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Event showcases the best on offer from Ilkley u3a


After a year’s absence due to Covid Ilkley & District u3a held its autumn Meet the Leaders event last Saturday.


Group Leaders or their representatives from over 50 activity groups used the whole of the Clarke Foley Centre in Ilkley to set out their stalls and sign up new members. The event is designed to give members or prospective members an opportunity to chat to group leaders and trustees to find out what the u3a is all about. Ilkley u3a offers those who are retired, semi-retired and unwaged a choice of joining any of the 130 plus interest groups. These cover a range of activities including the more practical art, gardening and sports, to more challenging subjects such as languages, philosophy and architecture. Many groups such as Northern Towns or theRailway Group incorporate visits to local cultural and industrial sites, communities and landmarks.


Surveying the bustle of people at the Meet the Leaders event, u3a Trustee Marten Koopmans said, “ It was such a good showcase of what our u3a branch has to offer prospective members that around a dozen visitors decided to join our u3a there and then. Finally after the extraordinary period of self-isolation it was good to meet fellow members and group leaders to exchange experiences about the lockdown and restarts of groups.”


The u3a welcomes new members from Ilkley and the surrounding area and offers new learning experiences, fun and friendship. In addition to activity groups there are regular monthly talks, a Summer School and Study Days. Costs are kept to a minimum and the annual subscription is only £13.50.


For those who missed the Meet the Leaders event and want to discover more about what the u3a has to offer, there are regular Drop-in sessions in the Clarke Foley Centre on the first and third Friday mornings of the month from 10.30am to 12noon. You can also find us online at ilkleyu3a.org or on Twitter and Facebook.

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