicester u3a (pictured), Wetherby u3a (pictured) and Four Borders Abbey u3as all planted trees or hedges across the UK to celebrate anniversaries.
Read more about their celebrations on our u3a blog, Sources.
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Your Coronation Celebrations
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Singing for the King
Epsom and Ewell u3a's Singing for Pleasure group celebrated the King's Coronation with a performance at their community centre.
Group leader Jenny says, "We had a great time with lots of laughter. This event was a happy one and certainly got us in the mood for the Coronation weekend."
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Tamworth u3a celebrated the coronation with a buffet lunch, attended by 132 members.
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Congratulations Roy
Holme Valley u3a member and Beacon Volunteer Roy has been named one of 500 Coronation Champions for his tireless voluntary work over more than a decade. He was nominated by AbilityNet, a charity that supports older and disabled people with the use of digital technology.
Roy says, “It came as a real surprise to find out I had been nominated because I don’t consider what I do to be anything out of the ordinary.”
Read more on the Latest News section of the u3a website.
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u3a members volunteering at our recent Off the Wall event
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Encouraging Volunteering In Your u3a
The u3a movement is celebrating Volunteers Week, 1-7 June. We will be kicking the week off with an online learn and share session on Thursday 1 June about encouraging volunteers in your u3a. This session will hear from u3as who have a culture of volunteering and there will be an opportunity to share ideas and discuss with other u3a members.
We will be hosting a second learn and share session on Monday 19 June about recruiting members to your committee. This is an opportunity to discuss with other u3a members and find out more about the support available.
Both learn and share sessions can be booked via the u3a workshops webpage.
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Throughout Volunteers Week, we will be celebrating the incredible contribution u3a members make to their u3as on our social media platforms - keep updated by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
How do you celebrate volunteers within your u3a? Let us know by emailing communications@u3a.org.uk
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Southport u3a's coronation celebration featured some surprise royal visitors and resulted in press in Stand Up for Southport and a full page in the Southport Visitor. Read about what they got up to on our u3a blog, Sources.
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Hot off the press
The events at Off the Wall, earlier this month, were documented in an article in The Hexham Courant.
Our communications team worked closely with Sky News in the lead-up to the Coronation with Harry, a member of Thatcham u3a, sharing his memories of Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953. Harry was on parade in Whitehall with the Royal Navy and watched Her Majesty go past several times.
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Third Age Matters magazine is the u3a’s national members’ magazine and is posted to around 200,000 homes five times a year, showcasing all the wonderful things going on in the movement, plus puzzles, competitions and the latest news. To sign up for your copy, contact your u3a.
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In the June edition of Third Age Matters, there is a chance to win a cruise on the Douro in Portugal - worth £7,500. Also, read about members' experiences at u3a's Off the Wall event and Ian Clarke reveals how he developed popular online word puzzle Aileen’s Game.
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Do you want to showcase your u3a's social media in this newsletter? Tag u3a in your posts - find our social media profiles by clicking the icons below.
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Social Media Post of the Month
We had a super visit to Everdon Stubbs to see the amazing bluebells and woodland vistas... The air was full of bird song and the delicate scent of the bluebells…
Northampton u3a's Facebook page captures the joy of being a u3a member. See more photos of the bluebells and take a look at what else they have been up to recently on their Facebook page.
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How does clothing impact your mood?
It's a packed month on Sources. Kennilworth u3a's Fashion group leader June shares her thoughts on psychology and fashion; u3a members who attended an exclusive screening of new film The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry share their reviews; and much more.
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Chair of the Third Age Trust, Liz Thackray, is on holiday this month and we're taking the opportunity to introduce two of our new Trustees, John Lewis and Jean Jackson. See all the current Trustees on our website.
We hope to showcase more of our new Trustees in the coming months - keep your eyes peeled.
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John Lewis, Trustee for the East Midlands
So far as Trustee, I’ve arranged to visit meetings of all five Networks in the Region, established a working relationship with the other new Regional Trustees, assembled a strong, independent-minded and enthusiastic support team, attended several Trustee Induction sessions and hit the ground running with my other Regional responsibilities.
What have I got still to do? In the next few months, I will publish another issue of the Regional Trustee Newsletter, appoint a new Regional Publicity Adviser and start planning for another Regional Conference, possibly in 2025.
National Vice-Chair Allan Walmsley has said that he expects the new Trustees to make quite an impact. Let’s not disappoint him!
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Jean Jackson, Trustee for the West Midlands
I’ve been Regional Trustee now for about ten weeks and I’ve already managed to speak to a lot of members. I’m looking forward to re-connecting with the Regional support team, and to having more people on that team, so that I can get a good view of what u3as in the Region want from me and what we’d benefit from doing collectively.
So far I’ve attended Much Wenlock’s 10th anniversary celebrations which were very inspiring. I am contacting all the regional networks, and am working with Sutton Coldfield u3a to plan our first regional event on Wednesday 19 July. I’m reviving Allan Walmsley’s fireside chat Zooms and I’ll post the link on the West Midlands u3a website.
I’m always happy to hear from members - my email is jean.jackson@u3a.org.uk
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Read full reports from John and Jean on our u3a blog, Sources.
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Here is a snapshot of some of the interesting events for members that are coming soon. You can book onto all of these events on the online events page.
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Meditation and Mindfulness Series - for Summer
Every Tuesday from 30 May - 4 July, at 10am
The six-week course of Mindfulness and Meditation is back, led by members of the Sheffield u3a Mindful Ageing Group John, Mike and Ruth.
