Rayleigh

Welcome to Rayleigh u3a

RAYLEIGH u3a MONTHLY MEMBERS MEETING

NEXT MEETING - WEDNESDAY 6th MARCH 2024

Our next Members Meeting will be on Wednesday 6th March 2024 at The Mill Hall. The doors open at 1.45pm and our speaker will commence at 2.30pm. This month's speaker will be Paul Westgate from the charity - Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

There will be a Membership Renewals table in the lobby if you wish to renew by cheque. Please make sure your cheque is made payable to Rayleigh u3a for £20 (or £16.50 if you are an Associate Member) and that your Name and Postcode are written on the reverse. Also if you are registered with us for Gift Aid, please pay with a cheque from your personal bank account or a joint account.

You will also be able to collect your Membership card if you are a new member, buy tickets for events and talks and buy books from the bookstall.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

We have an enthusiastic and friendly membership of over 440 members. Our u3a offers an extensive range of creative, educational, leisure and social interest groups each run by its members and a Monthly Meeting at The Mill Hall in Rayleigh on the 1st Wednesday of the month (excluding August & December) which provides a way of getting to meet with other members, read the notice boards for information on forthcoming events, buy tickets and visit the book stall. There are also guest speakers giving talks on a selection of subjects. A varied programme of Social and Educational Events are organised throughout the year.

Rayleigh u3a provides opportunities for shared learning and social activities for older people who are retired or semi-retired. This is the time of life to think about developing interests or learn new skills you did not have enough time for while working full-time.

New Members Information

New to Rayleigh u3a? Please click on this link New Members Information for more information and helpful advice.

Welcoming Members at our Monthly Meetings

We have members acting as ‘Welcomers’ at our Monthly Meetings who wear red sashes. The purpose of this role is to welcome all members, in particular new members, arriving at the door on the day of the Monthly Meetings. Having a Welcomer wearing the distinctive red sash as a recognisable face to refer to when necessary is reassuring.

The Welcomers are always there to help or chat either at the door when you arrive and to show you around the hall, or point you in the direction of various activities going on in the hall before the Speaker.

We hope this gives members and especially newcomers, the confidence to return to further u3a meetings, knowing they can enjoy an afternoon with like-minded people, to make friends and discover the many varied activities our u3a organises.

Non-Members who wish to attend the Monthly Meeting are charged a Guest Fee of £3.00.

Membership

Our full annual membership fee is £20.00 which includes a £4.00 fee payable to the Third Age Trust which provides a wide range of services and benefits including liability insurance cover. Our membership fee also covers hall hire, guest speakers and refreshments at monthly meetings and administration costs. Our membership year runs from 1st April to 31st March.

If you are a full member of another u3a, you can apply as an Associate Member with Rayleigh u3a at a reduced fee of £16.50. Please contact our Membership Secretary for more details.

To be a member of a group, or to attend any meetings or events, you do need to be a Full Member or Associate Member of Rayleigh u3a.

Membership enquiries should be submitted using the form found on the Contact page. Applications will be forwarded to the Membership Secretary who will be in touch with you.

Newsletters & Magazines

All members receive a bi-monthly Newsletter either by email or by collecting from our Monthly Meetings. They also receive Third Age Matters, an informative magazine published 5 times a year from our National Office.

What is the u3a?

Founded in 1982, u3a is a UK-wide movement of locally-run interest groups that provide a wide range of opportunities to come together to learn for fun. Members explore new ideas, skills and activities together. There are 1,057 u3as with over 450,000 members and is open to everyone who is no longer in full-time work. More details can be found at Third Age Trust#.

Rayleigh u3a was formed in October 2007 by our founder member, the late Marian Allen and a small group of retired men and women who lived in Rayleigh and the surrounding area.

Learn Laugh & Live

Are you recently retired or semi-retired, wishing to socialise more or looking to keep the brain cells active? Then Rayleigh u3a may be just what you are looking for.

Rayleigh u3a provides opportunities for shared learning and social activities for older people who are retired or semi-retired. This is the time of life to think about developing interests or learn new skills you did not have enough time for while working full-time.

The u3a is for people looking for an active retirement, sharing many educational, creative and leisure pursuits. Our friendly groups usually meet in informal settings to share learning and activities. "Learn, Laugh and Live" is our byword.

Thank you for looking at our website and if you need any further information, pleaase contact the Membership Secretary or Secretary on the Contact page.

Rayleigh u3a is a Registered Charity (No. 1134068).