U3A- anyone belong to a group?

[HellHathNoFuryLikeAMnetter]

Long shot here as the group is for retired people - any age but usually over 60.

I've joined my local one as I need to make more friends but have yet to go to a meeting/event.

I've seen photos of a lot of them in the groups and they look much older than me (ie in their 80s.)

I'm not ageist, truly, but I would have more in common with younger people in their late 50s/ early 60s.

My sister goes to a group near her (miles away) but she's 76 and says I'm too young for U3A.

I'm 68 and have thought of joining but not got around to it.

I do go to Zumba Gold though which I really enjoy and is great for meeting people. Both classes I go to the teachers are very experienced and they know how far they can push us. Most of us are 60 - early seventies but we have got a couple of pretty fit ladies older than that. The local walking groups attract a similar range.

I’m 49 and I go to the recorders group.

i’m def younger than most but they are all friendly.

(I’m disabled and medically retired)

I'm not a member but I see local groups advertising events, I'd assume it's a bit like the WI in that every group is unique and it's pot luck whether you click with the one nearest you. I'd also imagine that there's a difference between rural and urban groups

I looked on the website of the local one and it was poor. There was little information and what there was appeared to require joining a waiting list.

Our local group does! And you can go to any of the talks, about £2.5 a head if you are not a member.

I belong and am 60. There are quite a lot of early retirees like me, a solid core of people in their 70s and members in their 80s and 90s. I go to the active outdoors groups like walking, swimming and visiting country estates so perhaps a slightly younger and fitter demographic (but then I think of 91-year-old Ernie so perhaps not) but there are groups ranging from contract bridge to art appreciation to local history and pickleball. Cake and tea feature heavily, fish and chips if you're out for the day.

I've encountered no cliques or snobs. I don't know if it depends where you are - I'm in a large market town in the north of England and people are lovely: it's the kind of place where there's a nexus of ramblers, self-educators and Methodists so the worst that will happen is an impromptu lecture on hinge-pins through the ages.

They're usually good at introduction sessions and you can book general trips out at the big meetings as well as smaller interest groups. Join and see how you get on. It's a laugh.

Well I'm over 60 and can't retire until I'm 67, and every single thing our local one does is during the daytime on weekdays, whilst I'm at work.

The criterion for joining my u3a is it doesn't matter what age you are but you're expected to be retired from your main job / profession and / or receiving a pension.

So I guess the membership profile will get older.

This will happen to groups like W3A and WI as retirement age is rising.

I belong to our local one and run one of the walking groups now. I am 65 and joined at 61 so I would say the younger members do the active groups like walking, table tennis, theatre and cinema groups etc and the older ones tend to go for more sedentary ones like dine and discover which are day trips or board games, local history or photography. Ours is active with about 25 special interest groups.

I’m 63 and joined one last year. The others are lovely - about 5-10 years older than me but a couple of others just over 60 have recently joined. The older ones are huge fun and I enjoy their knowledge, open minds and wisdom.

I guess it will.

I'm in my 70s but joined when I was 65, specifically because I wanted to attend structured book group ( rather than one where you chat about the book for 10 mins and drink wine - lovely though that is!). The group is really friendly and interesting - I have no idea how old people are.

I’d also add that I’m still working part-time. There was no requirement to be retired.

I'm only in my 40's and was looking for groups to join a couple of days a week where I'm not working.

There is a U3a that does activities in the local church hall. Unfortunately the members are 70+, similar to the WI. They do classes such as art, exercise, languages, local history etc.

We need more activities for younger people. The local walking group is the same. I do have some friends I've known for years who are late 60's, 70's plus, that's not an issue. I would just like a group in the week that that involves a wider range of life stages!

Interestingly I'm heading towards medical retirement and was considering joining our local U3A I'm almost 50.

I am nearly 60, so potentially the target audience.
But I have met several U3A groups through work, and I would say that the average age is very much 75 to 80. The attitudes, interests and physical limitations very much reflect that older demographic. I can't imagine joining at this stage in my life.

I'm 60 and I'm definately one of the youngest but I don't mind if people are old anyway. Why would I?

That's not my experience. I'm early sixties and I'd say there are people a bit younger than me and those who are older. The groups that Ive joined have been friendly & welcoming and been keen to get me to join in other activity groups.

Also, once you've joined one U3A branch you can go to the group activities of a different group if the group in your branch is full or doesn't have the activities you are interested in. For example my branch doesn't have a Bridge group but the branch a few miles away does have one that I can join.

Try meet-up instead. I'm in a walking group with them. We're all in our 50s/ early 60s.

I was just going to suggest that @3678194b has a looked to see if there's a local Meet Up group where they live that might meet their requirements. I've seen Over 30s groups, Over 40s groups etc that organise walks, theatre trips, cinema trips, meals out etc. There's also Spice, which has regional groups that organise activities for members ranging from the sedate like dinner in a local restaurant to the more adventurous like absailing and zip wires.

The problem with groups for younger people is that they tend to meet & do stuff at weekends and in the evening because most people of that age are working during the day.

Also, I'd say, the people I meet at U3A may be older in years but not particularly in attitude. We don't all become grey haired grannies sitting in rocking chairs - I'm off to see my favourite psychrock band next week.

Hubby and I are 66. Both members, and reasonably active within U3A (although I have mobility issues so can't be that active in an exercise sense). We host card and board games including one gent who is 90+, but thrashed me at scrabble and is such a lovely man. Most are 'cotton tops' (ie white hair) but the group we belong to is very interesting. The group is as interesting as you want to make it, and you do as much (or as little) as you want. I think any 20 year old, into rap music and dealing drugs would have little in common with other members, but more mature ladies and gents have a more general interest approach.
Go for it and go along. You don't need to pay for the first couple of visits.

I belonged to a U3a branch before I moved. It was brilliant, with a monthly meeting and talk and loads of groups, outings and holidays. We’ve moved and the local groups are nothing like as good, poorly run with awful communication. We really miss our old branch.Go for it, we’re not all really old, if we are, so what!

I didn't expect so many responses so thank you all!

I wonder if the publicity is different in different areas? Here, it's £20 pa membership and £10 for additional groups. No advertising except via their website and emails.

Some (older) friends of ours go to meetings in London, although that's an additional group for them as they aren't living there.

There is a long list of groups but many are hosted in people's homes. I don't like going to meetings in people's homes partly as you don't know what they are like (I am wary of dogs, for example and I don't like asking to use their loo!) It IS possible for anyone to set up meetings (but then the subs would need to pay for the venue.)

I think the people are generally older because the walks they do are only 2 miles at a gentle pace. I do more than that most days myself.

It's given me food for thought.

"I think the people are generally older because the walks they do are only 2 miles at a gentle pace. I do more than that most days myself."

The branch that I'm in has a couple of different walking groups depending on the distance walked - a group where walks are slow paced 1 to 2 miles long, and a group where walks are longer - 6 to 10 miles, involving hills and stiles etc, for those who'd like something more strenuous.

Groups here meet in a variety of places - room in the library, room in a community centre, people's homes. There is a small charge for renting the room - I pay £2 for the group I go to that meets in the library.