Cheddar Valley

Welcome

Welcome to Cheddar Valley U3A. Yes, this is the home of the famous cheese, stored in caves in Cheddar Gorge!

If you are no longer in full time work or raising a family - we call it your third age - u3a gives you opportunities to develop your interests, make new friends and have fun. We have approaching 500 members making the most of life by continuing their creative, educational or social interests in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere.

The annual membership fee is only £10 and you can join as many groups as you wish. From Day-Trips to Dance; Philosophy to Photography; Tai Chi to Table Tennis, and Poetry to Patchwork – there are around 50 groups to choose from.
Activities are decided by members. Anyone can propose a new activity, and as long as there are at least two of you; you have a group – the set of groups evolves over time to reflect the interests of the changing membership. Some groups meet in members houses. Others, in local hired rooms, may make a small charge towards hall hire, etc.

In addition, we have two regular larger gatherings; a coffee morning on the third Thursday morning of the month and an afternoon speaker meeting on the first Thursday afternoon of most months, both of which give us a chance to meet up with other members, usually at Cheddar Village Hall.
Retired or semi-retired: whatever your circumstances, u3a welcomes you.

What is u3a?

It is a large international movement dedicated to learning for retired people. It was previously known as The University of the Third Age and was originally set up in France in 1973 as an extramural university activity with a strong academic focus.

The movement reached the UK in 1982 and adapted itself to this country with a focus on shared learning in a more social environment, without the formal university links of the French model. The main purpose of u3a is the advancement of education, and in particular the education of older people and those retired from full time work. This is done primarily through interest or activity groups, which provide a wide range of activities conducive to learning and personal development. The ethos of u3a in the UK is learn, laugh, live.

In 2023, UK membership is about 430,000 across 1000+ local u3as, which are independent charities. All these local u3as are supported by an umbrella organization called The Third Age Trust, which provides extensive guidance and support. The national website is https://www.u3a.org.uk/

Please explore this website to find information about Cheddar Valley u3a, or contact our Membership Secretary by email: membership@cheddarvalleyu3a.org.uk