President’s Message
August 2026
As I am sure you all know well, our Winter Series kicks off on Friday August 7th at 10 am. We would really appreciate more registrations, please. Gay and her team have organised a great lineup of interesting speakers, it will be warm and out of the cold, there will be tea and coffee and cake. If you have nothing else on, or even if you do, please book and come along.!
At our very busy, well attended (over 140) meeting on July 20th, our usual interest group mini speakers were replaced by Margaret Davidson’s introduction to Matariki, which concluded with a beautifully sung waiata, and was followed by the introduction of, and presentation to, our two new Life Members, Agi Ryan and Chris Hawley. Maria Collins talked about Chris Hawley and Gay Williams about Agi Ryan, praising them and their contributions to the organisation, before Agi and Chris were awarded a certificate, a rose and a card containing a token of appreciation.
After morning tea, we heard from our main speaker, Rob Harley. We are very grateful to Rob, who agreed to talk to us at short notice after our original speaker withdrew. Rob is a very experienced journalist and writer and told us about his career, the causes he has pursued and the inspiring characters he has met. He has become increasingly interested in people with solutions, people doing things. He told us that we cannot fix the world’s problems but we can do something, we have to be angry enough to make a fuss, and that ordinary people have power.
John Goodman
How We Operate
Monthly Meetings
At our monthly meetings we get together to listen to a speaker of note. These people are chosen from a wide variety of backgrounds – historians, social scientists, representatives of voluntary organisations, scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds, and from many other disciplines. We also have updates from representatives from our interest groups and from time to time hear from other community representatives to give a short update on their activities
Interest Groups
We currently have many interest groups covering a wide variety of activities. Activities include a number of walking groups, reading groups, a memoir writing group, musical interest groups history and wine studies groups and many others. The complete list can be seen on the Interest groups page. From time to time we have new groups formed, and others cease their activity
Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter is our main means of communication with our members. Most of our members received their newsletters by email. We also post newsletters covering the last two years on our website for those interested in our activities. The website is updated monthly to ensure the most recent newsletters are always available.
Interest Groups
are the heart of U3A Meadowbank.
Our Interest Groups are the key to learning in more depth about a wide variety of topics and activities. They are at the heart of what U3A is all about and we strongly encourage all of our members to actively participate in at least one group. We also welcome ideas about new areas of study or activity from our members
We are a part of a Global Network
U3A is a global movement encouraging mature people to keep their minds active and share their knowledge. It began in France in 1972 as a means of enabling older achievers to continue learning and share their knowledge under the banner “University of the Third Age”. The movement spread widely throughout Europe.
In 1981, U3A reached the United Kingdom, which developed a model based on peer-to-peer learning, away from academia. This same approach was adopted in Australia and New Zealand. The first U3A in New Zealand was U3A Remuera, established in 1989. U3A St Heliers followed in 1992. There are now over 80 U3As in New Zealand, including 27 in the Auckland region. Further Information can be found on www.u3a.nz.
We are part of a local Network
Each U3A association is autonomous, organising its own programme, governance and affairs, but adhering to the principles on which U3A was founded. In summary, these are the guidelines that shape our activities and collegiality.
- Learning and teaching are mutually enhancing. We are all learners and teachers and are encouraged to be actively engaged in discovery, discussion, research and exploration of topics of collective interest.
- We are all recognised as having something of value to bring to the Association. We acknowledge the wisdom and depth of experience that members bring and the potential for new learning and new challenges as we age.
- All of our work is voluntary – no one gets paid for their services (except perhaps a koha for outside speakers). Leadership is shared and rotated, so no-one holds on to office beyond an allotted term.
- There are no admission requirements other than paying the annual membership fee. No entry qualifications are required, no award or recognition given of learning undertaken.