Bude and District U3A is a part of The University of the Third Age. A unique self-help learning movement for people no longer in full time employment. We offer an opportunity for older people to pursue shared interests in many subjects within a sociable environment. It aims to encourage ‘third agers’ to engage in educational, creative and leisure activities at minimal cost by making use of the skills and knowledge of its members.
A university in the original sense of the word, the U3A is a collective of people devoted to learning, with members not students, and all of whom are in their Third Age.
The movement started in France in 1974.   Formed  over 30 years ago, there are now over 1,000 U3As across the UK, with thousands of interest groups between them and more than 400,000 members nationally – plus we’re growing every day.   The U3A national body – the Third Age Trust – looks after all the U3As in the UK, providing educational and administrative support.  The Trust is overseen by a Board of Directors, to which any U3A member may be elected.

Bude & District U3A holds 10 OPEN MONTHLY MEETINGS a year with a Speaker.  They are held at 2.30pm at the Parkhouse Centre, Bude on the 3rd Thursday of every month except October (our Annual General Meeting) and December (our Christmas Festivity).  These are free and include refreshments.  For information about our programme of speakers please go to the WHAT’S ON page of this website or look at our folder in Bude Library.

We also hold informal coffee mornings at The Weir Cafe on the 1st Friday of each month 10:30 to 12:30, and at the Brendon Arms on the 3rd Wednesday of each month 10:30 to 12 noon.

Visitors are welcome to come along to any of these meetings to learn more about what we do and to decide whether they would like to join us.