Welling

Welcome

Welcome
Welcome to the Welling u3a website. We are located on the boundaries of SE London and Kent - a London Borough with a Kent postcode. We meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month at St Michael's Church Hall, Upper Wickham Lane, Welling, Kent, DA16 3AP. The hall is opposite the horse stables in Upper Wickham Lane near Lodge Hill. A 96 bus stops right outside the church going both ways. You can also get a 422 bus that comes along Okehampton Crescent. There is a car park at the back of the hall that will hold 20 plus cars parked sensibly. Also there is parking on the streets surrounding the hall with lots of free parking spaces.
Refreshments are available free of charge after the opening notices and before the speaker.
Entrance to all monthly meetings will be at 1.45pm and not before unless you are a volunteer. Entrance will be by the main door at the front of the hall unless you have a disability and you can use the door at the rear of the hall'
The meetings start at 2.00pm and will last approximately 1 hour 30 mins. Doors open at 1.45pm. Most months we have a speaker offering a wide range of topics to suit all interests.

Background
u3a stands for the University of the Third Age. It began in France in 1972, starting in Britain in 1982. The vision of u3a is that older people have access to education in all its forms by providing it for themselves. Membership of the u3a is open to all people who are no longer in full-time employment, irrespective of race, religion or politics.

There is a national organisation, the Third Age Trust (TAT), which is the national representative body for u3a’s in the UK. It underpins the work of local u3a’s by providing support to their management committees and to individual members and assists in the development of new u3a’s across the UK. It provides summer schools, conferences and a magazine to all members several times a year.

Summary of Activities
Welling u3a had its' first meeting in June 2013. It is a financially self-supporting organisation. As a relatively new u3a, we have approximately 30 learning groups/activities underway and more planned. These include such topics as history, creative writing, reading, art, flower arranging, discussions, games, walking and a variety of social groups. These activities meet the needs of the community by offering facilities for members to get together and debate with others.

Membership
We have approximately 180 members currently and if you would like to join us then please contact our Membership Secretary for more information.

Notice about Membership Renewal
The membership fee for the year April 2023 to March 2024 is £20 for individual members with a reduction of £3 for associate members and couples (one reduction only per couple). There will be no fee for anyone joining from January 2024 to March 2024.

Before you renew your membership, can we remind you that Welling u3a is a charity entirely dependent on all its members taking part and contributing to its running. Please consider how you can actively participate, such as joining / leading a group, helping during a Members Meeting or joining the Committee. We are a self-help organisation and ask you to think about how you can share your experience and skills gained throughout your life.

Visitors may try out one of our meetings at a cost of £2, which is deducted from the annual fee should you choose to join us!

Members News
This website offers the facilities to add your contributions/suggestions on group activities and local news. Information on groups and forth-coming events can be found on the following pages.

We welcome feedback – please contact me directly.

Best wishes

Pat Perry
Chair, Welling u3a