Welcome to Coventry Sherbourne U3A
Founded in 1982, u3a is a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities for anyone who has ceased full-time work to stay active, experience new things and to learn for fun. It is non-religious and non-political, there are no qualifications to pass and the decisions about what to do are made by local members. Members are free to pick and choose which of the locally available activities they will join and they may also participate in online learning through our national u3a website.
Self-help learning is an underlying principle. You can share your skills with others, take up something new and develop your interests in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. There is no distinction between the learners and the teachers; we are all U3A members who share our knowledge and experience and learn from each other.
The Coventry Sherbourne u3a is one of over 1,000 u3as with over 430,000 members. The first u3a to be founded in the City is named, unsurprisingly, Coventry u3a. Coventry Sherbourne was set up in 1993 as the popularity of the movement grew, to be followed by Coventry Spires u3a. Eventually, Coventry Sherbourne made its permanent home in the east of the city and is well situated for Stoke, Wyken, Foleshill, Binley and surrounding districts, while the other two u3as are based in Earlsdon, to the south west of the City.
Coventry Sherbourne u3a holds its popular general branch meetings at 2.00pm on the first Thursday of the month at Wyken Community Centre (the £1.50 entry fee covers tea/coffee and a biscuit) and we normally have a speaker on a topic of general interest. There is ample free dedicated parking at the back of the Centre and we are close to a bus route. We are a friendly bunch, at Coventry Sherbourne and so it is easy to get to know most of our members. Annual fees are extremely good value at £20* and we ask that they are paid at the AGM in February, at the latest. There would normally be a discount for newcomers joining part way through the calendar year.
Our activity group meetings focusing on specific interests typically take place during the day in a member’s home or at a public venue. We frequently have informal social meet ups at cafes and pubs and frequently make trips to museums, galleries, National Trust properties, gardens, nature reserves and other places of interest. Sometimes these excursions are undertaken with our sister u3a branches in Coventry. The atmosphere at all events informal and companionable. Where costs are incurred by the event organisers there will be reasonable additional charges to pay, but u3a rules dictate that costs are kept as low as possible and that members who are organising or teaching cannot charge for their services to the u3a. Please see the Activities and Diary pages of our website for more details of our activities.
We welcome all newcomers to our meetings, so please get in touch by visiting the Contacts section of our website. Prospective new members are permitted to attend three main meetings and/or free activities before annual fees are chargeable (attendance at other events is at the discretion of branch officers).
U3a is really good fun. You have opportunities to follow your interests and make some great friends along the way.
Members of other u3as* are welcome to join our financially self-sufficient activities, subject to availability, or they may have unrestricted access by becoming Associate Membership for a nominal annual fee (please get in touch for details).