Goudhurst & District

Groups

Interest Groups are the life blood of U3As, they are groups of members who choose to pursue an interest together. The size of such groups varies from as few as two or three to hundreds. The way each group operates, its choice of venue and subject matter, is determined by the group members themselves, operating within the rules of its U3A.

Group Leaders are individuals or several individual members of a group who take on responsibility for its operation. Sometimes there may be one Group Leader, though experience suggests at least two such persons work more efficiently; sometimes the leadership may vary, pass from one member to another or be shared among a number of members.

Groups’ Co-ordinators are members of U3As who undertake to oversee and support the working of the Interest Groups and to assist in creating and facilitating the work of all such Interest Groups in a U3A. They will be members of the executive Committee of their U3A and may well help on a wider basis, co-operating with other U3As to the mutual benefit of all.

‘The U3A Method’ is a phrase used to describe the method of learning preferred by the U3A movement. It is co-operative in nature and self-directed. It is best described as ‘nonformal’ in that it is not imposed by an outside body, requires no entrance qualifications and offers no qualifications on completion of a particular course of study. A good mental model of such a method is of a circle of participants, all of whom share their knowledge,skills and experience. It is fully democratic, non-sectarian and non-political.

Information on Interest Groups including meeting times, durations, frequency, venues (e.g. members’ homes or other), costs, and so on, can be found below and from the Group Page by clicking on the highlighted Group name.
Group leaders can be contacted via email by clicking on their highlighted names on the Group Pages, or by emailing the Groups Co-ordinator via our "contact" page.