The University of the Third Age – is an organisation that provides opportunities to learn or participate in recreational activities, for those who are no longer fully employed, helping them to get more from their leisure time, in a friendly social environment. There are no age limits. 

The u3a in Britain is NOT connected to any college or university. There are no entry qualifications and no exams. We just encourage members to spend some of their free time exploring activities and subjects that interest them in the company of like-minded people. 
The u3a is the university of life and we are all members.

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The ‘third age’ is defined by a time in your life (not necessarily chronological) where you have the opportunity to undertake learning for its own sake. There is no minimum age, but a focus on people who are no longer in full-time employment or raising a family.

A monthly open meeting with an interesting and informative speaker to which all are welcome. Most members join the u3a to enjoy various groups that will provide opportunities for regular study, leisure and social activities, meeting in a variety of venues in Wetherby itself and in the surrounding villages. 

The social side is a key reason for the ongoing success and growth of the u3a network. At our monthly public meetings, we hear the latest news and developments and enjoy coffee or tea and biscuits while we talk, socialise and generally get to know one another.

You can see the 60 different activity groups on the ACTIVITIES page. The list of activities has been growing over time, as more members join and tell us about their interests.

We call them Groups and they can be held wherever the group members decide. For a small group of say 5 to 8, a home of one of the members might be an ideal and low cost option. Some groups move from home to home for their meetings. This might be in Wetherby itself, or in one of the nearby villages. 
For larger a group of say 25 members, then we will help the group to find a suitable meeting room in a convenient location – like a local church hall or village hall.

There is a modest annual membership fee of £12 a year (that’s equivalent to less than 25p a week). 
Once you are a member, you can join as many Groups as you have time for – provided the groups are not already full. Most of the groups also ask for a modest contribution of around 50p or £1 a meeting – just enough to cover their out of pocket costs for refreshments and maybe some printed materials. In a few cases, with larger groups, there may be a share of the hire costs for the meeting room.

Volunteers are always warmly welcomed. Your services could help us provide refreshments, or put out chairs for the open meetings or you can help organise and manage one of the many Groups. 
If you think you might like to help in the running of a Group around a theme or topic that interests you, contact our Groups Coordinator who is always happy to explore this with you.

Certainly! Guests are welcome at the monthly Open Meetings and at most of the groups for two sessions at most (by agreement with the Group organiser). If you like what you see and hear and then want to continue with the group activity, then you will need to join Wetherby and District u3a.
New members are always welcome at any time of the year!

Yes. It all depends on having enough local people interested in a topic – then we can pick a local venue, if that is more convenient for the majority. We currently have meetings in Boston Spa and Collingham as well as Wetherby. See the ACTIVITIES page for details of the current groups including where they meet.

Not at all!. We have some members who work part-time. Nor is there any age limit – our role is to provide social, recreational and educational activities in the community, for those who have free time during the day.