Welcome letter from Mary Armitage,

Chairman -Torbay U3A

Welcome to the Torbay U3A website.

Our U3A in Torquay offers the chance to study, practise and enjoy a range of topics such as art history, languages – French, German and Italian -, literature, music, family history, computing, crafts, creative writing and  discussion groups.  Our members also organise groups which play games such as canasta, scrabble, mah jongg, and bridge. We have a quiz group and the opportunity to enjoy theatre visits, visits to churches and cathedrals, walking, petanque, skittles and other social activities such as lunches and coffee mornings.  Members also organise one-off events such as outings from time to time.  We aim to provide our members with opportunities to sustain their sense of well-being  in later life and to help to limit ill health, social isolation and other difficulties by living an active and stimulating life for as long as possible.  

We in Torbay U3A were the first group to form in the area in 1995.  Since then other groups in Paignton, Teignbridge, Brixham, Totnes and Preston & Livermead have developed and so there are now around 800 U3A members in our immediate area in these 6 groups.

In Torbay U3A we have nearly 350 members.  We meet together monthly in Central Church, Morgan Avenue, Torquay usually on the second Wednesday afternoon of each month at 2.15pm and at each meeting we have a speaker or other event and there are opportunities for members to read the noticeboards to find out what is going on, to sign up for new activities and have a cup of tea or coffee & chat together. We issue a newsletter 4 times each year.

We hold a "Meet the U3A" afternoon each month for anyone interested in joining us to come along and find out more. We meet the second Tuesday afternoon of the month at The Coffee House, St Marychurch Precinct.  Representatives from the Torbay U3A will be at the back of the shop between 2.30pm - 3.30pm and will be pleased to answer any questions. You can come and go or stay as long as you like but please buy your refreshments at the cafe as they allow us free use of the space.

Torbay U3A currently has over 40 groups which meet at other times in each month.  Some groups meet in members’ homes and so there may be a limit on numbers.  Others meet outdoors or in local halls.  We try to respond to members’ interests by encouraging the formation of further groups where there are members willing to co-ordinate that group’s activities. We invite potential members to visit any two of our activities, with the consent of the group leader if you select a group to try out, before you join so that you can see if what we do is your “thing”.  You can then join at any general meeting where our Membership Secretary or New Member Co-ordinator is always available to talk to new members.

Our annual subscription is currently £12.50 per annum and our year runs from January to December.  For members joining after 1^st September we have a reduced subscription.  There is no charge for members to attend the general meeting. We also contribute 30p whenever we attend a group activity and, if tea or coffee is offered, 30p for the drink.  Where a group hires a hall for its activities then members attending share the cost of the hall hire.

If you have not already done so you may like to look at the national U3A website on www.u3a.org.uk

We are always very pleased to receive any enquiries from prospective members and you can do this by emailing our Membership Secretary or New Member Co-ordinator via info@torbayu3a.org.uk who will be pleased to answer your queries.  A downloadable Subscription form is also available on the “How to join us” page.

We look forward to welcoming you if you choose to join us.

I very much hope to meet you in the near future.

Mary Armitage

Chairman Torbay U3A

Torbay U3A
Registered Charity Number
1045085


If you have any feedback on how we can make our new website better please do contact us. We would like to hear from you.


Last modified
10.3.11 10:55 AM