New programme announced for Causeway U3A members

Causeway U3A is part of the wider U3A movement. It’s a self-help organisation. It aims to provide continued learning and enjoyable activities for the retired and semi-retired. The idea is to help members to enjoy a good social life and to keep active.

The ‘year’ begins on Thursday, September 4 with the first of the regular monthly meetings. It’s to be held in Portstewart Golf Club at 11am. The agenda usually includes an update on U3A activities and points of interest followed by a talk by a guest speaker. At this first meeting, journalist Malachi O’Doherty will give a talk on ‘The Belfast Agreement 16 years on’.

In advance of his talk there’s to be an Activities Exhibition beginning at 10am. The idea is to showcase the impressive range of activities planned for the coming year. Members are free to select as many or as few activities as they wish from the huge range available and to sign up for their preferred choices. It’s just like Freshers’ Week at a more traditional university.

Activities this year range from Art and Art Appreciation to Yoga. In between there’s, Astronomy, Ballroom Dancing, Bridge, Built Heritage, Choir, Crafts, Culture, Current Affairs, Dining, Flower Arranging, French Conversation, Gardening, Golf, Hervey Trail History Project, Italian, IT, Jazz Appreciation, Line Dancing, Nordic Walking, Pilates, Photography, Pottery, Rambling, Reading, Spanish, Sunday Allsorts, Swimming, Tai Chi, Whist, and Wine Appreciation. Phew! Now that’s a list but it doesn’t even stop there. Members are free to suggest other subjects and activities. Currently, ten additional activities are under consideration.

Causeway U3A, which was founded in 1995 with a membership of just eight, now has around 900 members. Its open to all and the policy is to have as low an annual subscription as possible, with additional charges set for each individual class or activity so that members only have to pay extra for those activities they participate in.

Membership is open to all. Currently, meetings and activities take place at various venues in and around Coleraine, Portrush, Portstewart and Portballintrae. Additional information, including on how to join U3A, is available on the website www.causewayu3a.co.uk