Is U3A too old for me!

[ProteinFibreHaribos]

Recently retired in my late 50’s.
Im looking for things to fill the day. There are several U3A groups within a drivable distance, but I’ve had a look at their websites and their itineraries and it all looks like they cater for older people (said in the nicest possible way!).
Has anyone my age, who has joined the U3A? How did you find it?
My DSil tried one, but said they were a bit clicky, so left.
Any alternative groups for the recently retired?

DH and I joined U3a after retirement (early 60s) primarily to get more practice at playing bridge to help keep our brain cells working (but without the formality of joining a traditional bridge club) - we pay about £12 annual U3a subs each plus £1 a week for an afternoon of bridge. Works well for us but we don’t have time currently to join any other groups (too busy with other post-retirement activities ).

I think our local group is basically self run so it's a community of active, engaged vibrant retired people being independent and busy. Very far from the usual stereotype of older people being passive and dependent.

My mum especially likes a series of talks called Physics for the Flummoxed by a retired professor. Apparently she is an amazing speaker and then they all get to hang out, chat and eat cake afterwards.

I retired at 61, and joined my local u3a. I'm probably one of the younger crowd, but a lot of people retire early, so I think you'd find a fair few in their late fifties. I also don't really care about the ages of my fellow group members, it's not school, where you're all grouped according to age. Most people who are U3A members are active, interested and interesting, otherwise they'd all be in front of the TV at home 🤷🏻

Thank you all. Lots to think about. I think U3A may be a little old for me atm, but may be something I look into, in a few years time.
In the last couple of days, I’ve signed up for a sea swimming group and several more classes at my local gym.

You don't need to be good at crafts to enjoy crafts. I used to go to pottery with my friend and I always laughed that I had to pass the dustbin on my way into the house so I could dispose of my efforts there. I was never going to be a great potter but I had enormous fun doing it.

Check your local college for adult courses, they do languages, computers, pottery, jewellery making, music, etc etc) they're affordable and fun and you just pay for a 10/12 week course and if you don't turn up that's fine.

DH has given talks to U3A and he did say that some were getting on for fourth age.

It was a godsend for my parents from late 50s to late 70s. The groups they were in:

• conversational Spanish
• local history lectures (monthly)
• Nordic walking
• boules/petanque
• table tennis
• outdoor sketching
• bridge
• short term cookery classes like Indian food or patisserie
• backgammon tournaments (monthly)

My mum said she hadn't anticipated making so many new friends in her late 50s and felt so lucky to develop new interests.
At her funeral were 200 people and almost half were friends she'd made through U3A.

Similar situation Protein
I need to do more activity and be more active. Going to look at joining a gym soon and pursue a couple of classes.
I would prefer to volunteer my time so looking at these options.

Unable to travel currently.
I am also looking at U3A and recreational classes.

Lots of things happening in the evenings which might also appeal to younger individuals. If only these activities were held in the day as I don't want to be out every evening due to family commitments but then of course they wouldn't be open to everyone.

Not U3A, but when I was about 56-57 I went along to an over 55s dance/excercise class. I was the youngest by about 20 years, which took me by surprise.

I am in my 60s and retired, but I have come across several U3A groups where I volunteer. The minimum age seems to be about 75, many are not particularly physically active, and there is lots of fuss about loo breaks and cups of tea! Some of the stuff they do is interesting but I have said more than once that I am definitely not ready to join yet.

Try a local theatre or music venue - totally flexible.

Absolutely not the case in my local u3a. Everyone seems pretty active, and none of the groups I go to have breaks or cups of tea!

I really think it depends on the group and where you live.
I have an older relative who does U3A day trips- coaches to stately homes etc sometimes theatre/ shows .

The common theme for her group and another near to me is a fortnightly talk in a church hall by an 'expert' and a weekly coffee morning social in a local cafe. I've seen members going to these venues in my town and they do look 80s on the whole.
They also do walks but they are very gentle- a choice of 1 mile or 3 miles.

There are book clubs galore but many are full and they are all in members' homes, which isn't great if they have pets you aren't keen on or have to ask to use their loo.

Does it matter that they are older? I have plenty of friends who are a decade or more older and younger than me.

No it doesn't in itself. But it does dictate what some groups do.
Each group has a committee which organises meetings. What's on offer is only as good as the committee. Yes, members can set up their own groups but it does involve admin, fees for spaces if they need halls etc, so it's not that simple. (Which is why I think many meetings are in people's homes.)

Before I joined the U3A I enquired about the book clubs held at the library - all full, with waiting lists. My U3A has about 8 book clubs, some are in people's homes and some in cafes or the library. The size of someone's home limits the size of those groups, and for my book club we get the library book club 'sets', which are 15 copies, so that's how many people can be in the group 🤷🏻

I've been to the big group talks (often authors) and I absolutely don't recognise the description of most people being in their 80s! Lots of people in their 50s at mine. You can be semi-retired and join. Obviously each local group will be different from the next, but the OP is in her late fifties, she' would be unlikely to be the youngest. There's someone in her forties in my choir. I don't think there are even any 'walks' groups here, as there are plenty of other organisations that offer walks.

Some people obviously feel more at ease with people their own age and don't want to find themselves in a group with people that might be a decade older than them🤷🏻

It's not really about age per se. I have friends 25 years older than me and some 10 years younger. It's about outlook and what people enjoy doing. Each U3A group is different.

This thread has revealed to me that U3A is probably more secretive than GCHQ, MI5 and the SAS rolled in to one.

This thread has reminded me not to retire til at least mid 60s

Get another job perhaps eg NHS bank which gives flexibility, or do volunteering.

Any non working adult can join u3a.

Good U3As have a variety of things to offer and doing them under their umbrella means you are in the loop for all activities and do not have to search around for an individual activity - who knows, you might find one you have never thought to search for!

Annual sub here is £12 - it is a bargain!

I mentioned earlier that my local group is independent of the national system. Perhaps some of its 300+ courses are really cover for not-quite-retired spies. Or, given Cambridge’s history, a recruitment tool.

How can it be independent? I thought they had to follow certain processes for taking money, booking rooms , paying for speakers, all overseen by the national U3A? I'm genuinely curious as I have a family member who's been in U3A for years.

I could be wrong and probably am.

I don’t know.
It isn’t part of U3A system. It’s called U3AC, not U3A.

The national Body is The Third Age Trust (TAT). Individual local u3a's pay an annual afiliation fee to them depending on how many members they have, and TAT give advice, provide insurance cover etc. but the local u3a's all run independently of each other and, providing that the group sticks to the basic agreed constitution, it is very much down to the individual u3a exactly how they run themselves. For example, some decide to charge quite a high annual membership fee but make classes free, others charge a lower annual membership but will charge for each class on top.

My local one is a charity in it's own right, run by a committee.

There are no classes run by the U3As near me. They do outings, talks, walks and interest groups, where a fee is charged towards the venue.

Well for a start most activities at U3A are during the day, in the week. Activities for a broader range of people would have to be mostly in the evenings or at weekends. U3A gives you something to do on weekdays.

I have joined, but only recently, so can't give an opinion yet.

As far as age goes though, I do some volunteering at our local library with a group who have poor mobility. They are 20-30 years older than me, but they are absolutely brilliant. I don't feel like I'm young and they're old - they are great fun, and we have a good chat and a good laugh.