Banstead Area u3a
The u3a is a non-political and non-religious independent, national organisation with currently more than 1000 branches spread throughout the country. Membership is open to anyone who is retired, semi-retired, no longer in regular employment or whose family commitments have reduced. It suits those who now have time to undertake an interest or pastime or to meet new people. U3A Banstead Area is one of the oldest established U3As having been formed in 1985 and has over 70 interest groups and 850 members.
Members form interest groups covering a wide range of topics and activities. No qualifications are needed and none are given. These are self-help groups with all members expected to take an active part. Learning for its own sake and its enjoyment are the prime motives, not awards. Members meet regularly in people's homes, although some groups meet in halls or meeting rooms, depending on the size of the group.
We also hold regular Open Meetings that are available to the whole membership. These are addressed by guest speakers who talk on a wide range of varied and interesting topics. Entrance is free to members and includes teas / coffees and biscuits. As well as an interesting talk, these provide a good opportunity to meet with other members in a social setting.
Surrey Network
Surrey Network study days are open to all u3a members and guests are very welcome. They are held in the Menuhin Hall, Stoke d'Abernon; starting at 9.30am with registration and running from 10am to 4pm.
They offer hybrid events so that members can attend the hall or view the study days online. The fees from February 2025, including coffee/tea and biscuits, are £12 for hall attendance or £7 online, £15 for guests and £15 for all attendees paying at the door, although booking in advance is preferred.
Use the on-line form on the Contact page to send a message to Denise Dobbs, Booking Secretary, with comments on the study days or with ideas for the future programme. Surrey u3a Network Study Days can be found here.
As a member of Banstead u3a, you also have access to activities run by the Third Age Trust (TAT).
TAT is the umbrella organisation of all u3as in the country and offers regular online talks, workshops and courses on a wide variety of topics, mostly via Zoom. These range from mindfulness, laughter yoga and cookery demos to talks on AI, history and environmental issues amongst many others. See what’s on offer here.
Some talks get booked up quickly, so it is a good idea to book as soon as they are announced. We usually publish a link to the talks in our monthly bulletin, but it is possible via the website to register for a monthly e-mail announcing what’s coming up. For some of these events, you will need to create a registration with TAT.
In addition to these talks, TAT run Interest Groups Online. This is essentially a virtual u3a which runs a number of groups online with members from across the country. You need to join Interest Groups Online first for £12 per annum, but once you are a member, you can join any of the groups that they run. Find out more here. You can see what groups are on offer first via this link before you decide whether to join.
There is even a podcast you can access for free. This document has all the details.
It is worth exploring the TAT website to see what else is going on in the u3a at a national level.