EXACTLY ten years ago today the new York University of the Third Age was launched in King's Manor, with some aplomb.
Over the decade there has been a steady growth of activity and purpose by U3A - a university in the original sense of the word; a learning co-operative of older people which enables members to share many educational, creative, travel and leisure activities.It offers education in the broadest sense.
The movement started in France, at Toulouse in 1972. Then in 1982 the UK launch was in Cambridge and it came to York in 1989.
There are now 384 wholly-independent U3As in Britain, more than 76,000 members and each group is autonomous.
Today York has an enthusiastic membership of more than 1,000 offering some 70 educational courses, for an annual subscription of £12.
A small number of founder members are still tutors - a huge voluntary commitment over ten years. In this United Nations International Year of Older Persons, it is opportune for York U3A to attract the spotlight and enjoy a new map of life, especially through the next decade.
David Hughes,University of the Third Age,Bootham, York.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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