Earlier this month, the Isle of Wight branch of the u3a celebrated this year’s u3aDay with a team walk covering all 70 miles of our Island’s beautiful coastal path.
Teams wearing yellow u3a hi-vis jackets covered the whole coastal path in 26 sections. Participants tied blue and gold pompoms at start and finishing points of each section, circling the Island in the blue and gold colours of the u3a. Some teams walked a couple of miles, others walked five, six, or more – and the whole route was covered by lunchtime.
Afternoon picnic
A large, bright yellow gazebo welcomed u3a members in the afternoon at Church Litten, Newport, where both walkers and non-walkers had a picnic.
On proud display was a large map of the Isle of Wight showing the names of all the walkers and their routes.
Deputy Lord Lieutenant
While in Church Litten we were very encouraged to receive a visit from Kate Collins, one of the Deputies of Susie Sheldon, Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight.
Kate was most interested in the hard work put into organising our celebration day. She applauded the efforts the Isle of Wight branch has made to keep in touch with members during the pandemic, helping them use Zoom, organising online coffee mornings, talks, walks, and safe outdoor activities in small groups, as permitted.
Keen to promote third agers
Although surprised she had heard little of u3a , Kate certainly knows about us now! And she tells us she is keen to help in any way she can to promote the principles of u3a, encouraging more ‘third agers’ to start learning new things, meeting new people, and generally having fun.
In the evening there was a celebratory Zoom cocktail party. Cocktails included a blue and yellow one especially for the day.
Bradshaw: Grown significantly in size, even under lockdown
Chair of Isle of Wight u3a Carol Bradshaw says,
“We intend to keep meeting in the coming months, including throughout the autumn and winter. Indeed, several of our groups will be holding fortnightly and monthly meetings all through the summer.
“We hold some meetings online on Zoom at present, but expect to be able to have more of them in person when it is safe to do so.
“I am happy to be able to announce that we have grown significantly in size, even under lockdown, and look forward to ever more new members joining with us in our diverse and stimulating programme of activities.
“If there is an interest, we aim to embrace it. Isle of Wight u3a groups of all kinds already exist, but there is plenty of room for more!”
What we are
u3a is an international, non-religious, and non-political movement open to every person in their ’third age’ (3A); everyone, in other words, no longer working fulltime and who can contribute to and become involved in interest groups run by the members for the members.
Although the ‘U’ in u3a originally stood for ‘university ‘, u3a is not, and never was, a university. We have no teachers and no students. There are no exams, tests, passes, or failures.
Learn, Laugh, Live
u3a is simply people with similar interests getting together to Learn, Laugh, Live – the u3a motto.
u3a is open to anyone in their ‘third age’ with the time and interest to promote and engage in life-long learning within a sociable framework.
Find out more
More information about u3a is on our Website or, alternatively, email: [email protected] or call 01983 740511.
We are also on Facebook and Twitter @u3aWight.
Image: Deputy Lord Lieutenant Kate Collins meets Isle of Wight u3a members including its Chair, Carol Bradshaw in Newport on National u3a Day
News shared by Jim on behalf of the Isle of Wight u3a. Ed
