Our Aims
Preston Park u3a is a registered charity (registration number 1162594) whose aims are the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work by all means, including associated activities conducive to learning and personal development. Each u3a is free to organise itself and engage in activities which reflect the interests and needs of its membership, within the overall framework of its constitution and the u3a movement’s aims and Founding Principles.
We are a mutual aid organisation, run by our members for our members, who give their time voluntarily and don't receive any payment for their services.
Our Committee and Annual General Meetings
We have a voluntary Executive Committee elected by the members each year at our Annual General Meeting. All u3a members have one vote at Annual and Special General Meetings and are sent 21 days’ notice of these meetings and the business to be conducted.
The Committee meet monthly to deal with necessary business and to oversee the organisation of activities on members' behalf. The membership of this year’s Committee can be found on the Contact page of our website.
Monthly General Meetings
Monthly General Meetings are open to all members and are usually held on the first Thursday of each month, from 2.15 pm until 3.45 pm (doors open 1.45 pm) in Knoyle Hall, Knoyle Road which is behind St John’s Church in Preston Village. It is wheelchair accessible.
Most months of the year we have a guest speaker, followed by light refreshments. There is a small charge, currently £1.50 per person, to cover the expense of refreshments, hiring the hall and engaging the speaker.
Learning and Activity Interest Groups
We have around 60 informal groups of members with a common interest who come together to share knowledge and explore a subject or take part in an activity. Each group has a volunteer Group Leader, who may or may not have some special knowledge or expertise. The emphasis is very much on shared learning.
Smaller groups often meet in members’ homes. Larger groups and some groups needing specialist facilities meet in local halls and venues and share the hire cost involved. Members of groups with a paid tutor such as Pilates and Yoga share the tutor’s cost.
More information about our Interest Groups is available on the Groups page of our website and from the individual Group Leaders, who may be contacted via an email link on each group's webpage.
Social Activities
As well as the social contact from coming together at meetings and in our groups, outings and visits are organised throughout the year to places of interest. We also have lunch clubs which meet in a variety of different eating places. More information about these can also be found on the Groups and Events pages of our website.
Monthly Updates
All members receive a Monthly Update each month, via email where they have an email address. This reports the latest news, details the events for that month and includes news from our groups and national u3a. The latest edition can be viewed on the News page of our website. The previous two months' Updates are on the Links page.
Membership Obligations
Membership of Preston Park u3a obliges members to abide by our Guidelines for Members, our Member Code of Conduct and our Constitution and to pay their membership subscription.
Membership expires on 31st December each year. Renewal notices are sent in November. If members haven’t renewed and paid the annual membership fee by 31st January, the Committee has the right to terminate their membership.
Early Days of Preston Park u3a
You can read more about how our u3a was established 17 years ago here.