Welcome to Farnham u3a! The u3a is a voluntary organisation which exists to provide opportunities to learn for fun. Members can explore new ideas, activities and skills together. Here you can read about the u3a in general and find out what we do in Farnham u3a and who does what. There are lots of useful links which you can click on for more information. Farnham u3a is a member of the Third Age Trust, the u3a umbrella organisation. We are also linked in to various Regional Networks within The u3a organisation. Farnham u3a was established in 1991 and currently has more than a thousand members, one of whom has written A Short History of Farnham u3a.
Farnham u3a is a charity (Registered Charity Number 1019078), run by members, for members. There is a small committee who are the trustees of the charity. There are also many others who play a major role in the organisation and running of our u3a. To find the right person to contact, and how to contact them, go to Contact Us.
What we do
We have over 70 different groups covering a wide variety of interests. Some groups are academic, such as literature, languages and history. Others, such as painting, photography and computing, have a practical or creative focus, whilst cycling and bowls, are more ‘sporty’. There are also groups which are purely recreational or social.
We work on the basis of ‘by members for members’. Group leaders, secretaries and other volunteers are the backbone of a successful u3a. Farnham u3a is fortunate in having members with a rich pool of knowledge, experience and talent which, in keeping with the ethos of the Third Age Trust, they are willing to share with fellow members. Sharing knowledge and skills in an informal, friendly (and often fun) setting is the life blood of Farnham u3a.
Why don’t you explore the full range of groups, just click on the Groups dropdown menu at the top of the page. Most groups meet during the day, many at Farnham Maltings, our local Arts & Community Centre. The programme runs from September through to June, with one or two groups continuing over the summer. New members are welcome to join us throughout the year.
We also run a varied programme of Monthly Meetings and Theme meetings open to everyone (subject to the capacity of the hall). These are on a wide variety of subjects, with talks sometimes given by members and sometimes by outside speakers.
We stay in touch with our members via the noticeboard at The Maltings, and regular editions of eNews. We also publish an Annual Review on the website drawing together the strands and activities of the year.
There’s always plenty to do
Farnham u3a is run by members for members. You are our greatest asset and there are many opportunities to get involved and help support the huge range of activities and enjoy what we offer. Perhaps you have a skill that you feel is under-used since leaving full-time employment, or you can spare a few hours now and then. If so do get in touch. Here’s your chance to get involved, share your knowledge and experience, but above all meet people and have fun: live, learn and laugh together.
If you would like to help, please contact our secretary (secretary@u3atony.tonyjohnson.org) or any member of the committee.
How we work
Our committee meets monthly to discuss the various issues involved in running Farnham u3a and the minutes of these meetings and those of our last AGM are available in Minutes.
As with any organisation, we have various policies and procedures in place to ensure that the way we work follows good practice and the Charity Commission guidelines. These policies and procedures cover finances, data protection, safeguarding, insurance etc. There is also other practical information, such as a building plan of the Maltings, which you may find helpful. To find all these go to Policies, Procedures and Useful Links.