ARMIDALE’S University of the Third Age (U3AA) is a hive of activity for its more than 60-strong members who are preparing to host next year’s NSW U3A Annual Conference in Armidale during May.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall was recently taken on a tour of the U3A’s premises in Barney Street and was briefed on the preparations the group is making to host the conference.
“It’s a very exciting time for U3AA, as the organisation is growing, becoming more active and has been given the honour of hosting next year’s State conference,” he said.
“More than 200 U3A members from across NSW are expected to converge on Armidale, which is great news for the city and the profile of the U3A movement in NSW.”
Mr Marshall said U3AA, which had its first meeting locally in 1992, provided Armidale’s retirees with an extensive range of activities and commended the group’s successful efforts to acquire a permanent home for their branch.
“The U3AA amalgamated with Armidale Senior Citizens Association (ASCA) in 2009 and became the new owners of ASCA House and all its assets,” he said.
“Since then they have been upgrading their facilities and now have a computer lab, an all-purpose meeting room and a closed-in-verandah to allow them to conduct year-round gatherings.”
U3AA President Shirley Cook said the organisation had a myriad of activities for their members to enjoy which included bushwalking, book clubs, Tuesday Talk sessions, aerobics, photography, mah-jong, yoga, cards, scrabble, chess, bird watching and a few exercise classes “to keep older bodies and minds working”.
“For those leaning towards arts and crafts, there’s cross stitch and needlecraft, embroidery and calligraphy and we have Italian, German and French language groups who meet to hone their language skills,” Mrs Cook said.
Mr Marshall praised the U3AA committee for their tireless work in maintaining a vibrant branch and was confident the NSW Government would be able to provide some assistance in their preparations for the 2014 U3A Annual Conference.
“On behalf of U3AA I have also invited NSW Ageing Minister John Ajaka to Armidale to open the conference next year and see first-hand the benefits the organisation is having on the lives of local seniors,” he said.
Mr Marshall recently used Parliament to raise the profile of the U3A movement. The MP gave notice of his motion which pays tribute to U3A NSW for “its commitment to lifelong learning, providing low cost educational opportunities and recreation activities for older people and keeping them active and involved in society.”
“I’ll be inviting all my colleagues to support the good work of the U3A movement and work closely with their local organisations to provide more opportunities to keep older people active and involved in their local communities,” he said.