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Driving Tips to Save Money and the Planet
Monday 5 June, 2pm
Join Rebecca Ashton from IAM RoadSmart to learn how to save money and reduce your environmental impact by driving in a more efficient way.
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Family History: Parish Registers
Wednesday 14 June, 2pm
Insights, tips and examples for family historians. Julie from Syston & District u3a shares a look at the history of Parish Registers and their use in family history research.
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Equality & Diversity coffee morning
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee are hosting a coffee morning on Wednesday 7 June. This is a great way for members to share experiences, raise awareness and help us increase our knowledge and understanding. Register on the workshops page.
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Learning More About: Jazz Appreciation with Subject Adviser Howard
How did you get started with Jazz Appreciation?
Although I am a very new member of u3a I have long been a jazz fan and also enjoy playing in a band, visiting gigs and festivals and supporting organisations mentoring young jazz musicians.
What do you enjoy about your role?
I hope to assist Jazz Appreciation groups to enjoy jazz music of all kinds and to encourage them to expand their horizons. I can help members to get started or progress their interest group with encouragement and information.
What three things can u3a members get from being part of a jazz appreciation group?
Meeting, learning and taking part.
Contact Howard for support and find out more on the Jazz Appreciation Subject Advice page.
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Your Stories
I was very lucky to be invited to Maldon & District u3a's 25th Anniversary Celebration in April. It was an opportunity to meet many members of this very successful u3a and to share their experiences.
In May, I was invited to join Ramsey & District u3a for their Group Leaders & New Members meeting. I left with positive thoughts of the u3a; one of our smaller groups and a very vibrant and proactive one.
Barbara Cordina, Trustee for East of England
Read her full report on our u3a blog, Sources
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This section puts a spotlight on the staff who work at u3a office and what we're doing.
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Meet Georgia
Hi 👋 I’m Georgia - Learning Development Manager for u3a. My working days are spent supporting members to run movement-wide competitions and challenges, managing our programme of online talks and workshops or helping members to connect around their interests. I am also responsible for Interest Groups Online which is a u3a community that operates entirely online.
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I live in Lewisham, and on weekends I can usually be found exploring parks with my dog Suzy, finishing up with well-deserved treats (the doggy and human kind) in a pub with our friends.
I am always open to new ideas and suggestions for the u3a learning programme – so do not hesitate to get in touch at learning@u3a.org.uk, you never know where it could lead.
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u3a is developing the movement's voice to make a social impact. Read about ongoing projects on our Impact page.
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Influencing and Social Change Training
We're excited to announce that our next Introduction to Influencing and Social Change training will be via Zoom on Tuesday 20 June. So far, 82% of participants have rated this training as excellent or very good, so don't miss it.
Register on the Influencing and Social Change page of the u3a website and if you have any questions, please contact impact@u3a.org.uk
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Our Future and Technology
Join us on Tuesday 30 May for a light hearted but thought-provoking look at technology - some of the things we've been told may happen in the not-so-distant future and how they may affect us. You can register on our Future Lives webpage.
Please note this event will not be recorded.
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Educational charity Digital Works are working on an oral history project with the BFI about people's experiences going to holiday camps such as Butlins. They are based at the BFI on the Southbank and are looking for people who would like to come and share their stories. Find out more on the Hello Campers website.
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Conversations With The Trust
Please see below for upcoming opportunities in June to meet different teams within the Third Age Trust and have conversations with them about the movement. These events will take place online on Zoom.
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u3a Offers and Services is the section of the newsletter offering discounts to u3a members and friends.
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Save 18% on Buyagift eGift cards* with u3a Click and Save
Buyagift is the UK's leading provider of experience days and gift experiences. With over 4,000 gifts and experiences to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect gift for even the most discerning loved one, whether they're an aspiring gourmet or a high-flying thrill-seeker.
From helicopter flying and cookery lessons to supercar driving and relaxing short breaks, Buyagift have everything that you could possibly need to make someone's special occasion absolutely unforgettable.
Find out more on the u3a click and save website.
*Terms and conditions apply. See website for details. Offers subject to change without notice. The exclusive discounts offered by our partner, Gift Card Savings, and cannot be applied to existing cards that have been purchased elsewhere. Personal credit cards cannot be used to purchase this product. These offers can’t be used in conjunction with any other offer. Your giftcard cannot be used to purchase tangible gifts such as hampers or in conjunction with discount codes. u3a Click and Save is managed and run for u3a by Parliament Hill Limited
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Kathy, Prudhoe & District u3a
Pictured: a bee orchid, photographed by Kathy whilst out with her Nature Watch group.
What's my favourite thing I've learned since joining u3a? Here are a few:
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- How to take some lovely photos of flowers, thanks to Carole in the photography group.
- There's a flower called "Changing forget-me-not"! (we found it on a walk with our Naturewatch group).
- How to graft knitting, and thanks to the convenor of our Crafts group I made a lovely job of finishing off my knitted jacket.
- How to operate Zoom, to keep my u3a going through the Covid years and beyond.
- A lot about being a groups coordinator, thorough acting as secretary to our regional network.
- Through the German Conversation group, I learned or revised enough German to be able to converse with some very dear German friends.
- The self-confidence to stand up in my local Co-op and promote the u3a to likely-looking shoppers, several of whom actually joined.
- The joy of sharing interests with people I didn't previously know, and finding lasting friendships.
- That the benefits of being a u3a member are massive!
What have you learned since joining u3a? Let us know.
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