17 hours Ago By Newsroom
In short, it’s all about learning, laughing and living. The Banbridge District u3a group has 10 different interest groups with 130 members in total. No specific level of education, qualifications or previous experience is needed to join.
No awards, qualifications or certificates are awarded – it’s all about enjoying retirement years in an active and sociable way. Groups draw on the experience, skills and knowledge of members to organise and run the interest groups. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
New members or anyone wanting to join any interest group are always welcome throughout the year. Some groups are limited to numbers so you may be asked to join a waiting list – but that’s not to say you can’t come along to a group once to check it out. Don’t worry about finding someone to join you to visit a group or meeting – u3a members love to meet new people and will make you feel very welcome.
These are the current interest groups, but any member can start up an interest group as long as others are interested in joining, so there may be other groups starting in the future. Art: 10am to 12 noon on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the Tesco Community Room (The Boulevard). A theme is usually set each month but participants can work on their own project instead.
Bring your own materials, though if new to this, there will be extra materials available along with expert help to get started. Advertisement Advertisement Badminton: 12.30pm every Wednesday in the leisure centre main hall.
Cost is usually £1 depending on how many turn up. No experience required and the group will share racquets to get new members started. Wear comfortable gym type clothes.
Crafts: 2pm to 4pm on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month in the Tesco Community Room (The Boulevard). Bring any craft project you are working on at the moment. Family History: 10:30am on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month in the Tesco Community Room (The Boulevard).
Flower Arranging: 2.30pm on the last Friday of each month in the Tesco Community Room (The Boulevard). A suggestion for the shape to work on each month is set ahead of time and members bring their own scissors/clippers, flowers and a container.
Oasis and a little tape/wire is supplied for a minimal cost, if needed, and greenery is usually provided. Advertisement Advertisement Games: 2pm to 4pm on the 2nd Friday of each month in the Tesco Community Room (The Boulevard). A variety of board games are available to choose to play as a small group, in pairs or with the whole group or members can bring their own game.
All you need is to be willing to learn and have a bit of fun. History: This group won’t be meeting again until November as there is a planned residential trip to Donegal in October. Each month, there is a day trip to sites of historical interest, sometimes requiring a small entrance fee and transport is usually by car share.
Come to a monthly u3a meeting to ask for more information or check out the Banbridge District u3a website. Photography: 10am on the 4th Wednesday of the month in the Tesco Community Room (at The Boulevard). The next meeting is Wednesday, September 25.
There is a topic to focus your photographs on each month and they are shared to get feedback, helpful advice to improve or enhance photos. Advertisement Advertisement Past photos can be found on the link on the website under the Photography interest group section. Pickleball: 10.
30am to 12.30pm every Wednesday in the leisure centre main hall. Cost is usually £2 to cover the cost of the courts.
Wear comfortable gym type clothes. All equipment is provided. It’s a cross between tennis, ping pong and badminton, is great fun and easy to learn.
Come along to try it out and you’ll be hooked! Walking: 9.15am every Monday in the small Tesco car park across from the petrol station. Each walk lasts a few hours, including travel time, so members bring their own tea/coffee and a bite to eat.
Afterwards a stop at a cafe for coffee and a scone is usually included as the group is very sociable. Advertisement Advertisement Wear comfortable walking clothes and shoes and be prepared for weather and meeting lovely people. All levels of walkers are welcome, though walks are usually not suitable for walking aides, scooters or wheelchairs.
Members also have access to online learning events in the UK. Upcoming online events include: Laughter Yoga, Exploring World Faiths, Introduction to Cryptic Crosswords, The Secret Life of Bees, Vincent Van Gogh: a Personal Journey Through the Places He Painted, and The Unification of the British Isles: A Lesson in Geography. There is also an option to join u3a as an online member.
This membership gives access to online interest groups only that are run from anywhere in the UK. Online interest groups are usually held monthly and include topics such as: Ancient Rome; Armchair Travellers; Book Club; French; Justice, Law & Society; Railways; Smartphone Photo Art and many, many more subjects. Advertisement Advertisement More information can be found through a link on the Banbridge u3a website.
General monthly meetings for all u3a members are held in Bannside Presbyterian Church on the Castlewellan Road on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2pm. Each meeting starts with an important cuppa and chat and is followed by interesting speakers and an opportunity to catch up on the latest u3a news and events. Upcoming speakers’ topics include Captain Crozier, The Linen Industry, Reflexology, Granny’s Postcards and NI Memorial Museum.
Advertisement Advertisement Anyone is welcome to attend the next meeting on Tuesday, October 8. For more information go to the Banbridge District u3a website (https://banbridgeu3a.weebly.
com), attend any of the events above or come to one of the monthly meetings. Membership is not required to attend any interest group or meeting the first or second time. However, after this you can join for an annual fee of £20.
This works out to just over £1.50/month and gives you access to all interest groups, monthly meetings, online seminars/groups and a quarterly nationwide u3a magazine. National World encourages reader discussion on our stories.
User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
.
