It’s called a university because it offers opportunities to study, to practise new activities and to experience the pleasure of learning together with others, but there are major differences between the u3a and normal universities. For a start, we don’t have students; we have members. You join a local u3a just as you’d become a member of a local amateur dramatic society or tennis club. You pay an annual membership fee, which means you can go to meetings and get involved in activities or subjects that interest you. Another difference is that there are no entry qualifications to worry about, or exams to take at the end! In fact, there isn’t an ‘end’ as such; you can carry on with a subject or activity as long as it is on offer. No one will turf you out for failing, or for not doing enough work.

The u3a is for all people who wish to keep their minds and bodies in good shape with the passing years. Your previous experiences – jobs, qualifications, achievements, etc. – are irrelevant. The u3a welcomes everyone and gives all-comers the opportunity to try out exciting new things

No. There is neither an upper nor lower age limit. You don’t need to be retired, though most u3a members tend to be in that category. You don’t need to be permanently retired either. In fact, no one will delve into your background at all if you come along and ask to be a member. An important point to note, though, is that nearly all meetings are held during the daytime rather than evenings, so the u3a isn’t really suitable for people who have a steady 9-5 type of job.

A bit of both - When you pay your membership fee you are actually joining the Cardiff u3a and can then take part in any of the subjects, activities and meetings run by that u3a. However, there is a national umbrella body, called the Third Age Trust, which exists to provide advice and resources that are made available to all the local u3as and all u3a members. A part of your membership fee goes to the Third Age Trust for affiliation.

u3as are independent charities. They organise their own programme of activities and fix their own subscription fees. In practice, however, most u3as tend to be run on fairly similar lines, each offering a set of ‘interest groups’ that members can join. The number of such groups varies, as does the actual subjects on offer. These reflect the interests of the local membership. Most u3as also hold regular general meetings open to all their members.

Our u3a holds a monthly general meeting on the afternoon of the second Tuesday of each month, usually with a visiting speaker. We offer around 45 special-interest groups. Most group meetings are held once a month or once a fortnight, but there are some variations. The subjects are wide ranging, including some that have a broadly educational slant (e.g., languages, creative writing, history), some that are primarily practical (e.g., digital photography and recorders), and some help members to be comfortable within that facilitate learning (e.g., coffee mornings and Sunday lunch). But it would be wrong to classify the groups too tightly; for instance, a language course is both educational and practical, and often very sociable as well!

Very little! We fix an annual subscription fee, which currently is £15. Then, each group must break even, so if meetings are held in a hired room, members must cover that cost, usually about £2 per session.  The same sort of thing applies to the Monthly Meeting. We hardly need to stress that these figures are enormously attractive compared with what you’d have to pay to go on local authority or privately-run courses. The u3a is a fantastic bargain!

Please note that due to Covid-19 restrictions, some of our usual venues have become unavailable and other, more expensive rooms are being used. Also, some groups are meeting online using Zoom rather than face-to-face.

Yes, a few of our members do just this. But you’ll get more out of the u3a if you join one or more groups.

Yes. Again, some of our members do this. But as well as offering some interesting talks, the monthly meeting gives us an opportunity to keep members informed of developments such as new groups starting up, and to make announcements about future events. It’s also a nice social get-together with tea and biscuits included in the meeting fee.

Yes, as many as you like! But watch out for clashes in your timetable.

The members themselves. Our u3a has a committee that endeavours to ensure that our affairs run smoothly, and one of the committee members is our ‘Groups Coordinator’, with the job of providing help in setting up groups, finding suitable locations, and so on. But the committee doesn’t decide which groups will be offered – all Groups come about as a result of members expressing an interest in a particular subject. Volunteers are needed to help set up a new group and ultimately a Convenor to take it forward.

You will never be forced to do anything. Whether you do things between meetings depends on the type of group, and the time that you are able to give to it. For instance, if you join a foreign language group it makes sense to practise what has been covered in the group meeting. The group leader may in fact suggest some ‘homework’ and obviously you will learn more quickly if you find the time to do it. Other groups such as a Reading Group involve doing some private reading and bringing your opinions to a discussion at the next meeting. Still other groups may involve members being advised to do some background exploration of a subject in advance of a talk or discussion to be held later. In some groups the members take turns to give a presentation – for instance ‘All Things Welsh’ and History works this way, but such presentations are always voluntary, and you certainly won’t be pressurised into giving one if you don’t feel able to.

It depends on the subject. In some cases, this does not matter at all (those with knowledge share it with those who haven’t), but in other cases this can be relevant. The Group Convenor and/or Groups Coordinator can give advice on whether the group is suitable for you, given your existing knowledge. Sometimes a group can be split into two or more sub-groups according to the expertise of group members. This can apply to practical subjects as well as knowledge-based ones.

In a variety of places. Larger groups often use a hired hall in or around Cardiff. Much depends on the resources needed. A large group may require special facilities, and this will limit the range of suitable locations. But there’s usually no trouble getting to meetings; members often share transport, and those without a car will nearly always be able to get a lift with another Member. The most frequently used venue is the City URC in Windsor Place, but several other venues are also used.

It’s best first of all to have a word with the relevant Group Convenor. She or he will explain how the group operates, such as confirming when and where the group meets, how the meetings are organised, and what the current programme of meetings involves. You should be able to assess whether the group in question seems to fit the bill.

You will be more than welcome to attend a group session a couple of times, to see if it is suitable for you, when you will only have to make a similar contribution to the hire of premises as existing members.

We are always on the look-out to start up new groups, and it’s possible that your interest is shared by others. The first step is to contact the Groups Coordinator to find out if the subject or activity has already been suggested by others. Usually, the next step is to put out feelers at a monthly meeting or talk to people who might be interested in joining you. If sufficient people express an interest, it’s a short step to getting the new group off the ground. The Groups Coordinator will advise on suitable times and places to hold your meetings, and there’s also some start-up money available if resources are needed. Putting forward an idea for a new group doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have to be the group leader; someone else may be willing to do this.

This is an important point. A basic principle of the u3a is that of ‘shared learning’.  The people who run groups are u3a members themselves – they volunteer to lead a group. For instance, the language groups are run by u3a members who are knowledgeable in the appropriate language. But not all groups require an expert to lead them. In many cases the group leader is simply a member who volunteers to coordinate the group’s programme of meetings and claims no more knowledge or skill than the average group member.

This can happen. Some groups are very popular. But there is often a way round the problem. Sometimes a group splits into two, with each sub-group meeting at a different time. Or maybe two groups are formed with slightly different aims or skills, e.g., a beginners’ group and a more advanced group. In some cases, the problem is solved simply by moving to a more spacious location. But in a few cases, it’s possible that a waiting list will have to be formed.

Quite a lot. To start with, there’s a large range of physical resources available for groups to borrow. These include DVDs. They are invaluable for subjects such as music, art history, architecture, history, religion and philosophy. Then there are human resources in the shape of national coordinators for many subjects; their advice can be sought on ways to run particular interest groups. National experts are also available at an annual summer school, where members can choose from a set of interesting short lecture or practical courses. u3a members can opt to receive two regular magazine, ‘Third Age Matters’. For those with Internet facilities, there’s a national website, which is a mine of useful information.

Unfortunately not. Children or anyone else who does not meet the criteria for membership are not permitted to attend meetings as our insurance will not cover them and we do not have appropriate safeguarding in place.