Join the U3A in Barry! (From Barry And District News)

Join the U3A in Barry!

8:12am Friday 9th May 2008

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A CLUB that caters for everyone - whether they have been to University or the University of Life - is to be established in Barry.

The University of the Third Age (U3A) is aimed at anyone whose children have flown the nest or those whose retirement is sorted and have plenty of spare time.

It requires no qualifications - just an interest in learning.

The group is for like-minded people who want to learn new things without the expense of evening classes and the hassle of exams.

The U3A aims to foster the physical and intellectual well-being of those in the third age.

Anyone wanting to learn a new skill, or study a new subject or keep in touch with topics relevant to their past career, can get together with a group of other people with similar interests and learn from each other.

It is a university with no professors or lecturers, and it doesn't have students either.

Dafydd Evans, spokesman for the South Wales and Severnside Network, U3A, said: "Although most U3As have monthly meetings with a guest lecturer, it is the small individual interest groups which makes U3A different from other organisations."

"Barry doesn't have a U3A," he added.

"This is a major gap in the coverage in South Wales so we are starting one.

"May 17 sees the start of Adult Learners Week, and we shall be publicising the U3A movement with stalls at several events during that week.

"We aim to generate enough interest to hold an inaugural meeting soon afterwards.

"If you are interested in joining the 3,500 U3A members in South Wales, and making U3A Barry the 33rd in the area, then keep an eye out for notices which will appear over Barry and the surrounding area giving the date of the inaugural meeting."

Subjects as diverse as flower arranging, French conversation, digital photography, philosophy, craft, and live music form a list limited only by members' imaginations, and an important part of the group is social and physical well-being, with most U3As having walking groups.

Luncheon groups and wine or beer-tasting groups are also very popular and some U3As run dance or yoga groups.

Members arrange outside speakers or deals with a local university or museum to hire a lecturer to give a course and universities often need assistants for their research.

At present the Welsh U3As are recruiting assistants to help in a project on management of community care for the frail elderly.

The U3A will have a stall on Barry market on Tuesday, May 13.

Then on Wednesday, May 21 the Vale learning network will be putting on exhibitions of learning opportunities in Barry, and U3A will have a stall in King Square where U3A members will be on hand to answer questions.

Alternatively, for more details call Linda Nash on 01446 405026 or John Farrier on 01446 713138.

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