Welcome
ACTIVITIES, HOBBIES, AND GROUPS FOR RETIRED AND SEMI-RETIRED PEOPLE IN EPPING, LOUGHTON, ABRIDGE, CHIGWELL, THEYDON BOIS AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS
Roding Valley u3a (RV u3a) was inaugurated in May 2004 and now has a membership of over 400. Our u3a is situated in West Essex. We draw members from the towns of Epping, Loughton, Abridge, Chigwell, Theydon Bois, and the surrounding areas. Everyone is welcome. We are an extremely friendly bunch of people. Click on the map to see where our members live
We have a monthly meeting for all members and nearly 30 separate interest groups, so there is something for everyone.
Annual membership is £16.00. The cost of belonging to a group can be as little as 30p a time, just to cover refreshments. More details are found by clicking on the Groups tab.
We also have close links to other local u3a organisations. More details are found by clicking on the Partner u3a tab.
THE U3A
Founded in 1982, the u3a is a UK-wide collection of locally-run charities that provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to learn for fun. There are 1,039 u3as with over 430,000 members. The u3a Principles can be found on the link on the right-hand side of this page.
The u3a is for people who are either retired or no longer in full-time employment but who want to continue to learn and socialise There are no assessments or qualifications required to join and none to be gained. The focus is on learning for pleasure.
More information can be found on the u3a National Website. Go to www.u3a.org.uk or click on the tab U3A. This will give you a flavour of what the u3a might be able to do for you.
Monthly Meeting
On the 3rd Monday of each month there is a meeting at Theydon Bois Village Hall at 10.00 am with an invited Speaker - this lasts for about an hour and is open to all members. The talks are varied, often illustrated, and are chosen to reflect different tastes and interests. Invariably there is something for everyone. Doors open at 9:15 am, so you can have a coffee and a chat beforehand.
More information about upcoming monthly meetings can be found by clicking on the Speakers tab.
Interest Groups
Our interest groups include arts & crafts, games, outdoor activities, exercise, literature, languages, music and science.
You can find a summary of all our activities by clicking on the Groups tab. The Groups page will lead you to individual group pages, where there in more information about how a group operates and how to contact the group's convenor.
At our monthly meeting, you can also chat to the Groups’ Coordinator about group availability and ideas for new groups.
Outings and Social Life
Roding Valley u3a also has numerous less formal activities, including pub lunches and afternoon teas. Details of these are on the Groups page.
We arrange outings, including trips to the Festival Hall and regular social events. We have quiz nights and a summer BBQ. These are open to all Roding Valley u3a members. More details can be found by clicking on the Events tab.
Monthly Newsletter
Our monthly Newsletter keeps members up to date regarding outings, theatre visits, social events and group updates. All members are welcome to contribute. See the Contact tab for the link to the editors.
THE NATIONAL U3A
All Roding Valley members can join events organised by the National u3a and the East of England region. Again visit the u3a website on www.u3a.org.uk for more details.
All Roding Valley members receive a copy of the national magazine "Third Age Matters" through the post. This provides more information on national events and on line learning activities.
PLEASE CONTACT US
If you would like more information about our activities, or wish to join, just e-mail us by clicking on the envelope in the top righthand corner.
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Roding Valley u3a is a registered charity (Charity Trust No.1116143). We are managed by an Executive Committee. The committee members act as trustees. Their details can be found by clicking on the Contacts tab. All members of the committee are volunteers. Roding Valley u3a cannot accept responsibility for any commercial activities carried out by any convenor, speaker or member that may be advertised or promoted at any time. Members use such services at their own risk without any recourse to Roding Valley u3a or its Trustee.