Chairman's welcome

Hello and welcome to the Alton u3a Annual Programme for 2026/27.  Our numbers continue to increase, and we finished last year with well over 840 members!  We also can cover five decades of experiences across our membership!

The number of groups is also growing, with around 80 groups expected in the programme  this year – an increase of around 30 in just three years!  I’m delighted to say that the majority of last year’s programme continues.  In addition, we look forward to welcoming amongst others, Shakespeare, a Second Craft and Chat, A Weekend Wanderers Group, Wilfred Owen, Guitar for Total Beginners and Peaceful Warrier-Gentle Movement and balance in a purpose fitted Dojo as new courses this year.

The format of this year’s Annual Programme is broadly similar to last year.  We always welcome feedback on what you find either helpful or difficult so we can continue to improve in the future, so please do let us know your thoughts.

Alton u3a is well established and respected in the town and surrounding area and are fortunate to have facilities such as the Community Centre which allow us to continue and grow.  Planned developments are currently on hold, however we have sufficient facilities locally to meet our current needs.  We are hopeful that the ACC will be developed in time to support further expansion of the opportunities for our interests and social gatherings.

With an increasing membership and growing numbers of high quality special interest groups, it is important to reflect that we are only successful due to the large number of volunteers who plan and lead our activities, without whom we would have nothing.  So once again I thank everyone who has given their time and effort in creating and running groups and other activities, and in particular those taking on Group Leadership after the stepping down or passing of previous GLs to keep groups running.  To make their effort truly worthwhile, take your time to read through the programme and make sure you take advantage by signing up for a few groups.

Remember that we have online group selection and membership payments available, so all new and renewing members have the choice to select groups and pay all in one place, simpler and less error prone than paper forms.  It also reduces the effort to process each application so please use this method if possible.

We will have an Open Day on 8th August from 13:00-16:00 at the Alton Community Centre for all to find out more about the groups; there will be some assistance for members with using online facilities for joining and payment.

If you are reading this after the session has started in September, don’t worry as we accept members joining at any time, although it is worth checking online to see which groups are still available (some may be full due to high demand).

Finally, the AGM approved the updating of our Constitution, in line with the latest ‘best practice’ from the Third Age Trust.  This can be seen online at our website.  Many thanks to all on the Committee who took time to investigate and manage a complex process to fruition – much appreciated!

I look forward to seeing you through the coming year.

Alan Robb

When you are a member of u3a, you have access to additional online services and activities provided by the Third Age Trust (TAT)...

Online learning events	Free online talks, workshops and courses   u3a members can access a wide range of free online talks, workshops and courses through their membership. Most sessions are led by fellow members, sharing their expertise, with additional talks from notable speakers and organisations.
Interest groups online	Interest Groups Online offers a variety of peer led, online learning opportunities for its subscribers. As part of the u3a movement, members generously volunteer their time and share their knowledge, skills and experience with the members in their groups. Some groups are more interactive than others, with an expectation that all members take it in turns to present their knowledge.  If in doubt, give it a go.  The more groups you try, the more likely you'll find the one you love.
u3a Friends	u3a Friends is an exciting new initiative to bring together stories and interests from across the u3a movement; to use our collective voice to change lives and to share exclusive member offers with our exclusive Friends Extra benefits program. All of these come together under the banner of u3a Friends. Signing up to the newsletter means you are up to date and in touch with all that's happening across the movement as it happens.