By Donna Clifford

Copyright grimsbytelegraph

To its members, the University of the Third Age – or U3A – providing more than just education and lifelong learning – it’s a social lifeline for many, giving them opportunities to meet and even holiday with people who share similar interests in the community. Margaret Sisson, current chairman, said: “U3A as an organisation has been established for over 40 years. It’s across the British Isles, also Canada, Australia, America, France, Spain, wherever ex-pats have gone and they’ve formed a u3a. “This one in Cleethorpes started in 1991. I took over as chair in 2015. The object of U3A is for people to be able to learn, so it’s taken the place in some respects of the old adult education which we use to have years ago, except now we’re self taught, we don’t have tutors, we just get people together who have like minded ideas and we form groups. “We have many groups including creative writing, croquet in the summer, new age curling, table tennis, 10-pin bowling, a walking group and a ukulele group. Then we also have a Scrabble group, rummy club, a board game group, a discussion group and a gardening group.” She said: “One of the big features of U3A is that we run holidays and have day trips because one of the things we are most enthusiastic about is stopping people from being lonely and stopping people from feeling there’s nothing out there for them. So even if you’re on your own you can still go on holiday. We also make sure we keep links with other affiliations. We have members who are members of the Rotary so we keep in touch with the Rotary, we have women who go to Friendship At Home so we keep in touch with them, we have people who use Age UK and the hospice so we have those connections as well. “We go out several times a year, partly to promote u3a but also to make those connections, and then we bring back to our meeting any information we found out because we won’t cover every aspect of what people want but what we want to do is make sure people know what’s out there. Our moto is Learn, Laugh, and Live. “There are over 200 members, we have a monthly meeting where we have a speaker, coffee, tea and then throughout the week, every single day there’s a meeting somewhere. Pauline Hollies has been with u3a for over a year. She said: “My husband died and Tim the treasurer came round to see my daughter and said ‘when your mum’s ready we will give her a lift, tell her there’s so many activities at u3a’ I said initially I can’t do it but eventually I did and Tim brought me, and he still brings me now and it has changed my life. “I’ve made so many friends and I’ve been on holiday with them, I’d never done that, Mike and I did everything together. Its a big step to take but they look after everybody. “I’d definitely recommend joining to anybody. There’s so many different activities, I’ve learned to play croquet, I go to luncheon club and if you’d have told me this a year ago I’d have laughed at you. They make you so welcome, it doesn’t matter which group you go to they really do make you welcome.” Marion Piggott is a meet and greeter for U3A, “I joined about 15 years ago, I had a break for family commitments, Margaret was chair the first time and I thought I like this, it’s organised, I liked the set up and I like to be organised. I joined the committee a couple of years ago. I do the singing and walking at the moment. The groups are friendly, calming and welcoming.” Treasurer Tim Cockerton explained: “I’ve been a member for about 10 years. I organise the holidays and the day trips, and also the function we have after Christmas, a festive lunch. Generally I organise four day trips a year, I also organise an annual holiday which started off as a 5-day coach break but next year we are actually having three holidays. “There’s a lot of ladies in the group who’ve had very nice marriages, unfortunately their partners have died and they really value this group. A lot of ladies have gained confidence by going on holiday as part of a group, it gives them that secure feeling rather than going on their own.” Barry Haden, 89, is one of the oldest active members and produces the newsletter every month. He said: “I lost my wife five years ago and you have to make the effort to go out, people don’t come to you, you’ve got to go to them. You don’t want to be sat looking at the same four walls. “I run the croquet club, I keep active all the time. There is too many people just sitting in their home all day, you’ve got to make the effort, I’d recommend they join us. “The holidays are great, I don’t want to go on holiday on my own, I want to be with someone so we can discuss things and enjoy it. I was mentioned the u3a many years ago but the word university put me off. I thought I don’t want to go back to university at my age but I learnt its the university of life.” Tim added: “We’re promoting education later in life but really the prime thing why people come is because they want to be with people and probably secondary is to learn things, but it’s the social side of it which is more important.” Are you a Community group or Community space providing services, events or activities for the residents of your area? Contact donna.clifford@reachplc.com