A Short History of Thanet u3a
A short history of Thanet u3a by past Chairman Colin Harvey
Peter Laslett, the driving force behind the setting up of the u3a in Britain in the early 1980s, was determined it would be a self-help, self-financing organisation that would never be dependent on public funds. Envisaging a membership made up of retired people, who after a lifetime of experience would collectively have acquired a vast amount of knowledge, he summed up the philosophy of the new organisation succinctly:
"Those who teach shall also learn and those who learn shall also teach."
Unlike earlier models of similar organisations that had already been set up in other countries, his vision for the u3a in Britain was of groups of people getting together to learn about a common interest or topic. Rather than having a single teacher, each group would instead be organised by a group leader or convenor to co-ordinate and help guide the efforts and studies of the group’s members.
After ten years’ affiliation with Canterbury u3a, by 2003 there were sufficient numbers of members in Thanet to set up our own independent branch. Since then Thanet u3a has developed its own identity and thrived. Hardly surprising, given the staggeringly wide range of courses and activities that now regularly take place under the aegis of the branch. When a lady interviewed on BBC Radio’s Woman’s Hour recently was asked how she had eventually fought off the overwhelming crushing boredom and consequent depression that had descended on her following retirement from a successful professional career, she replied, quite simply, ”The u3a.” By providing her with fresh intellectual stimulation and opportunities to learn new skills while also bonding with a range of new friends, she explained, her life had been reinvigorated and given a renewed sense of purpose.
Our mission as a cooperative in Thanet u3a is to create just such opportunities for local people, along with a programme of bi monthly talks, social events and outings. That’s why with so much going on, with so many life-enhancing opportunities available to our members, we are proud to belong to Thanet’s thriving u3a. Proud, but not complacent, for we are constantly on the lookout for new avenues to explore and recruit new members to bring fresh ideas to enhance our programmes and range of activities.