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Honiton u3a: What We're Up To

23 January 2023

A street curving around a corner - there are coloured houses on the left hand side

Richard, Vice Chair of Honiton u3a, shares what they have been up to lately and have planned - including new interest groups and how they have recruited almost sixty new members over the last year

Honiton u3a has recently introduced some new initiatives:

A monthly photography challenge 

We are setting up a new monthly photography challenge. Members are asked to submit one photograph which must have been taken in the current month, or in the same month of a previous year. Any subject can be chosen, for example, artistic, historical, humorous, local interest.

Photographs can be in colour or black & white and will be showcased on the overhead projector at the next monthly speaker meeting. They will also be featured on the Honiton u3a Website and Facebook page.

Pop In Solo Saturdays

Being in the u3a is an ideal way for people who are solo to meet new people and join in the many groups and events. However, sometimes it’s not that easy. Meeting new people can be daunting, especially if your circumstances have changed. Recently set up, Pop in Solo has quickly proved a great success, with small groups of members coming to sessions organised in a local café.

This monthly event at a coffee shop in Honiton has quickly become a successful part of the life of Honiton u3a. It’s a great opportunity for members to meet up and enjoy an informal chat, as well as a chance for some of our more recent recruits to get together and to talk with committee members.

Craft Events – Watch and Have a Go

A craft day, organised by the Events Group, took place in November. It was an opportunity to see a great selection of crafts, including knitting, crochet, spinning, cross-stitch, patchwork, and making origami boxes, all demonstrated by members. Those attending had the chance to “have a go” during the session.

Group Leaders Lunch

Our group leaders were invited to a special lunch in October, held to thank them for all the wonderful work they do on behalf of our members. Those who attended enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch, as they chatted with committee members and their fellow group leaders.

Auction Event

We are preparing for an event provided by a local auctioneer, to be held at their premises. This will begin with a welcome glass of wine, followed by a short talk about the company, a display of items which are about to be auctioned and a group treasure hunt quiz about these items. The Events Group will take it forward as the first of our 30th year celebrations.

We've also had some endings and beginnings with our Interest Groups lately

Whilst a number of long-running groups have closed in recent years, a number of new groups have formed. Many have been suggested and led by recent or new members. This may reflect the value of recruiting new blood.

The Strollers Walking Group has been taken over by a new member, the Morning Walking Group continues to thrive and a new All Day Walks Group came into operation very recently.

On the food and drink front, One Pot Suppers has developed from a similar original group and Wine Tasting for Fun, started by new members just before Covid, has since grown from eight to sixteen members.

Another new member enterprise, Devon’s Historic Churches, has expanded so much that the group divides into two when the chosen church is discussed the month after each visit.
Crochet is yet another new member’s innovation, and Nature Appreciation has been an instant hit as has Poem Sharing (on Zoom).

On a musical note, Music Appreciation is run by two joint leaders who alternate monthly sessions at their homes, whilst Handbell Ringing has provided great enjoyment.

Membership, Publicity and Recruitment

At present, we have more than 270 members. We have attracted nearly 60 new members over the last year and more continue to join. As an added incentive, until the end of March, new members benefit from a special rate of £5.

To bring Honiton u3a to the attention of a wider public we took a stall on the local Saturday market in Honiton High Street. Flanked by u3a banners, we displayed pictures and information, about both our monthly meetings and our many interest groups, and chatted to passers-by. A number of new recruits signed up on the day, and a few membership forms were taken away and returned completed. We will do this again in the coming year.
We continue to place information in shops, local papers, parish magazines and other local news carriers about upcoming talks and events.

Many of our new members have first heard about us through our general publicity and through the posters that appear across the town. We are constantly looking for new places to display posters to maximise our coverage.

However, the first experience of u3a for some has been in coming as a visitor to one of our monthly meetings. As we start our 30th anniversary year, we are encouraging members to take the opportunity to “Bring a Friend” to u3a by bringing them along to a speaker meeting. Several new members have already joined as a result.

Visitors who attend the monthly meetings are encouraged to take away information packs. For this to continue to be successful, we ask existing members to donate their copies of the Third Age Matters magazine to be included in these packs – after enjoying them themselves, of course! 



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