Who we are
East Lothianu3a is an organisation which welcomes people who have finished full time employment or raising a family to join together to learn from each other and to enjoy social activities that are of common interest. We welcome members from all around East Lothian
We manage our u3a through our Executive Committee with the help and support of our Group Convenors and other volunteer members. You can find details of our current committee members and other significant post holders on our COMMITTEE Page along with our detailed policies. Click on our Governance Page here to see how we operate.
We are a registered charity and an independent member of the Third Age Trust which supplies educational and administrative support to all the u3as in the UK. Here you can read more about the Principles and Vision of the u3a and full information about the Third Age Trust can be found on the Third Age Trust web site, where you can also sign up to receive copies of the u3a national newsletters or view copies from the archive.
What we do
We have a series of open lectures where we invite speakers who give talks on a variety of interesting topics and we host coffee mornings to keep members up to date on developments in our u3a. There is also an opportunity for members to socialise over a cup of tea or coffee at the end of meeting or open lectures.
We form interest groups where members learn about a subject from each other or engage in social activities together. To view a list of current groups click ‘Groups’ at the top of this page or click GROUPS here.
Our web site posts NEWS and details of EVENTS . Additionally we produce a News Letter approximately each quarter which which shows details of upcoming events, reports on recent group activities, communications from the committee and lots of contact details. Past copies of the Newsletter are available on our web site here.
To keep costs as low as possible e-mail is the general communication medium. For people that do not have e-mail available to them we encourage the use of an email buddy.
After the ages of childhood and a period of full-time work there comes a third age of freedom. Time to explore new interests, share skills and experiences, and make new friends.
If you want more information about our activities or joining the u3a, please get in touch using our Contacts page
What it costs
Our membership year runs from 1 May with a reduced subscription rate for members joining after 1st January. Current subscription rates are as follows:
Membership |
Full Year |
Part Year |
|
| 1st May 2025- 30th April 2026 | 1st January 2026 – 30th April 2026 | ||
| Individual | £20 | £10 |
Membership entitles you to:
– attend the open lectures and coffee meetings
– receive the East Lothian u3a Newsletter
– join as many of our interest groups as you wish as long as there is space available
– receive the Third Age Matters magazine
– access the Newsletter and other resources of the Third Age Trust
Our Membership Policy can be viewed by clicking on the link.
If you join a group that meets in a room that incurs a hire fee then you may be asked to pay a supplement towards the cost of that fee (payable quarterly in arrears). Please note this extra contribution made by members towards room hire does not cover the full cost of the room hire but helps to share the cost more fairly between members who attend groups in paid for venues and those who do not.
As well as room hire costs the subscription covers the administration costs of running our u3a (printing, postage etc) and contributions to the Third Age Trust to cover central costs including insurance, the use of the Beacon database to maintain membership and financial records and postage of the Third Age Trust magazine. Groups are expected to be self-funding with all members of the group, including the convenor sharing any costs equally.
Where we meet
Open lectures and coffee mornings are held at various venues around the county but mainly in Haddington or Dunbar. Groups meet in various venues around the county, some paid for and some free or in members’ homes. Please check individual group pages or contact group convenors for details for individual groups
How to join us
Please go to our CONTACT page to get in touch with our Membership Secretary or contact our Groups Co-ordinator if you would like to try out one or two of our groups before deciding whether to join or not.