Gravesend, Northfleet and District u3a - 20 years young

Gravesend, Northfleet and District u3a marked their 20th anniversary with a celebration of its vibrant history. Chair Alan reflects on the u3a's evolution throughout the years. 

This year, our u3a marked two decades of enriching this corner of North West Kent. It all began in 2003 when visionary Jenny Vallely, our first Chair, recognised the need for a local u3a. With a small grant from the Third Age Trust, she gathered a group of like-minded individuals to lay the groundwork. By September 2004, we had our Certificate of Membership with just seven members, and our journey took off from there.

Our September General Meeting was particularly special this year, featuring cake, live music, and a singalong led by our talented member Johnny G. Longtime member and former Chair Brian Edwards shared nostalgic stories, accompanied by on-screen photographs. He reminisced about the early days, which were often a struggle, with meetings held in a cramped room at a Sports Centre, right next to the canteen with its lingering smell of chip fat. Those founding members worked tirelessly to build our organisation, establishing committees, interest groups, and activities while steadily attracting new members. Initially, we charged £12 annual membership, plus £1 for each activity or meeting.

Brian humourously recounted, “It took us about 9 years to reach 100 members!”

Our first newsletter, produced while we were meeting at a Community Centre, was a simple single sheet, just a calendar of events printed from Brian’s home computer. Fast forward to today, and our newsletter has transformed into a vibrant 16-20 page magazine filled with useful information, stories, and photos, delivered straight to your device. We now have a dynamic website linked to Beacon for online membership renewal and streamlining many processes that were once manual.

Brian pointed out, “There’s no way our membership secretary could have managed over 600 members without Beacon. She would have had a full-time job just handling cheques and cash, assuming she could even find a bank that hadn’t closed!”

As our membership grew, to now over 640, we moved to larger venues, supporting more than 70 groups and a bustling social calendar—all for just £16 a year.

Editor Trevor created a special edition of the newsletter, and on display was a beautiful 20th Anniversary panel made of 65 decorated fabric squares showcasing what our u3a means to its members - colourful, interesting, accomplished, humorous, and quirky, just like our members.

As we look ahead to the next 20 years, we’re excited to welcome new members, create new groups, and continue being the vibrant, life-enhancing organisation we’ve always been.