We are a self-help voluntary organisation, which means we are run by the members for the members, and we are not a service organisation.
The first University of the Third Age was founded in Toulouse, France in 1972 as a summer school catering exclusively for retired people. The movement grew as an academic organisation associated with French universities. When the idea moved across to the United Kingdom ten years later, it established itself as a self-help organisation. The U3A is now worldwide.
The term University is used in its original sense of the word – a collective of people devoted to learning, with members rather than students, all of whom are in their Third Age, where the first age refers to childhood dependence and the second age to those in
full-time employment, or with parental responsibilities. Our aim is for all our members to “learn, laugh, and live” through taking part in our activities.
There is no lower age limit for membership, the main criteria being that members are retired or are in part time work. One in four of the UK population is in the Third Age. Currently there are more than 1000 U3As throughout the United Kingdom with membership circa 400,000.
The Third Age Trust
We are an independent Charity affiliated to the Third Age Trust, which is the National representative body of the U3A movement, and provides us with some support services. U3A members can choose whether to receive a copy of their house magazine, U3a Matters, five times a year, which is included in the annual subscription for full members, and is posted to your home address directly from the Third Age Trust. Associate members should apply to their main U3A for their magazine subscription.
The Buckingham & District U3A
The Buckingham & District U3A was formed in February 1998. Annually we have over 800 members and are growing fast.
We are a Charity and our Committee members are all Trustees who all give their time on a purely voluntary basis. Our charitable aims are to advance the education of older people no longer in full time gainful employment, living in Buckingham and its surrounding locality, and the provision of facilities for leisure time and recreational activities with the object of improving the conditions of life for the above persons in the interests of their social welfare. We are registered with the Charity Commission and our Constitution can be viewed here.
As a democratic, self-funding organisation, we draw on the knowledge, experience and skills of all our members to organise interest groups in accordance with the wishes of the membership, and to provide a positive and creative approach to their life after full-time work. Our Group co-ordinators are all volunteers who work with other members to develop their own interest groups and activities. The various activities on offer usually take place during the daytime.
Please Note we do not use street collections for cash.
Membership
Membership is open to individuals who are in their Third Age, no longer in full-time work, and are interested in participating in and furthering the work of the U3A, provided that they agree to abide by our Constitution and any membership conditions properly imposed by the Executive Committee, and to pay their annual subscription by the due date.
Our financial year runs from October until September the following year. Our annual membership subscription is currently £15.00 (which includes an affiliation fee paid to The Third Age Trust). You can join online or by completing an offline application form. The membership page has more details, along with a joining link.
Open Meetings
We hold open meetings at 14.30 usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month in January, February, March, April, May, June, September and October in the Buckingham Community Centre, Cornwall’s Meadow in Buckingham when we have a professional speaker. At these meetings, there is an opportunity for members to investigate the wide variety of outings, visits and study groups on offer.
N.B. The July and December meetings usually take the form of socials with in-house entertainment, and our Annual General Meeting takes place at the November meeting.
Buckingham U3A Activity Groups
A major feature of The Buckingham & District U3A is the large number of study and interest groups on offer. Many of these are free of charge although, where a rented venue is used, a small contribution towards the cost may be requested. Most groups meet once or twice a month, although some are weekly, either in their own homes or at a public venue. There is no limit to the number of groups that a member may join, once they have paid their Annual subscription fee.
Each activity has a Group Co-ordinator who arranges the programme in collaboration with the other members of the group. There is something for everyone and if a member cannot find something of interest, we encourage them to start new Groups using their specific knowledge and skills. Our Group Liaison Officer is on hand to offer support. Groups are primarily self-help rather than tutor-led, no formal qualifications are necessary, and likewise no qualifications are awarded.
We pride ourselves on being a friendly organisation. Every new joiner, whether they be recently retired or a new arrival to the town, is invited to attend our coffee mornings which are held three or four times a year, when we welcome them and outline the various activities on offer. Activities are listed under the Groups heading.
Outings
Currently we do not have an Outings organiser – if you can help please do get in touch. Details on how to contact are on the page for Outings & Visits.
Theatre Visits likewise needs a new organiser: see Theatre Visits.
U3A Newsletter
We publish a newsletter twice a year, normally in Autumn and Spring. Members are encouraged to receive this by email in a PDF format, wherever possible, as this reduces our postal charges. However, every member who wishes to receive a printed version may do so on request. If a group or member would like to contribute an article or news item they are very welcome to send these to the Newsletter Editor. Previous Newsletters can be downloaded from the link on our site.
Buckingham & District U3A is an independent Charitable association - Charity Reg. 1177534 - and a member of The Third Age Trust. © Buckingham & District U3A 2025