Retired? Living in or around Durban? Planning a holiday to our friendly city? Never heard of U3A? Then read on for insight into an organisation with branches throughout the world
U3A is the abbreviation for University of the Third Age. Non-academics, be not alarmed! It is not a university in the usual sense of the word, but an international association of like-minded people (retired and semi-retired ) who wish to keep active in mind and body, learn from each other and share their knowledge and experience with fellow members, enriching their lives and having fun!
The organisation provides the opportunity for members to become involved in a wide variety of courses, outings, debates, tours and social gatherings, at very little cost.
Each branch has its own constitution and modus operandi. The Durban branch has a once-off enrolment fee of R30. New members are issued with a name badge and a copy of the course list. The annual subscription is R40 per person. This entitles members to free access to the courses, as well as the opportunity to initiate a course of their own choosing. Courses are for members only and the name badge serves as a free pass to courses and general meetings.
Branch members are currently enjoying more than 30 different courses, most of which take place once a week in the homes of individual members. For details of courses, course leaders and venues, click
Some courses require a lot of floor space as in the case of Yoga, Bridge for Fun and Minds Alive groups. To accommodate those taking part, the course leader may need to hire a venue, in which case each participant is asked to contribute R2.00 per session.
Besides the courses we also take part in various outings from day trips to weekend tours including game parks and the Battlefields of KwaZulu Natal. Proposed outings are announced at the general meetings and advertised in our bi-monthy newsletter - free to members via the post or e-mail. Internet users may access the newsletters by clicking on Third Age Ramblings. For the most recent information see Notice Board
The General Meetings are held five times a year on the first Wednesday of every second month. The meetings are advertised in our newsletter and the local papers. To date, these gatherings have proved very popular with both members and visitors, the attraction for visitors being our interesting guest speakers. For information on forthcoming and recent speakers refer to AGENDA in the top slot of the sidebar. For past and recent talks refer to our newsletters under Third Age Ramblings. Attendance for members is free. Visitors are asked to contribute R5.
Each year, instead of a general meeting in December, those of us who have not disappeared to Cape Town or flown to far off shores for family reunions, get together for our annual picnic.
Last year the picnic was held on the 3rd December at the Mitchell Park bandstand. Visitors are most welcome, (as is the case for general meetings and the AGM.) For the picnics, we always bring our own food - to share or not to share - and we usually have music and plenty of cameraderie. See pics below to get a feel of last year's vibe held at the Mitchell Park bandstand!
The U3A concept originated in Toulouse, France, in 1972, in association with the local University, and was called “l’Universite du Troisieme Age”. In France the association with universities has been maintained.
U3As are to be found world-wide and each branch operates quite independently. To quote our founding chairman, the late Dr Basil Edge :
"The French obviously age more slowly than the British, for their third age corresponds to
Shakespeare’s sixth, the age of retirement. Do not imagine, therefore, that you will be associating
with the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his mistress’ eyebrow.
No such luck! But you will find wonderful companionship, stimulation and entertainment
- and an opportunity to share your own particular enthusiasms with others similarly inclined."
The Durban group was founded in October 2001. We have had several successful tours including tours to the battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal. For interesting reports and photographs go to Tours and Outings. We are working on a new site which will include at least two more accounts of these tours. The latest to-date took place in April this year and was covered in Newsletter 34. A tour is being planned for May 2009. This will include historical sites and forest reserves in Zululand.
For a more comprehensive history of U3A Durban Branch see Marie Millar's refreshing and informative update.
The activities of the branch are managed by a committee, which is elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. For details of committee members see Subpages below.
The above link will take you away from the Durban U3A Branch's pages, which are Google sites and will open on the U3A South Africa Home page. At present
14 branches are listed. The Worldwide link is opened via the Harrow Branch in the UK.
See link on the immediate left in the sidebar.
the magazine published once a month by World U3A International Group and U3A Online Australia. 
Ruth Hughes and Chairman, Margaret Knight, during a U3A harbour cruise on the Allen Gardiner. ( Newsletter 36). For details of the current Committee click here 
Comments are welcome, especially if you are browsing to find information on activities for retired people and/or on a visit from a different branch! Ed.